Willits residents Dustin and Rebecca may not have known in 2014 that GRID Alternatives launched a satellite office in their small hometown. But, this spring, they became the first family in Willits to receive a new solar system from GRID!
Although the GRID team has been hard at work installing solar for tribal families around Mendocino and Humboldt Counties through GRID’s North Coast satellite office, this project marks GRID’s first solar installation in the City of Willits. Dustin and Rebecca, and their three-year old daughter, Ferra, all members of the Sherwood Valley Rancheria of Pomo Indians, were excited to get their GRID system up and running, and expect to save over $18,000 on their energy bills by going solar!
This project in Willits is an exciting milestone for both the organization and the tribal communities that GRID seeks to serve. "We hope that we can build interest with more homeowners and volunteers in the area,” said Maggie Graham, Outreach and Volunteer Coordinator with GRID. “Hopefully this will be the first of many installs in our hometown of Willits!"
In 2014, with the generous support of major gift through a donor-advised fund of the San Francisco Foundation, GRID opened the Willits office in order to better serve low-income tribal families in Mendocino and Humboldt Counties. To date, this office has completed 69 successful solar installations for families in need, saving them a combined $1.4m on their energy bills, and responding to community requests for job-training by providing 1000 hours of hands-on solar installation experience for volunteers.
Click here to see more great picture's from this install!