In November 2018, Louisiana native, Daniel Adams undertook a 28 hour drive from New Orleans to San Diego. The reason for his road trip: He wanted to volunteer with GRID Alternatives.
For Daniel, GRID represented a missing piece in his solar education. He wanted hands on solar installation experience and he was willing to live on his friend’s couch and be away from family for months to get the skills necessary to kickstart his solar career.
In many ways a life in solar seemed inevitable for Daniel. The 25 year-old military veteran was introduced to sustainability at an early age by his mother, Kasandra Paul. She’s been a proponent of renewable energy and tiny houses for as long he could remember -- even spending several months constructing her own off-grid solar system from scratch.
“I see being self-sustainable, especially with electricity, as a way to control my own life,” Daniel says. “I also want to share my vision with others. There’s so much history behind solar; it can do so much.”
Daniel went straight into the Marine Corps when he graduated from high school in 2012. Although he trained for combat engineering, Daniel quickly found himself being pigeonholed into the niche of rifle range coaching and marksman training. The military atmosphere didn’t sit well with Daniel’s independent spirit. Solar had always been a passion and he remained determined to be a part of the industry.
After leaving the military, Daniel began applying for solar jobs. He quickly realized his military experience wouldn’t be enough. He started taking an electrical construction course at Nunez Community College and began investigating NABCEP (North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioner) certifications, this is where he discovered GRID.
He contacted Danyla Copino, Workforce Coordinator in the San Diego office. He received an email back informing him that the next training was just 2 weeks away. Daniel knew he had a small amount of time to make a big decision.
Daniel’s first installation was on a Native American reservation, which was a completely new experience for him. Like the altitude, his energy was high. Daniel was just happy to get to work, “The initial introduction was fast paced,” he recalls. “But I really liked it because I collected a lot of new information.”
Daniel is excited about all of his new experiences at GRID. His goal is to take his knowledge back to New Orleans and transform the solar industry. “I want to be innovative and change something; maybe enhance the installation process,” he envisions.
We’re very thankful for the months that Daniel has spent on GRID’s installation team and have no doubt he’ll be successful!