Science Day at the Ute V. Perkins Elementary School last Thursday started with a ribbon-cutting ceremony conducted by, from left, Principal Ken Paul; Tom Collins, Clark County commissioner; John Hargrove, NV Energy program manager and Randall Ozaki from Overton Power, to dedicate the school’s new solar power array.

By Mike Donahue

Moapa Valley Progress

Ute V. Perkins Elementary students enjoyed an extra special science day last week when Clark County Commissioner Tom Collins joined representatives from NV Energy and the Overton Power District to dedicate the school’s new solar power array.

The power station consists of six solar panels, an inverter to transform the generated electricity from direct current to alternating current, a gauge to measure the power produced and a panel to connect the whole array to the school. It was built on the side of a small auxiliary and maintenance building on Perkins property.

The solar power array was donated by NV Energy and constructed under the auspices of Overton Power. It has been producing and supplying the school with an equivalent amount of electricity to power a three-bedroom, two-bath home, according to John W. Hargrove, senior program manager for energy efficiency and conservation of NV Energy.

“That is, a three-bedroom, two-bath home without air conditioning,” he said last Thursday at the ribbon-cutting ceremony. “The solar panels produce about 2,600 watts of power or enough electricity to light up 26 100-watt light bulbs.”

Collins, who helped get the solar panel installed in the Moapa school, told students that dedicating the panel was special for him because he is a retired lineman.

“This is the future, your future,” he said. “These panels will help you see how solar power production works and how you can benefit from it.”

Hargrove said Perkins is one of about 20 schools in Nevada that have been provided with solar power-producing arrays. It is part of the Green Power Program by the Desert Research Institute.

Perkins Principal Ken Paul said the ribbon-cutting ceremony just happened to fall on the school’s annual science day when students take the entire day to hear presentations and interact with various community partners on how science plays a part in their jobs.

“Science day is an opportunity for us to try to get our kids excited about math and science,” Paul said. “Our community partners come in and explain how science and math is used in real world applications. I think it’s very important that the kids see people in their everyday lives applying the very things we’re trying to teach them.”

Business and organizations that participated with Perkins Elementary in science day included Overton Power, the Moapa Paiute Tribal Educational Support Center, the Valley of Fire, the Moapa Valley High School Educational Farm, NV Energy, Moapa Valley Water Co., Lin’s Market, the Lost City Museum and the University of Nevada Cooperative Extension.