14 DAY TRIAL // Officials in Washington announced that the White House will get a new set of solar panels on its roof, as well as a solar hot water heater, as part of ongoing efforts to raise awareness on the fact that alternative energy is readily available.
At this point, solar panels are no longer prohibitively expensive, and an average household could afford installing them so that at least a portion of the energy it consumes could be self-produced.
The announcement was made by Steven Chu, the US Energy Secretary, and Nancy Sutley, who is the Chair of the Council of Environmental Quality (CEQ).
They reveal that the two new installations will be an integrated part of a technology demonstration program that the US Department of Energy (DOE) is conducting.
The main goal of the effort is to demonstrate that American solar technologies are available, reliable, and ready for installation in homes around the nation.
The officials made the announcement recently, at the CEQ 2010 GreenGov Symposium. The meetinf reunites leaders from federal, state, and local governments, nonprofit and academic communities.
“This project reflects President Obama's strong commitment to US leadership in solar energy and the jobs it will create here at home,” Secretary Chu said at the meeting.
“Deploying solar energy technologies across the country will help America lead the global economy for years to come,” the government representative argued further.
“President Obama has said the federal government has to lead by example in creating opportunity and jobs in clean energy,” added Nancy Sutley.
“By installing solar panels on arguably the most famous house in the country, his residence, the president is underscoring that commitment to lead and the promise and importance of renewable energy in the United States,” she went on to say.
The DOE has already released a document called “Procuring Solar Energy: A Guide for Federal Facility Decision Makers,” which is meant to support the use of solar energy throughout the federal government.
The paper was produced in response to Obama's 2009 Executive Order 13514 on Leadership in Environmental, Energy, and Economic Performance, which calls for the federal government to lead through the power of example.
Obama believes strongly that federal support for the renewable energy industry will result in innovations that will make solar and wind power available to regular households within the coming years.