GRID Alternatives was founded in the Bay Area, completing our first solar installation in 2004. Housed in Oakland, the Bay Area regional office primarily serves the five major Bay Area counties, with a Bay Area satellite office in California's North Coast to serve Mendocino, Humboldt and Lake counties. Since 2004, GRID Bay Area has installed solar for 1,900+ local income-qualified families, helping these households save more than $45 million in energy cost savings over the systems' lifespans while preventing 96,900 tons of greenhouse gas emissions and providing hands-on experience to thousands of eager volunteers and job-trainees. GRID's Bay Area office also provides solar energy to benefit income-qualified renters, tribal nations and mission-aligned nonprofits. Click here to see a map of our projects and the counties we serve. GRID's Bay Area regional office shares an office with GRID's Headquarters.
Energy for All Program (formerly Solar Programs)
GRID’s unique, people-first model is putting money back into families’ pockets, increasing housing affordability and reducing the energy cost burden for affordable housing providers.
Workforce Development
Hands-on experience is central to our model, and we want to help turn that experience into meaningful employment opportunities for people in communities we serve. Our workforce development programs and initiatives include:
- Installation Training Programs, training programs offering participants hands-on installation training to develop their skills and increase employment opportunities.
- National Women in Solar Program, an effort to build a diverse, equitable and inclusive solar industry by providing pathways to technical careers for women, highlighting the voices of women of color in the industry, and providing national leadership on solar workforce diversity.
- SolarCorps Fellowships, one-year placements at GRID Alternatives that give participants the opportunity to get broad and deep experience in a variety of aspects of the industry.
- Solar Futures, a K-14 education program offering classroom curriculum and hands-on training for youth.
