Glenda Brown had hardly thought about installing solar in the 46 years that she has lived in her house in East Palo Alto. That all changed when her daughter, Lea, who also lives in East Palo Alto, went solar with GRID last year. Lea’s experience with GRID was so positive that Glenda decided to apply, recognizing GRID as a way for her to keep her costs down.
For both households, solar is a bright spot in what has been a hard few years. Glenda and Lea both lost their husbands, both in the past two years, leaving them not only emotionally drained, but also without a significant source of household income. “It’s something that you never plan for,” said Glenda in regards to losing half, or more, of their income. Luckily, with the help of GRID’s solar panels, Glenda will be able to save around $900 on energy costs every year. These savings will allow her to pay all of her bills and not worry about keeping the lights on, especially as her granddaughter, who lives with her, is expecting a child in November.
These savings will be especially helpful now, as the cost of living in East Palo Alto continues to rise. Glenda, who has lived in East Palo Alto since she was seven and in her current home for the past four decades, has witnessed the changes happening around her, as the tech boom drove up housing prices in East Palo Alto in the past 10-15 years. “I’ve noticed a lot more people living under one roof, in one house” to save on housing and other costs, Glenda noted. She is thrilled to have the savings of solar to help offset some of these challenges.
Glenda's system was made possible through - and installed by - LinkedIn. Headquartered in Mountain View, LinkedIn and its employees are no strangers to the growing tech sector in the region, and relished the chance to give back in the community. Thank you for your generous support, LinkedIn!
You can see more great pictures from the installation on Flickr here.