When spring turned into summer this year, Obama caught a lot of heat from solar power supporters over not fulfilling his promise to add solar panels to the White House. A Department of Energy blog post explained that the process was being slowed due to a "competitive procurement" process for finding a contractor to install the photovoltaic panels.
President Obama isn't the first White House resident to cause a stir with solar panels. A solar power system was first installed in Carter's presidency in 1979, a ground breaking movement by the President to introduce renewable energy. The panels were then taken down by Regan in 1981, later half of those panels were given to Maine's Unity College. Surprisingly, George W. Bush was the second U.S. President to do a solar installation on the White House- not the main house itself but for the presidential pool and spa and a maintenance shed generating 9 kW of energy.
The current administration has jumpstarted two solar energy initiatives Sun Shot Initiative and Rooftop Solar Challenge- both aimed at making solar energy accessible to more U.S. communities, which DOE was quick to point out in a blog response to the backlash it received in not making the start of summer due date.
While it certainly IS great to see these two programs and the great amounts of funding that the government is providing for research and development in driving costs down and the amazing incentives that solar has in some states and while I can understand that the procurement process is lengthy, it is so important to have the White House producing solar energy. It serves as a landmark, a beacon in so many respects and as we move as a country to seek out renewable and clean forms of energy the White House has to be on board.
For many people the concept of solar power can at first be such an intangible concept. There are so many misconceptions from the cost of the solar power systems to how they actually work. Going solar isn't just some silly abstract concept that you only buy into if you like to sing kumbayah around the fire- it's an actual long term investment in the sustainability of our own cummunities and the country at large. Electricity costs will only rise as the materials that we currenty use on a large scale will at some point run out. Mean while as we use those materials we depleted resources in obtaining the non renewable sources of energy and their actual out out.
So...
Dear Mr. President,
I know you are very busy solving lots of problems but please be a direct example for the solution and get solar on your house. Now.
Yours Truly,
Sunny Girl
Solar Power Conversations -Second Generation Energy Blog
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