Solar power at the White House

Mechanical engineer Fred Morse was approached by the Richard Nixon administration to assess the potential of solar power. He took several years to work out what could be installed on the roof of the White House. Jimmy Carter's reviewing stand for his inauguration was warmed by solar panels. The Carter administration increased the budget for the development of energy technology research and introduced tax credits for solar power. ==Carter administration==

On June 20, 1979, 32 solar water heating panels were placed on the roof of the West Wing. The panels were made by InterTechnology/Solar Corp. from Warrenton, Virginia and installed by Hector Guevara of Alternate Energy Industries Corp. At the dedication ceremony for the panels, President Carter said, "In the year 2000 this solar water heater behind me, which is being dedicated today, will still be here supplying cheap, efficient energy... A generation from now, this solar heater can either be a curiosity, a museum piece, an example of a road not taken or it can be just a small part of one of the greatest and most exciting adventures ever undertaken by the American people". The Carter administration had set a goal for renewable energy in the United States to generate 20 percent of the nation's energy needs by the year 2000. Tax breaks for solar panels were eliminated under the Ronald Reagan administration. ==Removal under the Reagan administration==

The panels were removed in 1986 during the Reagan administration during the resurfacing of the roof, and stored in a warehouse in Franconia, Virginia. Another is on display at the Jimmy Carter Presidential Center. A third panel has been part of the Solar Science and Technology Museum in Dezhou, China since 2013. ==21st century==

In 2003, the George W. Bush administration reinstalled solar thermal heaters. These units are used to heat water for landscape maintenance personnel and for the presidential pool and spa. One hundred and sixty-seven solar photovoltaic grid-tied panels were installed at the same time on the roof of the maintenance facility. The changes were not publicized, as a White House spokeswoman said the changes were an internal matter. The story was picked up by industry trade journals. In 2010, Steven Chu, the secretary of energy under the Barack Obama administration, announced that solar panels would be installed on the roof saying that "As we move towards a clean energy economy, the White House will lead by example". The panels were installed in 2013, making it the first time any solar power would be used for the president's living quarters. ==References==