Solar Power Comes to the White House

Solar panels and a solar hot water heater will soon be installed at the White House, claims CNN reporter Steven Chu
He announced the conversion at the 2010 GreenGov Symposium in Washington.
"This project reflects President Obama's strong commitment to U.S. leadership in solar energy and the jobs it will create here at home," Chu said. "Deploying solar energy technologies across the country will help America lead the global economy for years to come."


The solar panel system, which should be installed by next spring, will convert sunlight directly to electricity, while the solar hot water heater will have a solar collector facing the sun to heat water for use in the White House.

This is not the first time solar energy has been tapped at the White House. Former President Jimmy Carter had solar panels installed on the roof of the White House residence during his term. They were removed during the Reagan administration. Former President George W. Bush also used solar energy to help power a maintenance building on the White House grounds, and to assist in heating the swimming pool there.

The announcement comes on the one-year anniversary of an executive order signed by the president that called on the federal government to lead in the establishment of a clean energy economy.

http://www.cnn.com/2010/POLITICS/10/05/white.house.solar.power/index.html?hpt=T2