Why Did Reagan Remove Solar Panels From White House

It all started back in 1979 when then president jimmy carter installed 32 solar panels on the white house roof.

Why did reagan remove solar panels from white house. Solar photovoltaic panels and water heaters are installed on the building s roof. Reagan was quoted as saying the panels were unsightly and unnecessary. In 1979 jimmy carter in a forward looking move installed solar panels in the roof of the white house. 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.

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 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 saw the solar panels installed by carter for what they were a public relations stunt and ordered them dismantled.

Multiply by reagan s 32 solar panels and you get 33 6 kwh of clean energy every day for free. But in a curious parallel with the current occupant of the white house the panels weren t actually removed until 1986 five years after reagan took office. The white house itself once harvested the power of the sun. 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.

On june 20 1979 the carter administration installed 32 panels designed to harvest the sun s rays and use them to heat water. George charles szego the engineer who persuaded carter to install the solar panels reportedly claimed that reagan s chief of staff donald t. Reagan who didn t think much of solar energy also allowed the tax credit carter had instated to lapse. The average solar panel from the era produces approximately 1 05 kwh of energy every day.