For Leonard Hampton, helping install solar in Altadena was more than a professional opportunity. It was a chance to bring his skills back to a community he has called home for more than 30 years.
Hampton is a SolarCorps AmeriCorps Fellow serving with GRID Alternatives’ Workforce Development team. He recently returned to Agave, a new affordable housing community on Lake Avenue in Altadena, to reflect on the project and what it meant to contribute to his hometown during a period of recovery and rebuilding.
“I lived in Altadena for over 30 years,” Hampton said. “I have family that live here. I went to school out here. I bonded with hundreds of people. So it was dear to my heart to be able to be part of this solar commercial project and the rebuilding of Altadena.”
Agave brings 58 new apartment homes to the Lake Avenue corridor. Developed by EAH Housing, the four-story community includes a ground-floor courtyard, gathering spaces, a community room, bicycle parking, on-site laundry, and other amenities designed to support connection and stability. Union Station Homeless Services provides supportive services for residents.
GRID Alternatives installed a 57.33-kilowatt solar system at the property. The system received permission to operate in April and is expected to generate approximately 106,800 kilowatt-hours of clean electricity each year.
The project carries particular significance following the January 2025 Eaton Fire, which caused widespread devastation across Altadena. Homes were destroyed, residents were displaced, and families throughout the community faced the difficult process of rebuilding.
For Hampton, participating in a project that adds affordable housing and clean energy to the community was deeply personal.
“Working here on this project was very heartfelt,” he said. “It was special. It was essential to be part of the rebuilding after the devastation of the fires. I’m grateful that I was able to participate in the rebuilding of Altadena.”
Hampton’s family still lives in the area. When they learned that he was working on the Agave project, their reaction was immediate.
“They were proud,” he said. “They were very happy for me. They were proud that I was able to participate in the rebuilding.”
Hampton first learned about GRID Alternatives while enrolled in a solar-installation course at Los Angeles Trade-Technical College. Financial barriers, including the cost of tools and challenges with financial aid, made it difficult to continue along that path. One day, while visiting the WorkSource office on campus, he saw a GRID workforce-development flyer and decided to apply.
That decision opened a new door. Leonard joined GRID in April 2025 and completed Installation Basics Training, known as IBT, in April 2026. Through GRID’s workforce development programs and his service as a SolarCorps AmeriCorps Fellow, he has gained hands-on solar experience while supporting clean energy access in communities across the region.
“I love the way GRID embodies helping low-income communities and people who have been justice-impacted and environmentally impacted,” Hampton said.
His experience reflects a central part of GRID’s mission: expanding renewable-energy access while creating meaningful training and employment pathways for people who have historically faced barriers to opportunity.
“GRID Alternatives matters because it gives individuals such as myself, who in the past have been impacted by the justice system or impacted economically, the opportunity to receive solar-energy skills and create a pathway for a lifetime,” Hampton said. “Since I’ve been here at GRID, I’ve been able to reinvent myself and create a career. GRID is about second chances, and I’m a perfect example of that.”
EAH Housing developed Agave as part of its work to expand access to quality affordable housing and thriving communities. At Agave, the housing, supportive services, and clean-energy system come together to create a more stable and sustainable foundation for residents.
GRID’s work in Altadena is also looking ahead. As the community continues to rebuild, local residents are expected to have opportunities to gain solar-installation skills and explore clean-energy career pathways connected to the recovery effort.
Hampton said he is excited to see people from Altadena and neighboring Pasadena gain access to those opportunities.
“Community members, men and women of Altadena, have a chance to receive solar-installation training to help rebuild the communities that they once lived in,” he said. “I’m excited for the community of Altadena and Pasadena to have a chance to create a pathway into a solar-industry career.”
For Hampton, the work comes full circle: a new career, a second chance, and an opportunity to use his skills in service of the community that shaped him.
Interested in solar training and a career in clean energy? Learn more about GRID Alternatives’ workforce-development programs.