“We are so happy about getting solar on our home,” said homeowner Pedro Corrales, whose family is receiving a solar system during the event. The Corrales family, like their other 8 neighbors, just moved into the home they built themselves through Coachella Valley Housing Coalition’s self-help housing program. They thought going solar would be impossible for them, especially since Pedro is the only wage earner in the home. “This is a dream come true for us!” said Pedro. “The money we'll save will help my wife start her own small business, a bakery, which is what she went to school for. I want to help her succeed and I want my children to benefit too.
He and the other Solarthon families will save on their electricity bills from day one, money they can use for food, clothing and other necessities. The installations will save the families a combined $200,000 over the 30-year lifetime of the systems and prevent 610 tons of carbon emissions, which is equivalent to planting 14,500 trees.
It’s not only the homeowners who benefit from GRID Alternatives’ program, but volunteers and green job trainees as well. Hal Stonier, who is a volunteer roof and ground team leader at the event, got his start in solar by volunteering for GRID Alternatives and now runs his own solar company, Burning Daylight Solar, as well as teaches solar classes for veterans through non-profit Empower America. Hal and about a dozen other GRID alumni were on hand during the finale event, guiding students and other job trainees looking to break into the high-demand solar industry.
GRID IE would like to give a heartfelt thank you to everyone who helped make GRID IE 2015 Solarthon an overwhelming success, including:
The City of Desert Hot Springs
National Sponsors: Wells Fargo and SunEdison
Regional Sponsors: HelioPower and Southern California Edison
Corporate Sponsors: SolarMAX; Sunpro Solar; Hot Purple Energy; Competitive Power Ventures; College of the Desert; WeGen Solar; CED Greentech; American Medical Response; Desert Hot Springs UPS Store; Tummy Stuffers; City Automotive; Carol's Hair and Beauty Supply; Forest Lawn; Mission Springs Water District; 3 in 1 Design; Starbucks; and Rain Bird
Major Equipment Sponsors: Enphase Energy; SunPower Corp.; Ironridge; SnapNrack; and Quick Mount PV
Individual Sponsors: Francisco Rosas and Carmen Barrera
Job Training Partners: Desert Hot Springs REAL Academy; Arroyo Valley High School CORE Academy; College of the Desert; Center for Employment Training of Coachella; Empower America; and Coast Career Institute.
Affordable housing development partner: Coachella Valley Housing Coalition (CVHC).
Entertainment by the Hot Purple Energy Band, CVHC's Ballet Folklorico Tonantzin, and Boys and Girls Club of Coachella Valley.
Also, we would like to give our deep appreciation to all of the special invited guests who came out and showed their support for GRIDs work, including: Asm. Eduardo Garcia, 56th California Assembly District, Mayor Adam Sanchez Sr., Desert Hot Springs, Mayor Pro Tem Russell Betts, Desert Hot Springs, Glenn Miller, Office of Sen. Jeff Stone, Mary Jane Sanchez, College of the Desert, Joe Mota, Coachella Valley Housing Coalition, and Nena McCullough, Southern California Edison.
GRID Alternatives had installed 97 systems in Desert Hot Springs as of April 2015. With the Solarthon installations, Desert Hot Springs now have over 100 solar installations for qualifying families, and will be the most GRID-solarized community in the Inland Empire.
“I’m very excited that DHS is the top solar city in the Coachella Valley,” said Desert Hot Springs Mayor Adam Sanchez, Sr. “GRID Alternatives has been a strong partner with the City as part of our Health and Wellness Initiative. It’s a win-win-win for us because families save on their energy costs, our students and job trainees gain skills that can help them land local jobs, and clean energy is produced right on people’s rooftops.” “I see hope and opportunity through solar for our residents and I especially encourage anyone interested in the solar industry to sign up and volunteer with GRID to get the experience needed to get those jobs,” said Sanchez.
Interested to learn more? Look at GRID's Solarthon event coverage in the media. Want to get involved? Contact us at infoie@gridalternatives.org.
Univision (Spanish-language): http://www.kvertv.com/2015/04/06/se-instalan-paneles-solares-en-desert-hot-springs/