Did Reagan Removed Solar Panels White House

The white house itself once harvested the power of the sun.

Did reagan removed solar panels white house.

George charles szego the engineer who persuaded carter to install the solar panels reportedly claimed that reagan s chief of staff donald t. When the reagans moved into the white house in 1981 they inherited 32 solar panels generating carbon free electricity on the west wing roof. Five years later president reagan inexplicably had the free clean energy sources removed. Solar photovoltaic panels and water heaters are installed on the building s roof.

Reagan who didn t think much of solar energy also allowed the tax credit carter had instated to lapse. In 1979 jimmy carter in a forward looking move installed solar panels in the roof of the white house. In 1991 unity college an environmentally centered college in maine acquired the panels and later installed them on their cafeteria. In 1986 when the price of energy was temporarily cheaper and americans minds were less focused on environmental issues president reagan ordered the panels removed from the white house roof.

Reagan was quoted as saying the panels were unsightly and unnecessary. Regan felt that the equipment was just a joke and he had it taken down the panels were removed in 1986 when work was being done on the white house roof below the panels. Under reagan funding was cut for the newly formed department of energy and in 1986 when the white house needed roof repairs under the solar thermal panels the reagan administration removed the panels and quietly decided to not reinstall them claiming it simply wasn t a cost effective option. This symbolic installation was taken down in 1986 during the reagan presidency.

Solar panels finally back on the white house almost 30 years after reagan removed them new 50 comments by nathan ingraham may 9 2014 1 50pm edt. On june 20 1979 the carter administration installed 32 panels designed to harvest the sun s rays and use them to heat water.