White House to get solar panels, hot water heater
The White House gets s lot of heat and it is about to take advantage of some of it. With a nod toward the green effort, the US Department of Energy said it plans to install solar panels and a solar hot water heater on the roof of the White House residence.
The system will convert sunlight directly to electricity and the solar hot water heater will have a solar collector facing the sun that will heat water for use in the White House Residence. The Department of Energy said it is starting a competitive procurement process to select the company responsible for the installations.
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The move is seen an attempt for President Obama to lead by example as he has been a vocal proponent of the solar industry.
According to the USA Today: “Obama has come under increasing pressure to re-install solar panels at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. President Jimmy Carter did so the late 1970s, but those panels were removed during President Reagan’s administration. President George W. Bush used solar to power a maintenance building and heat water for the pool. Last month, author Bill McKibben led a group of global warming activists with the 350.org in carrying one of Carter’s solar panels from Unity College in Maine to the White House to urge Obama to re-install it.”
“The White House did the right thing, and for the right reasons: They listened to the Americans who asked for solar on their roof, and they listened to the scientists and engineers who told them this is the path to the future,” Bill McKibben, an environmental activist who led rallies calling for Obama to act, said in a statement.
Around the world, the White House is a symbol of freedom and democracy. It should also be a symbol of America’s commitment to a clean energy future, the DEO stated.
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