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"W" Energized By The Sun

Edition #95: Spring 2003

Photo courtesy of Evergreen SolarAt a time when oil prices fluctuate and its sources are jeopardized by strikes and armed turmoil, the Administration is setting a good example by generating energy from sunlight. Solar panels have been installed on the roof of a shed on the grounds of the White House. The panels from Evergreen Solar, Inc., Marlboro, Massachusetts, (508-357-2221) generate direct current collected by tiny copper busbars for conversion to the required alternating current by an inverter.

The power is then fed to the main power lines to the Executive Mansion by copper cables. In addition, the water for the White House swimming pool flows through copper pipes and is heated by the sun by conventional fluid-based solar heaters mounted on a copper roof and containing copper absorber plates. Only a tiny portion of the power needs of the President and his staff are generated by the sun, but it's a beginning. Next, how about solar panels covering the roof of the White House itself?

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