The City of Rancho Cucamonga is nestled between Los Angeles and San Bernardino. Although centrally located between metropolitan, the San Bernardino National Forest, and OC beaches, its ideal location also contributes to high air pollution levels from traffic and warehouses.
Seeking to improve its sustainability efforts, the City of Rancho Cucamonga developed a Sustainable Action Plan. Their plan works to implement green programs, build partnerships with mission-aligned organizations, and identifying funding sources. The city also wants to track results to evaluate needs and measure success.
Currently, Rancho Cucamonga is developing several types of programs to encourage residents to take advantage of existing programs and upcoming incentive programs. Their plan has identified a multitude of different strategies to green the city, one of which is to implement more solar energy. The city’s challenge is that it has limited funding for this goal to be achieved through their own resources.
Fortunately, GRID has the staff and funding to help Rancho Cucamonga create a greener city. Since 2012, multiple Ranch Cucamonga residents have been enjoying their GRID no-cost solar system. The city searched out to GRID and learned the has a simple application process, a warranty program, and the program is fully funded for qualified homeowners. GRID Alternatives provides support throughout each part of the process and makes going solar easy. The city found these processes invaluable and decided to formally partner with GRID Alternatives to bring no-cost solar to even more homes.
The driving force behind Rancho’s goal of solarizing more homes is simple; they need to tackle climate change and reduce air pollution head-on. This is important to the city, especially because Rancho Cucamonga is known for its innovation and constant willingness to take on a challenge. Utilizing GRID as a resource takes its sustainability goals one step further by making green options more accessible and addresses issues of equity in regards to obtaining clean energy.
In addition to helping homeowners save money, that extra cash goes into the city’s economy to generate tax dollars that support other projects and programs in the Sustainable Action Plan. The analyst for the City Manager Office, Justine Garcia, states, “It’s amazing to witness how GRID saves homeowners money and improves our environment. It’s a win-win for everyone!”
Since beginning solar installations in Rancho Cucamonga back in 2012, all 12 systems will have produced a combined $450,700 value of energy over its lifetime. In addition to this, an equivalent of 21,500 trees will be planted and 925 tons of greenhouse gases will be eliminated over the systems’ lifetimes.
GRID just finished installing solar on its 6th home since the formal partnership began in 2017. The city is proud that it’s goal of 10 GRID solarized homes will be met by the end of spring.
If you’re interested in GRID’s no-cost solar program call 951-465-2854 or go to gridsolar.org to see if you qualify!
GRID Partners with Rancho Cucamonga to Solarize the Community
