White House solar panels being installed this week

[kpete]

Source: Washington Post

After nearly three years, the White House began installing solar panels on the First Family’s residence this week, a White House official confirmed Thursday.


The Obama administration had pledged in October 2010 to put solar panels on the White House as a sign of the president’s commitment to renewable energy.

The White House official, who asked not to be identified because the installation is in process, wrote in an e-mail the project is “a part of an energy retrofit that will improve the overall energy efficiency of the building.”

At the time of the 2010 announcement, then-Energy Secretary Steven Chu and White House Council on Environmental Quality chair Nancy Sutley said the administration would conduct a competitive bidding process to buy between 20 and 50 solar panels. The officials did not identify the supplier or cost of the project, but wrote the White House “has begun installing American-made solar panels” and the initiative, “which will help demonstrate that historic buildings can incorporate solar energy and energy efficiency upgrades, is estimated to pay for itself in energy savings over the next eight years.”

Read more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-politics/wp/2013/08/15/white-house-solar-panels-finally-being-installed/

[Crow73]

1. Are they

the same ones Reagan took down?

[Indyfan53]

7. I got pissed when I learned Ray-Gun did that.

What a corporate shill he was.

[bhikkhu]

23. Carter had installed a solar water heating system

if I recall correctly, so it would be a whole different thing.

[Jim Lane]

27. No, the linked article describes the fate of Carter's panels. One ended up in China.

Most are at a college in Maine.

I'd sure hope that the technology has improved in the intervening three decades.

Carter's installation was strictly a water heater. My impression is that the Obama system will include a water heater and also photovoltaic (to generate electricity that can be used for purposes other than heating).

[dkf]

2. Was this a "shovel ready" project? Lol.

[kath]

6. Yeah, right. How many jobs did those "shovel ready" projects yield?

Meanwhile, bridges and other infrastructure continue to decay...

[awoke_in_2003]

20. Can't fault the pres on that...

congress refuses to fund improving infrastructure.

[Hekate]

29. Ask Congress, why don't you? They're the ones refusing to fund a damn thing. nt

[NoOneMan]

3. sweet. climate change over

starvation denied

[Spitfire of ATJ]

4. Watch FOX "News" claim they're from Solyndra.

[lyonn]

12. Are you serious?

I'd like to think that Elon Musk's solar panels are going in, but an U.S. company is super news.

[Spitfire of ATJ]

15. Did you miss that fake scandal?

[Control-Z]

5. Yet another reason to keep a democrat

in the WH. You know a republican would take them down out of spite on day one.

[Kingofalldems]

8. Obama is a communist

Everyone knows solar panels are satanic.

[Snake Plissken]

17. An exotic communist

Right now somewhere on the AM dial, a conservative talk show host is explaining why this is making the Baby Jesus cry.

[diabeticman]

9. Didn't Jimmy Carter have solar panels on the White House that Reagan Couldn't get down fast enough?

[onehandle]

14. Yes. nt

[FailureToCommunicate]

18. They seemed so new and cool back then...

Now, not so much

[SunSeeker]

25. It is still cool, and to be applauded. nt

[ConcernedCanuk]

28. USA would be a much nicer nation under Jimmy Carter methinks

.
.
.

Only President I have had much respect for since JFK.

I have NO respect for our fricken HarperDude.

(sigh)

CC

[LiberalLovinLug]

32. I feel your pain

ya hoser!

[ConcernedCanuk]

34. ...

.
.
.



CC

[lyonn]

10. Hell of a deal

This is such good news.

[liberal N proud]

11. And the next rebublican in office will remove them.

Unfortunately!

[jtuck004]

13. That's just camouflage for the rocket launchers. n/t

[Nihil]

30. A modern-day slant on an old idea?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pavise

[jtuck004]

31. So much out there - I had never read about that.

Thank you.

[Dawson Leery]

16. Pity for the teabaggers, Reagan is no longer around to remove them.

[awoke_in_2003]

21. Don't worry...

some future asshat will do it.

[daleo]

19. Good

I hope this is the start of something big.

[awoke_in_2003]

22. Imagine where we would be...

if more in the country had taken Carter's lead. We would have a vibrant solar market that would have the money to fund research into more efficient panels.

[daleo]

35. Yeah, it was a 30 year waste of time

A pity.

[SunSeeker]

24. And Obama has had the military installations go solar.

No president has pushed solar as mush as Obama.

[jakeXT]

26. And who installed the ones for the swimming pool? Bush and/or Clinton ?

In 2002, as part of usual renovations and a new effort to make the White House more eficient, the cabana was renovated: extra were windows added, the roof was raised, and a solar array was put on top.
The solar thermal array uses water heated in pipes by the sun; not photovoltaic cells creating electricity. It provides hot water to the cabana. What is not used there is used to heat the outdoor spa installed by the Clintons. Remaining heat is used to help heat the pool.
The solar array was designed to blend in with the roof of the cabana and, even on close inspection, appear no more obtrusive than a skylight. James Doherty, an architect with the National Park Service White House Liaison Office, managed the solar installations. Since the White House grounds were designated a national park, the NPS has responsibility for and jurisdiction over the lawn, gardens, and buildings. Additional solar arrays were added to the maintenance building in the southwest corner of the South Lawn, directly south of the swimming pool.

http://www.whitehousemuseum.org/grounds/pool.htm

[RubyDuby in GA]

33. Will Obama invite Jimmy Carter to view them?

I think it would only be right for Obama to invite Carter to see them once they're done. I'm sure it won't happen because Obama would rather die than be seen with Jimmy Carter, but it would be nice nonetheless to honor a true forward thinking man.