Due to the efforts of our Upper School student Environmental Club, MPA is close to obtaining the needed funding for the installation of a 1.4 kilowatt solar panel "array" system at Mounds Park.  Senior Katherine G., co-founder of the Environmental Club with senior Christine H., has led the effort to make this dream a reality.  With a recent Parents' Association grant of $5,000, along with other fund raising efforts, school support and possible support by the student council, this project will be installed this summer or fall. 

The array will consist of eight panels on an adjustable pole mounted foundation and will be located on the south side of the campus facing Larpenteur Avenue.  Attached to the system will be a meteorological cluster to collect educational data.  There will also be a kiosk or touch screen installed in a highly visible school location to provide our families and other visitors information on the array, any data collected, and "green" concerns.  The solar array will increase awareness about environmental issues and have significant educational benefits.

As the consequences of environmental degradation become increasingly apparent on a global basis, our Environment Club students (with the support of school administration) felt it was imperative that MPA takes a lead in "going green" and sets a positive example for the school and surrounding communities.  This solar panel system will call attention to the necessity for renewable energy.  School families will see how easy working with alternative energy sources can be, and hopefully will apply this lesson in their own homes.  Students will emerge from MPA familiar with environmental issues and will grow up inspired to incorporate green living into their lifestyles. 

The solar array will collect a plethora of data to be used in science classes.  The meteorological system will include a temperature sensor, a rain gauge, a relative humidity sensor, an anemometer (measures wind speed), a wind vane, a barometric pressure sensor, and a pyranometer (measures sunlight).  Also, the rack angle can easily be adjusted to conduct experiments.  There will be free lesson plans available to help teachers integrate this information, with relation to the array energy intake, into the science curriculum.  The data will be accessible in real-time from any computer on the school local area network.

This is an exciting and unique development for both the student body and the MPA community as a whole.  We will update you more as this project installation develops.