GRID to bring solar to communities across the U.S. through $140,000 U.S. Energy Dept award

Work will soon begin with seven of our projects and partners around the country that were recently selected to participate in the U.S. Department of Energy SunShot Initiative’s Solar in Your Community Challenge, a $5 million prize competition that aims to expand solar electricity access! Over the next 18 months, we’ll be working with multiple partners in several states to develop innovative projects targeting low-income communities through community, multifamily and rooftop solar and workforce development.

We’re joining hundreds of other teams from around the country in their pursuit of solar projects and programs that expand solar access to low- and moderate-income households and nonprofit organizations. All teams will compete for $1 million in final prizes, which will be awarded by judges based on each project or program’s innovation, impact, and replicability.

Our projects include:

  • An innovative new utility community solar program in Colorado;
  • Community solar projects in New York;
  • New tribal shared solar and financing models with the San Pasqual reservation in San Diego County and Blue Lake Rancheria in Northern California;
  • A new community-based community solar model serving multifamily affordable housing in Denver;
  • A groundbreaking for-profit/nonprofit community solar development partnership model;
  • And a first-of-its kind solar partnership serving affordable housing in Virginia.

All of these projects will expand low-income solar access into new regions and to hard-to-serve residential customers and renters, demonstrate new, scalable financing and deployment models, as well as generate jobs and job training opportunities. Stay tuned for more stories as these project begin to take shape!