On Saturday, October 18th, twelve women in the solar and sustainability sectors joined GRID Alternatives Greater Los Angeles (GLA) for our annual Women Executives’ Build in Long Beach. This event is one of many taking place across the country this year, as part of GRID Alternatives National Women in Solar Initiative, a partnership with SunEdison.
GLA board members Alex McLeod and Allison Arnold hosted the event and recruited an impressive group of leading women from Aqora Capital, Ingram Micro, Permacity, Sierra Club, Solectria Renewables, Sol Systems, Sony Pictures, So Cal Edison and SunEdison. Under the supervision of GRID Alternatives’ National Director of Construction, Anna Bautista, the women worked together to install 2.33 kilowatts of solar for a Long Beach family.
Volunteers had the opportunity to discuss their current projects and ways to support each other’s work, all while getting hands-on with solar. “It was great to come out today, learn from each other, and see how a solar installation comes together. Usually I just talk about it from my desk, but now I have another perspective,” said Saritha Peruri, Permacity’s Executive Vice President of Finance.
Also joining us on the install was Caroline Choi, Vice President of Integrated Planning and Environmental Affairs for Southern California Edison (SCE). SCE has funded the majority of GLA’s work through the SASH program. “We are very pleased with the work GRID has done so far. It has been great to finally see it up close and reaffirm that GRID is a great organization that not only companies can get behind, but individuals can too,” said Choi. Future leaders are also behind GLA’s work: Assembly candidate Autumn Burke stopped by for a visit and emphasized how important it is for community solar programs such as ours to continue to grow into the future.
All in all, it was an inspiring day for everyone and a great opportunity for women in the energy sector to come together to celebrate their past accomplishments and see new opportunities for the future. “It was beautiful to see the women come together to install solar. For someone like me, an advocate, a woman, to get this first-hand experience and see that solar isn’t complicated at all and that anyone can install solar, it is truly amazing,” said Aura Vasquez, who works for the Clean Air and Clean Energy Campaign for the Sierra Club, “today I saw the great potential there is for people to learn to install solar and to get jobs in the industry.”
Thanks to everyone who made this amazing day possible! Starting from our most hospitable and accommodating homeowners to our rockstar team of volunteers. Special thanks to departing Board Member Allison Arnold for her dedication and service to GLA these past several years and to Board Member Alex McLeod for providing a delicious and sustainable lunch from TGIS. We hope this event marks the beginning of many more to come!
You can find pictures from the day here.