Solar Panels on the White House during the Carter adminstration - Jimmy Carter Library In response to the economic crisis created by the Arab oil embargo and the nation's growing dependence on foreign oil, President Jimmy Carter called for a comprehensive campaign to conserve energy. He set an example during his administration by promoting the use of solar energy by installing solar heating panels on the roof of the West Wing in 1977. They were removed in the 1980s. (American Solar Energy Society web site; Boston Globe 6/21/00)