Why did Obama break his promise to install solar panels on the White House by 2011?

Bryan, it's really nice to see a father and son both interested in this. As you can see from reading your answers, there is a lot of conflicting information on solar power. I have to say it makes me cringe to see responses like, "hire a pro, you're a rookie."

We were rookies 12 years ago when we started on solar power with one panel and two golf cart batteries. Well now our entire home is powered by the wind and sun. The good news is that now there is more information on the subject.

You have to answer a question to yourself first. Do you want to use solar power, or do you want to learn about how it works, how to hook it up, and be able to teach others some day like we do now? If you just want a solar home and don't care how it works, hiring someone might not be a bad idea.

But if you want to get involved, the best thing I can suggest is starting small. Start with one panel, some batteries, and make some 12 volt electricity to use for small items. You'll spend less money, learn a great deal, and be making some of your own electricity now, and if the power ever goes out, it's really handy to be able to run a few lights and a radio or TV.

There are some good books, magazines, non profit groups and websites you can use for research, but my first suggestion is gettting a subscription to Home Power Magazine. They are the only periodical that get into the nuts and bolts of what you are trying to do. We started with the same mag 12 years ago.

In addition to the articles about people hooking up there own equipment, there are ads for vendors, and info on seminars, courses and energy fairs. We attended a fair in Wisconsin one weekend, and bought our first panel and wind turbine on the spot. It was very worthwhile.

In the back of Home Power, each issue lists upcoming fairs and classes with dates and locations and who to contact for more info. When we built our first system, we wrote the magazine. They liked it so much, they ran an article on it in the late 90's.

If you subscribe, you can use their website to search for an article called, "Starting Small," and read about it for yourself. My suggestion for equipment for a small starter system is a single panel, not over 75 watts, and two golf cart batteries, Trojan T-105's have given us the best results. The batteries can be purchased at any place that sells and services golf carts.

If you use a panel less than 75 watts, it won't put out more than 4.2 amps. Golf cart batteries hold 220 amp hours, which means the charge current will not exceed 2% of the batteries capacity. Based on that, you do not need a charge controller.

You can read about that for yourself in Richard Perez's book I have listed below. All you need is a diode in the back of the panel to prevent the battery from discharging through the panel at night, most panels today come with diodes already installed. If not, you can buy one at Radio Shack for about a dollar.

Once you have the panel and battery hooked up, you can use the 12 volt power to run low voltage cabinet lights in the kitchen, 12 volt garden lights, portable radios, DVD players, car charges for cell phones and so on. We liked our system so much, we ran a 12 volt line throughout the house and have 12 volt outlets in each room now. You can do lots of interesting things with your homegrown electricity, only your imagination will limit you.

We even installed a 300 gallon rainwater collection tank and run a garden hose with a 12 volt RV water pump that is powered by our little battery bank. So whatever you do, don't take, "Rookie," for an answer Bryan. Check out the resources below, learn what you can, go to an energy fair.

Check out some of the sources in your previous answers too, some of them are quite worthwhile. Good luck Bryan, and take care, Rudydoo.

Given the low cost of labor in your area (roofers often use immigrants), it may be cheaper to simply get a professional to spec out your whole system, and install it. Look in the phone book, there should be lots of them under "solar". If saving money is your real goal, then that would be my suggestion.

If you want to install it for the educational experience, there is quite a bit you will have to pick up, but it's not impossible. Here is what we did http://www.angelfire.com/ca2/roderick/so... - scroll to the bottom for the video. To answer your question directly, there is Solatron (partsonsale.com) right in your neighborhood, Palm Springs area.

There is also Northern Arizona Wind and Sun, whom I have done business with - they're good. In Florida, there's sunelec.com, which historically has had very good prices, but I have no personal experience. I also noticed this place http://www.solarpanelsonline.org/Trina_2... with some apparently good prices, but cannot vouch for them.

If your father really wants to save money, try going for solar hot water first. That should pay back quicker than solar electric. Also consider putting more insulation on your house, so that if you use a heater or air conditioner, that won't have to work as hard.

It's not a very exciting project, but the savings will probably beat putting in solar.

I cant really gove you an answer,but what I can give you is a way to a solution, that is you have to find the anglde that you relate to or peaks your interest. A good paper is one that people get drawn into because it reaches them ln some way.As for me WW11 to me, I think of the holocaust and the effect it had on the survivors, their families and those who stood by and did nothing until it was too late.