Keep the White House Drapes: Bring Back the Solar Panels

Remember when the McCain campaign accused Barack Obama of "already measuring the White House drapes." It was more false populism, suggesting that it was the bi-racial son of a single mother who embodied a sense of entitlement, instead of the admiral's son who couldn't remember how many houses he had. But let's take McCain's challenge literally, and ask whether Obama needs to change the White House drapes at all. Or the White House rug or furniture or décor, all of which new presidents traditionally replace when they move in. Obama could replace all this as expected, and no one would deem it exceptional. But suppose instead that he took the opportunity to break with tradition, and make a powerful symbolic stand by instead using the already allocated money to bring back additional solar panels (Bush actually brought back some in 2002 but more could be added), and make the White House more energy efficient.

Given tough economic times, we're all going to have to make hard choices, so why not begin with these symbols. Suppose Obama seized the moment by publicly saying something like "I know the President or their spouse traditionally selects a new rug and new décor. We're supposed to measure the White House drapes and change them. But these are hard times, and we're going to be careful how we spend the public's resources. So we're not going to redecorate the While House. We're certainly going to do our best to reverse the past administration's failed policies. But furniture is just furniture, and we aren't going to replace what doesn't need to be replaced."

"What we are going to do," Obama could continue, "is to use some of the money we saved to put more of the solar collectors back on the White House roof, the successors of those Jimmy Carter installed when he initiated his renewable energy programs. And we're going to build on efforts that go back to the Clinton years and do everything we can to make the White House and all our Federal buildings models of energy efficiency, because if they aren't, that's something we can fix in a way that will not only help fight climate change, but will also pay back our investment. Much as we'd love to redecorate, there are more important priorities."

This would mark a new direction from trying to consume our way out of our every predicament. After 9/11 my local Seattle paper ran a letter which proclaimed. "Be a patriot. Go out to the mall and buy a sofa." I have nothing against sofas, but all the sofas in the world can't solve the problems that fed Bin Laden's murderous attack, and no matter how lovely the new rug, drapes or sofa Barack and Michelle Obama might bring to the White House, they won't shift us an inch from our economic freefall and our despoliation of our planet But solar collectors and insulation can. They're a core part of the solution. So why not start than at the top, with every possible symbol, including those which promote the profoundly conservative virtues of frugality. If Obama wants to really mark a presidential turning point, I can't think of a better place to start.

Paul Rogat Loeb is the author of The Impossible Will Take a Little While: A Citizen's Guide to Hope in a Time of Fear, named the #3 political book of 2004 by the History Channel and the American Book Association. His previous books include Soul of a Citizen: Living With Conviction in a Cynical Time. See www.paulloeb.org To receive his articles directly email [e-mail] with the subject line: subscribe paulloeb-articles

Comments

[LHoney]

I would love that. They should serve hot dogs and hamburgers at the inauguration too...

[alvdh1]

Let's not get too hasty with the solar panels. Before he adds anymore panels, all of the White House lighting should be replaced with energy efficient LED lighting. It doesn't make sense to just add solar panels without drastically improving the efficiency with which the White House uses energy. Three highly efficient 6" LED down lights using twelve watts per fixture will eliminate 1.12, 200 watt solar panels. The lights cost $93 each and the solar panel costs $1,008 without the installion costs; $900 x1.12 panels = $1,008. The LED lights replace 75 watt incandescent lights. It is always cheaper to save energy than it is to produce it.

[SneathLane]

LED lights are still too expensive and dim to use freely throughout a house - a mix of compact fluorescent and halogen lights would do just fine until LED lights become practical.

You can convince people to use compact fluorescents much more easily than LEDs at this point - LEDs are still for the well heeled, not for ordinary working people.

[alvdh1]

Did you actually read my cost analysis? So it makes more sense to spend $1,008 for a solar panel that can be eliminated with the installation of 3 LED down lights at a cost of $275. I have replaced (21) 75 watt incandescent lights with Cree's LR-6 fixture. The light output is comparable and they last for 50,000 hours. The payback time is 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 years depending on the cost of electricity per Kwh. How do you propose driving the price of LED's down by suggesting that everyone wait until they are cheaper. That is the same logic that was made with computer chips. Instead, the government purchased massive quantities of chips to incubate the industry. I guess, by your logic, I should install a super efficient heating and cooling system and not insulate or weatherize my house. Using energy as if it is an infinite resource is was got us into this mess.

[jackpinesavage]

I think that the White House can afford LED fixtures, and should...i­t should be the most forward thinking home in the nation, if only to make up for the fact that a penitentiary got indoor plumbing before it did.

[research]

Use the "Solar Tiles" that look like almost normal roofing.

[KillTheMessenger]

On a two hundred year old building? That's kind of questionable from a conservator's point of view. But why do we have to put it onto a historic building to begin with? The same panels would work just as well on any other federal building, how about some built in the 1950s?

[research]

Almost because I think the symbol is worth it. close because it's a historical monument.

[darthdarcy]

An entire second skin resurfacing was done to the White House which more than doubled the thickness of it's walls during WWII...it'­s a fortress there may be no better insulated house or living quarters in the world...ce­rtainly in the U.S....

[clarinetmama]

Besides solar panels, I'd also like to see them plant a vegetable garden and use the produce at the White House. Any excess could be donated to a soup kitchen.

[research]

Because of the historic nature of the White House, they should use solar tiles that look very much like ordinary roofing:

http://images.google.com/images?q=solar%20roof%20tiles&ie=UTF-8&oe=utf-8&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a&um=1&sa=N&tab=wi

[kylennblack]

Even if only symbolic it's still a great message. Obama's got great pop culture cache, I'd love to have him use it for something like this.

[darthdarcy]

One friend of mine here near Woodstock who has done a lot with alternative energy as have I said recently Every Government Building should have Solar Panels on it...!

I thought that was a great idea, start with Federal Buildings and then state then local government­..

We could start with the White House let them lead the way, and then spread out nationally it would create jobs and save money and set a great example for others..!

Make it so President elect Obama, make it so...!

[sheila]

why only government buildings? isn't it high time we owned our own power generation and stopped hemorrhaging all our cash to Big Energy? let's get our policies in line with our needs. we need to spare our open spaces the devastation of Big Solar and Big Wind, spare taxpayers the subsidies, which should be diverted to US, and spare ratepayers the enormous expense of paying for wasteful, centralized infrastructure that will be owned by Big Energy monopolists and used to hijack us!

solar panels on every building, as well as microwind on many - that's a good start...

[Pupster]

It's a great idea, but Obama was probably hoping to use the money to build the basketball court he wanted.

[Snwbnny9]

Amen. I say this all the time in my comments.
Lets put Carters solar panels back on the White House!
Change the lightbulbs to CFL's also.

[KillTheMessenger]

Solar panels on the White House are a mere decor, too. I hope President-elect Obama, after giving some of the best political speeches in decades does not fall victim to such a cheap and cheesy symbolism.

If you go to

http://rredc.nrel.gov/solar/old_data/nsrdb/redbook/atlas/

you can get a custom map of the solar resources of the US depending on technology and time of year. If you look at Washington vs. states in the Southwest, you will see that the same panels can produce almost twice the energy in better locations. So why waste them on the roof of the White House where nobody can see them anyway?

[GeorgiamomforObama]

That is a great Idea!! Reminds me of Carter how he wanted people to conserve energy use!

[shel3364]

Lead by example. I'd love to see him have them put back up.

[seagrrl]

Hi Paul: We ran a similar post three days after Obama was elected on this very topic titled, "Will the Obama White House Go Solar?" -- http://www.zillowblog.com/will-the-obama-white-house-go-solar/2008/11/

I had no idea Jimmy Carter installed solar panels and Reagan removed them -- not for cynical reasons, but to remodel. I still can't get over the image of solar panels on the White House. It would send a message!

[gvc]

Not only that, he should launch an entire program of home solar panels. The "copy cat" phenom. is very strong.

[Freesia2]

Paul, what a wonderful idea. (It kind of goes with the feeling I had when I heard the "First Puppy" was going to be a rescue, if at all possible - keeping in mind Malia's need for a hypoallergenic breed. What that would do for animal rescue in its symbolism would be phenomenal­.)

The gesture of making the White House green would speak volumes, it would be a good use of the money, and let's face it judging by the photographs of their official visit the White House family quarters are lovely just as they are. (Fix up the girls rooms a little so they feel at home, but that shouldn't be too expensive, and Michelle doesn't strike me as a fussy woman. She can add her own touch to the decor without much expense)

One of the best ideas suggestions I've heard. I hope he takes you up on it.