By- Jake Bobrow, Corporate Relations Officer
GRID’s impact is best told through the words of our clients. Having recently joined the GRID team here in Colorado, I have been taking time to get to know some of our clients so that I can better understand the work that we do. The following transcript is from a conversation I had with Amy Sue Pinto, who we installed a 3kw solar system for back in March of 2014.
How did you hear about GRID Alternatives?
We had recently bought and moved into our home when we received a post-card from GRID’s outreach partner, Veterans Green Jobs. Veterans Green Jobs helped us weatherize our home and worked with GRID to install solar panels on our roof!
Had you thought about going solar before GRID?
We looked into it and we knew it was something we wanted but it was just not financially feasible until GRID Alternatives came to help us out.
How did you feel about the opportunity to get solar power on your roof?
Excellent! I have become a solar nerd! I am always going outside to check the meter and see how the numbers change on different days. It has been a huge learning experience for me. We have a very tight income and it has been a blessing to shave down our bills each month. My husband works full time as a librarian and I stay at home to homeschool our three little kids, so it has been a great learning experience for them.
What was your electricity bill before getting a solar electric system installed? What is it now?
Just yesterday I was looking over the bill and seeing how much money we have been saving! We have gone from spending $40 to $50 monthly on electricity to making $15-$25 from the rebate check that Xcel Energy sends us every month.
What do you plan to do with the savings?
A couple things. GRID recommended that we start a savings account, and we have been trying to put some money in this account each month. Also, since we bought a house with old appliances we signed up for appliance insurance through Xcel so that we won’t be left without a boiler or refrigerator if either breaks down.
What was most memorable to you about the process of getting solar power from GRID Alternatives?
I particularly enjoyed being on top off the roof to work with the other GRID volunteers. Just seeing how it all fits together was amazing! I also did lots of cooking and baking to feed the volunteers and keep everyone going strong. At the end of the day when I thanked everyone for coming to work on our house the volunteers responded by saying, “ No, thank you for letting us come out and learn the skills we need to get jobs in this industry. “ It was just amazing to be part of everything!
Is there anything else you’d like to say?
Everyone on the GRID team was amazing to work with! Emily helped us understand all the details of the paperwork and was wonderful about answering my zillions questions about everything. Both Beatriz and Rob were extremely helpful, patient, kind and fun to work with. I was impressed by how professional caring, and genuinely happy all the volunteers were that they could help us.