Why So Little Solar at the White House?

ABC news posted a story this past week that highlighted the use of solar at the White House, or rather lack thereof. Check out the full feature here. 

According to the article, solar has been almost completely absent from 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue since 1986, despite attempts to go solar in 1979 with the installation of 32 panels during the Carter administration.  Since then the panels have been removed and have yet to be replaced.

White House Solar Dedication

The only solar action has taken place on a White House maintenance shed, which added solar panels in 2003 to warm the White House pool. The good news? That small maintenance shed uses SMA inverters!

While solar continues to catch on nationwide, the White House has yet to fully adopt solar power.

Leading by Example

The article calls on the White House to lead the way for solar through example. We wonder, too, why solar hasn’t been reintroduced given the current administration’s pro-renewable energy stance.

As we’ve seen in countries like Germany, policy drives adoption. It is important for government leaders to illustrate support for an industry if they want to see a cleaner, greener America.

Hopefully the White House will be placing an order for more Sunny Boys soon.

Solar at the White House

To learn more about the history of solar panels at the White House during the Carter administration, you can watch this short video A Road Not Taken.