White House Solar Panels: What Ever Happened To Carter's Solar Thermal Water Heater? (VIDEO)

President Obama's first days in office have been chock full of reversing the actions of the previous president, from halting midnight environmental regulations to taking steps toward closing the Guantanamo Bay prison site.

It reminds me of another famous undoing, and raises a question: What happened to the solar panels that President Jimmy Carter had put on the White House and President Ronald Reagan had removed? Well, it turns out someone's making a documentary for me all about that. See the description and trailer below.

In 1979, Jimmy Carter, in a forward-looking move, installed solar panels in the roof of the White House. This symbolic installation was taken down in 1986 during the Reagan presidency. In 1991, Unity College, an environmentally centered college in Maine acquired the panels and later installed them on their cafeteria.

In "A Road not Taken", swiss artists Christina Hemauer and Roman Keller travel back in time and, following the route the panels took, interview those involved in the solar panel decisions, in the oil crisis of the time, and in the way that that moment presaged our own era. The documentary essay is still in work and will be about 70 minutes long.

BUT WAIT... THEY'RE ON A CAFETERIA?

Yes! Unity College considered auctioning off the White House solar panels (and donated one panel to Carter's presidential library (PDF).

We had mistakenly reported that the panels were sold, but a Unity College representative helpfully wrote in to say the panels were still there, just not in service anymore. And they attached this photo:

SOLAR NOW?

Some new White House solar panels were actually installed in 2003:

In 2003, solar photovoltaic panels were installed at the White House. Two smaller solar thermal systems were also installed to heat water: one for landscape maintenance personnel, the other for the presidential pool and spa.

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The Bush Administration itself never really announced the project. Instead the installation was completed "under the radar;" industry trade journals were the media that picked up the story.

The current White House solar panels are not thought to produce much power.

With Washington's climate and the pitch of the building roofs considered less than ideal, the output of any system would be limited, said one of the project's managers.

"I think the symbolic nature of this exceeds the actual kilowatts produced," said SEIA spokesman Michael Paranzino.

That was probably the case during the energy crisis of the 1970s, when President Jimmy Carter donned a sweater, turned down his thermostat --and had a solar-powered water system installed. It was later removed by President Ronald Reagan, who shipped the panels off to Unity College in Maine, where they still heat the water for the school's cafeteria.

Comments

[richsolar]

Thanks for this story!

In 1990 I was the consultant for GreenPeace and PrimeTime Live on an investigation as to what happened to the Solar Panels on the White House. The Whitehouse representative's excuse was that the solar panels needed to be removed to re-roof the building they were on. Al uncovered the fact that the panels were mounted in such a way that they were not in the way of reroofing at all.

I dubbed this "SolarGate" as this, and other twists of facts were involved in the case. PrimeTime Live's reporter, Carolyn Rogaisky, took an interest in my manufacturing work and interviewed me in my Great Falls, VA factory. The SolarGate story was to air in early 1991. I had a Atlanta, GA investment firm lined up for a $3,000,000 investment from a Swiss company.

Both of these events were about to hit at the same time when Saddam Hussein made his fateful move and upstaged the airing of the segment on PrimeTime Live and it never got aired.

It is possible that the actual story may be available in the PrimeTime archives, what a fascinating story that would be given the times!

I would be happy to discuss this event.

[johnnyjust]

A lot of comments for such a non-story. Liberals are such gullible tools.

Oh, and Carter....still WORST PRESIDENT EVER!

[mtracy9]

"After the 1973 war and the first Arab oil shock, look at what America did and what Denmark did. What we did was say, "Wow! We've got to really take on this issue." So beginning with President Ford and President Carter we said we were going to double the fuel efficiency of American cars from about 13 mpg then to I think it was 27.5. We were going to do it over ten years and we did it. We were so successful doing that we helped break OPEC in the late '70s and early '80s and crater the price of oil. That worked out so well that Ronald Reagan, when he came along, said, "That's enough of that!" He ripped off the solar panels that Jimmy Carter had put on the White House roof -- they were recently auctioned online.... Some of those solar companies that we spawned in the '70's and '80's -- they went bust also when we removed our subsidies and taxes. They were bought by Japan. I can't tell you how grateful the innovators and corporate leaders of Japan and Denmark are today for all the money America invested in research in wind and solar, spawning companies here which went bust in the '80s when we removed the subsidies from them.... One of the leading wind innovators in America, in fact, was given a medal of honor by the government of Denmark. All his technology ended up there."
--Thomas Friedman , NY Times columnist

[Gasparilla]

And when those auto efficiency standards were approved under Carter, all the auto execs told Congress it would be too expensive and could not be done in time. But it happened on time, they actually took full effect under Reagan, and for less money than they claimed. And ever since then, the companies [and the auto unions, by the way] have fought increased efficiency standards even though the record is that they do work. As you say, it also helped break the power of OPEC. Guys like Limbaugh have mocked efficiency standards for year. I guess they don't want us free of foreign oil.

[ellwort]

Henry is Kissinger now.

[Clayton139]

Go, Go, Go Jimmie Carter ! You were way ahead of the times and you are one that, has commited your time to service to the country ! The way Washington D.C works you have probably got more done ! Thank You Jimmie and Rosaland Carter !
There are so many GOOD ideas out there for (Renewable Energy) use and the GOP-Republicans have stop it for years with there (No Win Wars and Drill, Drill, Drill old ways of doing things...!
We cannot afford to lose all our wealth to the Middle East anymore !

[booboo111]

What about "Billy beer?!" What happened to that?!

[dems08]

Here it is:

http://salem.craigslist.org/clt/1006856401.html

[Ksisay]

I agree. People really drank the media Kool-Aid on Jimmy Carter. They slept his strengths and morality wasn't in style. President Obama's bringing it back and making it sexy.

[Nikola Tesla]

Lease Solar Panels @ http://www.solarcity.com/

TINY down payment, save $$$, and give love to Mother Nature!

[missbike]

Jimmy Carter was just plain right about a lot of things- give the man his props at last. As for solar, it's much better today and works well. We need a decentralized grid and awareness that architectural efficency is as important as electricity. Denmark imports no oil. In the '70's they went Carters way and today they're off the dead dinosaur smack.

We need solar and geothermal wells and every other green thing possible in DC for an example. It all works- and it's past time this country stopped plain stupidity in even simple things. Why black roofs on houses in the Deep South? Because some Republicans make money on the energy to cool down overheated buildings. Solar panels on those roofs would pour power back into the grid all day.

[phrancine]

As someone who took two years of Esperanto, I believed in President Carter's view of one beautiful, green earth. This article brings back memories of "what could have been".

[justrumors]

This article also omits a major point: Bill Clinton never replaced the panels as president, nor did Al Gore as VP lobby to have them replaced. If Reagan takes them down for his and Bush presidency, then Clinton should have replaced them. Period.

Let's hope Obama replaces them, and with the updated technology...

[AmbivalentGuy]

Gore is over rated as an environmentalist.

He came late to the party (not as late as Friedman),
used his profile to make it his new career,
and in a slap to the face for environmentalists
from Rachel Carson onward, got a Peace Prize for
it.

[Precision]

What? Al Gore missed an opportunity to green his VP world? Maybe they didn't have the budget for it back then. Maybe Big Al can spread some of that $100 million he's worth- and go totally O solar- hey I'll even give Al some bucks

[sus2222]

Man ... When are you Democrats going to get it? We need to send our money to Saudi Arabia .

When BUSH was KISSING ( literally kissing!) the Arabs, it made me hot.

WHO is going to kiss them now ? ( Do you think Bush is still kissing them ? )

[JohnSawyer]

"Do you think Bush is still kissing them ?"

Yes, as we speak.

[tulsey]

The question is not when W is kissing the Saudis, but where. And I don't mean Dallas.

[BinIndy]

Probably doing MUCH more than kissing....and I bet it's still or an "oral" nature!

[carlgt1]

Reagan -- what a tool -- heaven forfend he offend his oil pals and wasteful dittoheads by leaving a solar panel up!

[CraigJTMP]

That is somewhat of an "urban myth". They were removed for legitimate roof repairs, and were never reinstalled. There is no evidence whatsoever that Reagan or Meese went out of their way to have them removed or not reinstalled. They certainly did not take the initiative to have them reinstalled though, and Reagan did usher in an era of build big gas guzzler cars though and deepen our reliance on foreign oil.

[Egalitare]

Urban myth or not, the GOP faithful embraces that incident as "victory" over the commie tree huggers.

[wadda]

It was so legitimate that the panels were not replaced. We get it.

The cost of the panels had been assumed and there was no need to purchase others.

Oh, yeah, and RR knew the Great Smoky Mts. are polluted because of all the trees. Legit all the way. We get it.

[mamacat]

Is it just a coincidence that the same president who had the solar panels removed from the White House had the tax credits for solar panels removed from American tax law? For whatever reasons, Reagan did what he could to undermine the measures that Carter started to free us from imported oil.

[Ipanemagirl]

Just another give away of how republicans are just not with it. They refuse to ever think of problems that lie ahead, refuse to behave in a responsible green manner, and in spite of all odds, are still doing this now!
A total negligence to real facts, in favor of profits, business, and the Now, with no regard to future and consequences. These people dont even care about thi eir grandchildren inheriting this mess, they are so blinded by power and greed. never vote Republican ever again! Its poisonous! and dangerous for your survival.

[KenHartleyReed]

If solar panels worked so well, they would be everywhere, no? Let's cover the whole roof to warm some water? Just unsustainable and ridiculous.

Ken Hartley Reed - "Helping to bring the fairness doctrine to the blogosphere, one reality check at a time..."

[defdes]

"If solar panels worked so well, they would be everywhere, no?
"Ken Hartley Reed - "Helping to bring the ill thought asinine doctrine to the blogosphere, one douchey comment at a time..."

Expensive to install? Yes. Long time to pay back your investment? Yes.
But...is it environmentally sensitive and should you consider it if you have the resources? Ummm... A BIG YES.

[entropyisfun]

Is it even viable to use solar in DC? How much sunlight do they get?

[Nikola Tesla]

They use solar power in NORWAY, silly girl. Try to keep up with the class.

[Nikola Tesla]

BTW, DC is SOUTH of the mason-dixon line.

[fiorastar]

We use 'em in Oregon, with about 366 days of rain a year! Work fine.

[billstewart]

All that gloom and darkness you're associating with DC was just the Bush Administration; it'll be clearing up gradually. DC actually gets plenty of sunlight, though unlike California they get weather year-round, so some summer days will be raining but still need power for air conditioning.

A photovoltaic panel from Jimmy Carter days isn't going to generate much electricity, and back then you'd have paid more to buy the panel than you'd save from using it, and you're not going to run the whole White House on the stuff, but for direct heat applications like heating water for the pool they're fine. (Or if you're paranoid and want un-wiretapped electricity they're pretty good. :-) And as the article said, flat roofs like the White House has aren't the best for solar, and they'd need to prop up the panels to point more directly at the sun.

[Cynnel]

Hey, we get weather in California! It's just the same every day!

[pros54]

Maine where it is being used now is much farther North than DC.

[Changeizgood]

Enough to store in batteries, to get you to sunrise or beyond raint cloudy days.

Savings night and day, free energy.

We the People have the right to use the free energy, God gave US, to have the pursuit of happyness"

Utility bills with monthly distribution and multiple fees.

[JonathanKM]

obama should take very public steps to get the white house moving in a more energy efficient direction - set an example for the american homeowner. the white house is big and old and uses a very large amount of electricity. not only will it save taxpayer money (we pay their heating and electric bills), but will also demonstrate a true commitment to changing the way we produce and use energy in this country. obama should watch kilowatt ours: a plan to re-energize america (www.kilowattours.org), if people in urban and rural Tennesee are saving a thousand dollars and more a year and living off the grid i'm sure that the obama administration and the white house could too. ....put the solar panels up

[CraigJTMP]

I reposted our article, complete with pictures of the White House ceremony dedicating the solar panels, and a more thorough explanation of what happened to the panels and more. For instance, half of the solar panels are still on the cafeteria at Unity College and will remain there as a symbol of renewable energy development.

Please read our article at: http://www.jtmp.org