Obama to put solar panels on White House

WASHINGTON, Oct. 5 (UPI) -- The Obama administration said Tuesday it will install solar panels and a solar hot water heater on the roof of the White House residence.

U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu and Council of Environmental Quality Chairwoman Nancy Sutley said the installations will be part of a project to show that solar energy is ready for installations in homes nationwide, the Department of Energy said.

"This project reflects President Obama's strong commitment to U.S. leadership in solar energy and the jobs it will create here at home. Deploying solar energy technologies across the country will help America lead the global economy for years to come," Chu said.

"President Obama has said the federal government has to lead by example in creating opportunity and jobs in clean energy," Sutley said.

The Department of Energy said it will begin to take competitive bids to choose the company to perform the installations.

Consumers who use solar energy would able to effectively lock in the price of electricity they will pay in the years ahead, as the home solar programs are expected to last around 30 years, the department said.

Financial incentives are also available, including a 30 percent federal tax credit and additional state, local, and utility incentive opportunities, the department said.