A group of students participating in GRID’s Solar Futures program passed up the final solar panel as homeowner Susan Herrera beamed with excitement. A Riverside native, Susan’s solar story actually began before she ever thought about renewable energy. As a member of a large family, Susan had plenty of aunts and uncles around—her grandmother had 16 children. While the older half decided to stick around the Inland Empire, the younger half decided to try their luck in the City of Lindsay in California’s central valley. Little did Susan know, it would be her aunts Mercy and Mary Herrera in Lindsay who would connect her to GRID Alternatives.
Mercy Herrera bought her home in Lindsay in 1999. Though Mercy was ecstatic to have a place to call home, she was alarmed at how high the bills were. “I was paying $1000 a month,” Mercy explained. It was a lot to shoulder for Mercy and her husband, who both worked at the local community college. One of her students introduced her to solar energy and, together with her husband, installed a system on their house. “I was now paying $1000 for an entire year’s worth of electricity instead of that much every month,” declared Mary, recalling her initial surprise.
Mercy showed her bill to family members in both Lindsay and Riverside. Her sister, Mary, was particularly excited but thought solar panels were something beyond her reach. That all changed once she learned about GRID Alternatives through an outreach campaign and received a solar system at no cost to her. Paying it forward, Mary told her niece Susan about the program, and that’s how the power of GRID bounced from Lindsay to Riverside.
“I followed my aunt’s advice and was approved for a GRID system,” Susan explained. “Solar is a welcome benefit in my household. My daughter requires comfortable temperatures due to medical issues. We hope to save about $3-400 dollars in electric costs a month,” she said. “GRID is a wonderful program. [GRID’s staff] explained everything from start to finish. The people are very courteous, and the experience has been excellent,” said Susan. She was also impressed with the individuals who installed her system, which included job trainees as well as group of high school students. “I love the Solar Futures program,” she expressed. “It’s an excellent recruitment source for solar contractors.”
The Herrera women are a reminder of the magic that happens when we help empower each other and pay it forward. Who do you know that could benefit from a solar system? If you own your home and are interested in determining if you qualify for our program, or if you know someone who might, complete GRID’s online interest form at http://gridalternatives.org/clients or call 888-496-4743.