They were removed by president reagan in 1986 due to a roof leak and never replaced.
Reagan solar panels white house.
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.
George charles szego the engineer who persuaded carter to install the solar panels reportedly claimed that reagan s chief of staff donald t.
Reagan took solar panels off the white house july 17 2017 when the reagans moved into the white house in 1981 they inherited 32 solar panels generating carbon free electricity on the west wing 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.
It would take nearly 30 years for solar panels to be reinstalled at the white house under barack obama in 2014.
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.
See the description and trailer below.
Five years later president reagan inexplicably had the free clean energy sources removed.
Solar panels were installed in the late 1970s to provide hot water to the white house residence.