GRID IE 2019 Milestones and a Glimpse into 2020

As we welcome this New Year, GRID Alternatives Inland Empire (GRID IE) reflects back on many accomplishments achieved in 2019. 

• Provided 154 homeowners with no cost solar through GRID’s Energy for All program.
  
  
• Established a new Memorandum of Understanding with the City of Upland.
  
  
• Continued partnership with the following cities: Moreno Valley, Perris, Desert Hot Springs, Upland and Rancho Cucamonga.
  
  
• Riverside County Workforce Development partnership and launch of GRID Solar Construction Cohort Pilot Program. (Read story here)
  
  
• City of Moreno Valley increased funding for homeowner roof repairs by $25,000 to help homeowners qualify for GRID’s Energy for All program.
  
  
• GRID awarded California Department of Community Services and Development (CSD) grant, in the amount of $2.05 million to install a 1 mW ground mounted solar array in partnership with the Santa Rosa Band of Cahuilla Indians and the Anza Electric Cooperative, Inc. on Santa Rosa Tribal lands in Riverside County. (Read story here)
  
  
• Completed GRID IE’s first Community Solar Project — Madera Vista — 184 kW DC solar system on a 110-unit development in Temecula, California. (Read story here)
  
  
• Completed a 91.350 kW DC Community Solar Project, Galilee Center in Mecca, California.
  
  
• Combined funding from Wells Fargo Foundation to support the Tribal Solar Accelerator Fund (TSAF) to help fund a five grid-tied solar electric system, totaling 32.76 kW-DC. (Read story here)
  
  
• Tribal multi-family ground-mount installation of a 90 kW solar PV micro-grid carport system for the The Chemehuevi Indian Reservation.
  
  
• Welcomed new Executive Director, Jaime Alonso. (Read story here)
  
  
• Hosted our Summer Solarbration at a new venue (Flickr album link)
  
  
• Introduced GRID’s Membership Program at Summer Solarbration.
  
  
• Named Dive Awards 2019 Partnership of the Year  for our Tribal Solar Futures work by Education Dive (Read story here)
  
  
• Nominated by Assembly Member Eloise Reyes, 47^th District for Non-Profit of the Year.
   

Looking Forward to 2020 

• Launch of the TCC Ontario Solar Homes Initiative & Neighborhood Empowerment (SHINE) Program to solar installation on Single-family and Multi-family Ontario, California residents.
  
  
• Completion of CSD Anza Electric Cooperative, Inc. on Santa Rosa Tribal lands in Riverside County.
  
  
• Three (3)Tribal Solar Accelerator Fund Projects (TSAF):
  o   Solar Spring Break Chemehuevi solar installation at two schools
  o   Five-Timbisha Village Tribal solar installation projects
  o   Commercial solar project-Big Pine Water Pumphouse in Big Pine, CA funded through the TSAF Grant.
  
  
• Second year of the Solar Construction Cohorts Program, a 12-week internship program that provides both classroom curriculum and on-the-roof hands-on job training in partnership with the Riverside County’s Workforce Connection Program.
  
  
• Solar Futures Program 2020 Education Partners: Arroyo Valley High School's CORE Academy; Desert Hot Springs High School's REAL Academy; Jurupa Valley High School's BITA Academy; Learn 4 Life; Norte Vista High School's Green Construction Academy (GCA); Riverside Unified School District’s - Lincoln High School, Ramona High School and Clean and Green program. 

We look ahead to a great 2020 of continuing to care for the families and communities we serve by making affordable solar power and solar jobs accessible to everyone!