Saturday was a perfect day for solar in Long Beach thanks to a joint effort between Building Healthy Communities: Long Beach (BHCLB) and GRID Alternatives Greater Los Angeles (GLA). During the community awareness event, local leaders joined a group of GLA and BHCLB volunteers to install 2.7 kilowatts of solar for two Long Beach families. While solar went up on the roof, it also spread door to door as canvassers walked around the neighborhood talking to community members about solar energy.

GRID Alternatives Greater Los Angeles (GLA) held its first all-women solar installation of the year. Under the leadership of GLA’s Team Leaders Ilana Feingold and Vivi Fuentes and the guidance of Solar Installation Supervisor Sal Torres, ten volunteers completed the installation of a 2.3 kilowatt system for the Yanez family in Long Beach.

This past Saturday, more than 3,700 volunteers from all over the world participated in US Green Building Council’s Green Apple Day of Service, a global movement that encourages people to take action in their communities through service projects.

On Wednesday September 24, volunteers from SunEdison and Homeboy Industries came together to install 2.4 kilowatts of solar on the Gonzalez’ family home. The system is expected to create over $20,000 in savings for the family over the system’s lifetime.

It was standing room only on Tuesday, September 23rd, when GLA's Executive Director, Michael Kadish spoke to students at USC Marshall School of Business's Brittingham Social Enterprise Lab about GRID Alternatives. In attendance were a mix of faculty and staff, undergraduate and graduate business students, and other USC students interested in solar energy, social enterprise, the environment, and job creation.

We're launching our Solar Affordable Housing Program in the Mid-Atlantic region! The EPA's Gina McCarthy, HUD’s Julian Castro, & White House officials came out to celebrate with us and shine a spotlight on access to solar power for low-income families.

GRID is hosting a special volunteer orientation on Thursday, September 18th, exclusively for women. If you are interested or you know others who may be interested, come to the offices of LEAD Inc. in Lincoln Heights to network, connect to the solar industry and learn how to obtain hands-on solar experience while giving back to your community.

Here in Shannon County, South Dakota, poverty is endemic, perpetuated by substandard housing and lack of economic infrastructure. In the Pine Ridge reservation and surrounding communities, a growing population of Native youth struggles with uncertain opportunity. Tribal and community leaders are facing these obstacles down by embarking on a path of sustainable community development that embraces cultural values and self-determination.

Sal Torres got to say thank-you in person to Wells Fargo for its support of GRID's job training program, which propelled him into a solar career.

This past Saturday, GRID Alternatives Greater Los Angeles held its 5th annual Solarthon in Santa Ana, CA, where more than 100 participants—volunteers, individual sponsors, corporate teams, job trainees and homeowners themselves—came together to install solar electric systems for five families.