Solar Power On the White House

CartaNova writes "The Obama administration has announced plans to install solar panels and a solar hot water heater on the White House. The Carter administration had previously installed a 32-panel solar system at the White House — which was quietly removed during Reagan's tenure in office. Solar hot water and Photovoltaic firms had been campaigning on this issue for some time."

Comments

How does it get any light?

[BadAnalogyGuy]

I've seen the White House on Google Maps and Google Earth and there seems to be some kind of thick cloud obscuring the area. Will they generate any electricity with these things or is it just another feel-good liberal gesture with no real world effect?

Re:How does it get any light?

[BetterThanCaesar]

Maybe Obama should build a wind turbine farm over sco08y's head.

No payback

[DerekLyons]

The energy saved by the installation will be more than made up for by the amount of energy expended in proclaiming how green the White House is.

Re:No payback

[CrazyJim1]

Actually its not solar power. They're putting Sterling Engines on the roof of the Whitehouse running off the differential of heat between the atmosphere and the hot air rising to the roof.