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 the benefits of solar. The initiative was spearheaded by GLA’s Outreach Coordinator Allison DePasqualle and BHCLB Steering Committee member Stella Ursua. “I thought it was perfect timing to collaborate with one of our partner organizations to bring renewable energy into communities that typically cannot afford solar systems for their homes. GRID Alternatives was the perfect partner for this initiative!” said Ursua.
Both Mayor Robert Garcia and Vice Mayor Suja Lowenthal joined us during the community event. Vice Mayor Lowenthal was one of the first up on the roof and Mayor Garcia plugged in the last solar panel to complete the installation on the Flores family home. “Solar is a part of our future,” said Mayor Garcia as he addressed the community during the lunchtime program. Solar power will play a key role in Long Beach in 2015 as Garcia calls on the council to create a long-term action plan to address climate change and sustainability.
GLA is happy to hear that solar will continue to grow in Long Beach, a place that has already been one the most solar-friendly cities in the region. This year alone, GLA has completed over 45 solar projects in the area, which will create over $1,000,000 in total savings for the families over the 30-year lifetime of the systems, and prevent about 3,500 tons of carbon emissions.
You can get a feel for the event by browsing through some of our pictures here. Events like this wouldn't be possible without the support of our community members and local leaders. A big thank you goes out to all the volunteers and canvassers who made this unique event possible! Thank you Vice Mayor Lowenthal for providing us with lunch and also special thanks to Stella Ursua and James Suazo from BHCLB for their leadership—we hope this is just the beginning of many good things to come. Go Long Beach!
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