Thanks to the Smart Electric Power Alliance (SEPA), GRID is a big step closer to completing our 118 kW multifamily solar installation in Southeast DC. SEPA sponsored a GRID Corporate Workday, a unique day of team-building to give back to the community. The Corporate Workday allowed SEPA employees to gain a new experience in installing solar, working together side-by-side. "The people I work with today are not from my team so it was good to work with them outside of the office environment," explains Medha, a Research Associate with SEPA.
The Corporate Workday experience is a great way for employees to learn new skills through hands-on experience, while installing solar for those who need it the most. Brenda Chew, who does research for SEPA, says, “You get to learn a lot and you get to contribute to the community.” 
GRID’s barn-raising model allows for the employees to really bond in a unique way. "This is different than other team-building activities in that prior ones were related more to our work. This was a lot more cooperation and coordination,” explains Medha, a Research Associate with SEPA, “Installing solar together is not something we are familiar with together so learning and familiarizing that process together was a unique experience."
Parkchester is GRID’s first multifamily project in DC. The nine buildings will each receive a solar array, covering 100% of the NHP Foundation’s (the building owner) common area expenses. The savings allow The NHP Foundation to make significant upgrades to the building units, including completely renovated apartments, new roofs, energy efficient appliances, and a new community center. These renovations will translate to costs savings on the tenants’ bills due to more energy efficient appliances and units.
This project also has a significant environmental impact, made possible by SEPA’s support. Over the course of the system’s lifetime, over 3,000 tons of CO2 will be prevented from entering the atmosphere, the equivalent to planting over 71,000 trees.
And it all comes down to the time that each individual gives and the work that each install team does. SEPA did a corporate workday for GRID two years ago on a Baltimore single-family home in addition to their work on Parkchester this year, and wants to make this an annual SEPA event. Is your office interested in a corporate workday with GRID Alternatives?