A city skyline cut out against the sky, rooftops carrying solar arrays.

We’re building a clean energy future that works for everyone.

Our mission

We build community-powered solutions to advance economic and environmental justice through renewable energy.

Our focus areas

Instalaciones solares y de almacenamiento No-cost solar installations for income-qualified households, plus turnkey solar development and installation services for affordable multi-family housing and mission-driven nonprofits

Formación de la fuerza laboral Hands-on training, fellowships, and paid experience that create pathways into clean energy careers.

Mobilidad limpia Connecting income-qualified communities with electric transportation programs that lower costs and expand access to clean mobility.

Energía tribal Native-led energy access projects developed with Tribal communities that support Tribal energy sovereignty.

Política y promoción Advancing policies and programs that make clean energy more accessible and equitable.

An overcast rooftop mid-installation, rows of ballasted solar panels laid out with a crew working nearby, palm trees and hills in the distance.

Our impact

Clean energy can lower costs, create pathways to quality careers, strengthen community resilience, and reduce pollution. Our work turns renewable energy into immediate economic benefits and lasting opportunity. 

Explore our full impact

  • 25,515

    systems installed

  • 3.43B+

    kW installed

  • $891M+

    lifetime energy savings

  • 2.4M+

    tons of greenhouse gas emissions prevented

  • 35K+

    people trained

A smiling man in a red shirt holding two ceremonial tomahawks inscribed Oglala-Lakota, standing in front of a house with a newly installed rooftop solar array.

Our approach

We build with communities, not for them.

We work alongside the people and partners closest to the opportunities and challenges of the clean energy transition. Their knowledge, priorities, and leadership help shape our programs, partnerships, and policy work.

That approach reflects our broader commitment to equity, inclusion, and diversity — within GRID, in the communities we partner with, and across the clean energy industry.

Our commitment to equity
GRID Alternatives co-founders Erica Mackie and Tim Sears in hard hats and GRID Alternatives t-shirts, standing beside a company truck.

Our History

GRID Alternatives was founded during California’s 2001 energy crisis by engineers Erica Mackie and Tim Sears, who were working on large-scale renewable energy projects in the private sector at the time. The idea driving them was simple: free, clean electricity from the sun should be available to everyone. GRID completed its first single-family solar installation for the Murphy family in the Bay Area in 2004. In 2008, after California modeled its statewide Single-family Affordable Solar Homes (SASH) program on GRID’s pioneering work, the California Public Utilities Commission selected GRID to manage the program, a role that helped expand GRID’s reach across the state. 

Today, GRID works to expand access to clean energy, clean transportation, and career opportunities while advancing policies that make those benefits more equitable. Through installations, technical assistance, workforce training, contractor services, and partnerships, GRID’s work reaches communities across the United States, including Puerto Rico and Tribal communities nationwide, as well as communities in Mexico. 

GRID Alternatives co-founders Erica Mackie and Tim Sears in hard hats and GRID Alternatives t-shirts, standing beside a company truck.

Meet the founders

Erica Mackie and Tim Sears started GRID Alternatives on a simple idea…

Renewable energy should reach the people it helps most.

Awards

  • Center for Community Investment logo in dark teal text

    2026

    Field Catalyst Fellowship with the Center for Community Investment

    Jaime Alonso

  • Sacramento Business Journal 40 Under 40 award logo for 2025

    2025

    Sacramento Business Journal 40 Under 40 Honoree

    Pablo del Aguila

  • Grist 50 logo in bold serif typeface with decorative arrow above the G

    2023

    GRIST 50 Fixers

    Tanski Clairmont

  • Alameda County Women's Hall of Fame logo, a row of silhouetted figures beside the wordmark.

    2019

    Alameda County Women's Hall of Fame

    Erica Mackie

  • C3E logo, a colorful radiating sunburst beside the wordmark.

    2017

    Clean Energy and Empowerment Award (C3E)

    Anna Bautista | U.S. DOE + MIT Energy Initiative

  • IREC logo, a black sunburst mark beside the wordmark, underlined in red.

    2017

    International Renewable Energy Council (IREC) Energy Hero

    Erica Mackie

  • Grist 50 logo in bold serif typeface with decorative arrow above the G

    2017

    GRIST 50 Fixers

    Erika Symmonds

  • Dream.org logo mark, awarded for the Green For All Climate Champion recognition.

    2015

    Green for All Climate Champion

    Stan Greschner

  • White House illustration with "Champions of Change: Winning the Future Across America" text on blue background

    2014

    White House Champions of Change for Solar Deployment

    Tim Sears

  • C3E logo, a colorful radiating sunburst beside the wordmark.

    2013

    Clean Energy and Empowerment Award (C3E)

    Erica Mackie