Schoolteacher Jonathan Fong lives in a modest row home on a steep hill in the Oceanview neighborhood of southwest San Francisco, a city whose housing costs are so high, a teacher’s salary is barely enough to live on. His wife homeschools their three children, and the family does what they can to keep expenses down. Earlier this year they got a break on their energy bills when GRID Alternatives installed solar on their home with help from a group of employees from Jinko Solar. The Fongs are not the first family to get relief from GRID through our partnership with Jinko. In addition to volunteerism, the company has donated 1440 kW of solar panels to GRID to-date, enough to power over 150 homes, from New Mexico to Washington D.C. to Nicaragua, providing long-term energy cost savings and lasting environmental impact.
“Jinko’s equipment donations allow us to serve families we wouldn’t otherwise be able to serve, especially in Tribal communities and internationally where there is no other funding to make solar accessible to low-income families,” said Adam Bad Wound, Vice President of Philanthropy at GRID Alternatives. “We’re incredibly grateful for their generosity.”
For the employees volunteering on the Fong’s installation, it was a chance not just to put their company’s values into action and make a community impact, it was also a valuable learning and team building experience.
“I never really knew how a solar panel was installed until I attended the workday,” said Steve Saminathen, Marketing and Events Coordinator for Jinko. “From grounding the copper, to testing the panels, then mounting the panels, it was a great experience. I am looking forward to the next one.”
As 2019 comes to a close, we want to give a huge thank-you to Jinko for their support. An inclusive transition to clean energy takes all of us working together, from individuals to nonprofits, government, business and industry. We couldn’t do our part without you!