Washington ( CNN ) -- Solar panels and a solar hot water heater will soon be installed at the White House , Energy Secretary Steven Chu said Tuesday . Chu announced the conversion at the 2010 GreenGov Symposium in Washington , accompanied by Nancy Sutley , chairwoman of the Council of Environmental Quality . `` This project reflects President Obama 's strong commitment to U.S. leadership in solar energy and the jobs it will create here at home , '' Chu said in a written statement released by the Energy Department . `` Deploying solar energy technologies across the country will help America lead the global economy for years to come . '' By installing the solar panels on the White House , Sutley said the president is underscoring a commitment to `` lead , and the promise and importance of renewable energy in the United States . '' The solar panel system , which should be installed by next spring , will convert sunlight directly to electricity , while the solar hot water heater will have a solar collector facing the sun to heat water for use in the White House residence . The Energy Department said a competitive procurement process will be used to select the company that will make the installations . This is not the first time solar energy has been tapped at the White House . Former President Jimmy Carter had solar panels installed on the roof of the White House residence during his term . They were removed during the Reagan administration . Former President George W. Bush also used solar energy to help power a maintenance building on the White House grounds , and to assist in heating the swimming pool there . The announcement comes on the one-year anniversary af an executive order signed by the president that called on the federal government to lead in the establishment of a clean energy economy .
Solar panels , solar hot water heater will be installed in the White House . Comment: Carter also put solar panels on the White House .