Pentagon to get rooftop solar panels in clean energy drive

Solar panels will be installed on the roof of the Pentagon as part of a push for clean energy at federal facilities, the US Department of Energy said Wednesday.

The Pentagon is slated for upgrades including "rooftop solar panels, a heat-recovery heat pump system, and solar thermal panels to reduce reliance on natural gas and fuel oil combustion systems," the Department of Energy said in a statement.

The changes are part of clean energy projects at 31 facilities belonging to departments including Commerce, Defense, Energy, Interior and Transportation, it said.

Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks said in the statement that the Pentagon is working to make "our installations more resilient, better securing our critical infrastructure, and saving money -- a win for warfighters and taxpayers alike."

Climate change poses various security challenges for the United States, with storms having already caused billions of dollars in damage to US bases, while more frequent disasters are increasing demands on troops and more extreme environmental conditions may require changes to training and equipment.