Jimmy Carter, the 39th President of the United States, and a trained engineer, who passed away in December at age 100, was perhaps the first U.S. president to actively advocate for the use of solar energy to reduce the use of fossil fuels. In 1979, Carter lead by example and requested the installation of a solar-heated hot water system at the White House amidst the energy crisis stemming from disruptions to the global petroleum industry. 

In those early days of solar power, expertise was thin on the ground. But the UConn Energy Center, founded by mechanical engineering professor Wallace Bowley, was ready and able to provide a critical role in the installation. Two UConn Energy Center members, David Jackson, P.E., head of solar collector testing, and graduate student Michael Boyle, journeyed to Washington D.C. to do what would now be called “commissioning” the installed panels – in effect, providing the crucial tests and checks to make sure it worked as intended. 

Today, with rooftop solar panels a common sight in Connecticut towns, and additional solar systems installed at the White House by George W. Bush and Barack Obama, the UConn College of Engineering is proud of its part in getting solar energy up and running at America’s most famous address.