The morning August sun bounced off Alex’s helmet as he climbed a ladder in the narrow canyon between two homes in Lincoln Heights. At 9:30 a.m. on a normal Wednesday, Alex would be beginning his day working in tech at Accenture.
At 9:30 a.m. on Wednesday, August 21, Alex stopped at the top of the ladder and was clipped onto a fall arrest system. He strode over a small parapet onto the roof and began a day of volunteer work installing solar panels with GRID Alternatives Mid-Atlantic.
Two of Alex’s co-workers at Accenture, Tolu and Molly, joined him up on the roof shortly after. Tolu had never participated in an install before, though Alex and Molly had previously worked on GRID Mid-Atlantic installations before.
By the end of the day, the trio had played a key role in finishing the installation of a 16-panel solar energy system for the Andrews family. All three spent significant time on the roof, providing support to lift the modules, properly manage electrical wires, lay and secure modules to the rails, and eventually connect the modules to the converter and AC disconnect panels on the ground.
The system on the Andrews family household was funded by the DC Sustainable Energy Utility, the District’s Solar For All program, and Accenture — it came at no cost to the Andrews family itself. The 4.5-kilowatt system is expected to save the Andrews family more than $700 in utility costs per year and nearly $17,000 over the life of the system. Its environmental impact is the equivalent of taking 18 cars off the road for a year or planting 2,237 trees.
Solar for All, a program of the District of Columbia’s Department of Energy and Environment, was established by the Renewable Portfolio Standard Expansion Amendment Act of 2016. It seeks to provide the benefits of solar electricity to 100,000 low-income households and reduce their energy bills by 50% by 2032.
Companies like Accenture that invest in GRID Mid-Atlantic workdays are investing in positive, measurable impacts in their community and demonstrating a commitment to environmental sustainability. A corporate workday with GRID Alternatives Mid-Atlantic not only demonstrates your company's commitment to your local community and to the environment, but also engages your group in a fun and educational team-building project with tangible, long-term benefits for a family in need.
Learn more about GRID Mid-Atlantic corporate partnerships and corporate workdays for your company’s next outing.