Placing 386 solar panels on the science building at MICDS was no small feat for Microgrid Solar. This is the largest solar array installation on one building for any Missouri school. Due

to the synthetic shingles on the new LEED certified McDonnell Hall, a group of engineers pioneered a system to allow the microinverters to be installed so that the students can carefully monitor how the weather affects individual panels.

"The solar panels are installed at different angles, so the students will be able to see the affects of sun exposure on electricity production.

"The advanced inverter and monitoring system allows them to study each individual panel as the sun rises and sets across the arrays," states Charles Tompkins , Director, Government Services for Microgrid Solar and a MICDS alumni.

The commitment to experiential learning is evident in this project. Bob Shaw, MIDCS JK - 12 Science Department Chair, explains, "At MICDS, students utilize their own school buildings as learning labs and our solar-panel arrays as hands-on tools for problem solving, exercises and research in science and mathematics classes."

MICDS is demonstrating its commitment to clean energy with an Open House for McDonnel Hall and Brauer Hall, the new Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics buildings, on Saturday, April 26, 2014 from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. This event is open to the community.