President Obama's Grandmother Powers Home With Solar Energy

On Thursday, Greenpeace volunteers installed solar panels atop of the roof of President Obama's Step-Grandmother, Mama Sarah's home and on the roof of the Senator Barack Obama School in Kogelo, Kenya as part of Greenpeace's Solar Generation program, a 20 day renewable energy campaign. Mama Sarah's home is now powered completely by solar energy enabling her to live off-the-grid. The Greenpeace initiative also trained twenty-five Kogelo residents from the Kibera Community Youth Programme and the Nyang'oma Kogelo to install and maintain solar energy technology.

Mama Sarah reflected on the importance of solar power:

"I am very pleased that my home has been improved thanks to solar energy and I'll make sure my grandson hears about it. Solar power is clean, reliable and affordable, unlike paraffin that is widely used in the area. Also, we now have qualified youth in the village who can help with the upkeep of the systems."

Comments

[bostink]

Maybe Barack could throw his brother a $20 bill and double his yearly income. He lives in a hut!! What about being "your brothers keeper"?

Cheap a$$.........

[jazzifay]

Why should he? He's probably met the brother maybe once in hs life. They weren't a part of his life while growing up so I really don't see the connection other than the blood line. But if you really cared, I'm sure you could send your contribution to the brother living in the hut.

[rf-hawaii]

Probably more interested in helping Americans. The cheapskate.

[Beegood]

What a good thing. I have thought for a long time that solar energy would be very benefical for much of Africa. Obviously Mama Sarah benefited from her connection to the President, but who cares? Perhaps the publicity will help the program.

[juhar]

I don't mean to sound mean but what is the point of digging around Kenya for every African that has blood ties and marriage ties with Obama's father. Family is chosen by love and share experiences - Relatives are people we are related to by blood and marriages.

[jazzifay]

Exactly!

[rf-hawaii]

The point is publicity.

Duh.

[voteblue4evr]

Mama Sarah reflected on the importance of solar power:

"I am very pleased that my home has been improved thanks to solar energy and I'll make sure my grandson hears about it. Solar power is clean, reliable and affordable, unlike paraffin that is widely used in the area. Also, we now have qualified youth in the village who can help with the upkeep of the systems."

...Yeah, greenpeace wrote a nice quote for her to read/submit. Thanks Greenpeace!

[firelord5000]

Duh.

[Beegood]

You really don't know this and frankly if that is the case, who cares? Do you have a point other than to try and belittle a grandmother? Real cool.

[rf-hawaii]

Greenpeace is doing whatever they can to promote good things in Africa and you're trying to make it all look tawdry somehow.

Greenpeace is doing good things. That's the story.

[hostwisely1]

Solar energy is nice to use especially at homes,as an alternative for electricity. There's a great saving power whenever using this.

http://hostwisely.com

[averygard]

Wow, cool! (Or warm, as the case may be.)

[obamaluv]

We should all follow her example. great for the earth. Live in a 100 square foot hut no AC, one 40 watt light bulb. thats the example her grandson should follow- I can see it now the White Hut

[padrushka]

fabulous,now if they would just come put it on my home,we can't afford it.

[rf-hawaii]

Prices are falling.

The more installations made the more the prices drop.

Coming to your area in an affordable form soon.

[jer9848]

Solar rules!!!! You can learn more about it at youtube.The only real maintenance they need is to be cleaned once in awhile.Check it out.Harbor Freight is a good source.Got my panels there.GO GREEN!

[dancingbears]

i totaly agree. we have a program in pa called laheap low income heating subsidies, or whatever,
instead of just handing out money help paying heating bills etc... why not start showing people how solor can work at lowering bills. to me this is a n brainer, but nobody wants to start the ball rolling. they want to stay attached to coal and foreign oil. this is getting sick, lets just watch our planet self destruct because we are too lazy. Why arn't new buildings being built with solat etc..., why isn't the white house being updated. it should be a law now for all new building to incorporate green technology. We must go Green and we must do it now!!!!

[jalowe1957]

Why doesn't the government provide free solar panels for low-income homeowners as part of the weatherization assistance program?

As for a farmers' market held at the White House, it can't be no worse than Harry S. Truman raising chickens in a little corner of earth at the White House.

[obamaluv]

why doesn't the government give me a call girl. that would weatherize the begebers out of me saving all that electricity. and give me a electric car and give me a wind power generator and give me money so I don't have to drive to work and give me jalowei1957 to trim my yard by hand to save gas

[Beegood]

How about I just give you a smack across your smart mouth. Do you talk this way to your grandmother?

[SolarPowerGuy]

That might make economic sense in the Southwest and California. Other parts of the country, not as much. Really, you have to take a good look at each individual site before deciding to place solar panels there.

[Gardencc]

So why aren't young people in our towns getting trained in the installation and maintenance of solar panels?

[moodyring]

that's one thing that van jones (i think) is working to promote - not only young people, but young people in financially disadvantaged communities.

[tiredofthesameoldstuff]

Blame the Republicans. The stimulus bill actually has programs promoting it but the Republicans wanted the stimulus to be 40% tax cuts instead of 100% stimulus of infrastracture.

[hithere5432187]

There is no skill in installing a solar panel.

[classicalgeek]

Trust me, there's skill involved.

http://www.bakersfield.com/news/local/x1442645118/Solar-panel-mishap-sparks-fire-at-Target

[SolarPowerGuy]

Excuse me, are you a roofing contractor? Many of the skills needed to install solar panels are the same as those needed to install roofing. And then there's the electrical work.

I'm pretty handy, but I'm VERY grateful that I got qualified contractors to install my solar power.

[KIVPossum]

Modern solar panels are almost a DIY project. Another couple of years Home Depot will have them on aisle 3.

[tiredofthesameoldstuff]

You do know the solar panels have to be connected into the home power grid and to allow the solar panels to put power back into the electric grid that requires a connection to the power line something would is not allowed for DIY. So no they required a qualified trained person to install otherwise there is a good chance of fire or death to the installer.

[yankee452]

Yay Mama !!

[JessWonderin]

Big deal . . . Sen Grassley runs HIS house on hot air . . . . .

[ofcoursejesusisblack]

Beautiful!

[Weirdwriter]

What a terrific thing for Greenpeace to do. They chose well for publicity, of course, but that will make such a difference to those folks' lives.