GRID Alternatives has many trusted community partners that help GRID with the mission to make renewable energy technology accessible to underserved communities around the globe. GRID has established partnerships with contractors, such as roofing companies, that help fix roofing issues so these homeowners can meet the conditions necessary to install a solar system on their roof. R.V. Roofing Company was established in 2012 and has been a partner of GRID Alternatives Inland Empire (GRIDIE) for six years.
When GRID staff conducted a site visit at an Ontario home, they saw the dilapidated condition of the homeowner’s roof. The home not only needed an entire new roof, but the roof was down to the rafters! R.V. Roofing owner Rafael was contacted about the major issues on the roof. The homeowner’s husband had started working on their roof and had stripped it down to the plywood, but sadly passed away before he was able to finish the work. Fortunately for the widow, she qualified for GRID IE’s TCC Ontario program, but would need to address her roofing problems before her no cost solar system could be installed. Making the home solar ready (including roofing, panel upgrades and tree trimming) is part of the TCC Ontario grant agreement.
“When I visited the home and inspected the roof, I saw that work had been started but was unfinished. The roof was in very bad shape and had major leaks,” said Rafael.
Rafael was moved to tears when he learned that the homeowner had recently lost her husband. He could identify with her pain because he too had experienced the loss of a loved one, his dad, so he wanted to do anything he could to help her. Thanks to Rafael and R.V. Roofing, the homeowner is saving over $4,000 on her new roof. The roof work is expected to take a week. Once it is complete, GRID will establish an installation date for her new no cost solar system.
Energy for All is a program of GRID Alternatives, a community-based nonprofit organization. GRID has partnered with the City of Ontario through Solar Home Initiative and Neighborhood Empowerment Project (OntarioSHINE) to install solar for low-income Ontario families. For more information call 1-866-921-4696, or to see if you qualify for GRID’s Energy for All program visit www.GRIDSolar.org.