Diana Melody knows exactly what the workers on her rooftop are doing -- she volunteered with GRID Alternatives for around six months before a knee operation put her out of commission. “That’s why I put together such a great lunch for them,” she says. “I know how hard they are working!”
Ms. Melody was studying HVAC (heating, ventilating, and air conditioning) at college and thought she may as well find out about solar, “I thought it might be a good career move,” she says. Although she enjoyed her time volunteering, Ms. Melody says she didn’t connect with solar as much as she has with other construction work. “I feel too old to be up on the roof and I don’t really enjoy sales,” she says. “I decided to stick with HVAC and ended up buying my own business last week!”
Ms. Melody has been in construction for many years, starting off in landscaping. “I must have been the only woman landscaper in the city at the time,” she says. “ I know a lot of women might not be interested, but I’ve always enjoyed the physical work.”
Ms. Melody spends most of her time in her garden, it’s unusually large for San Diego. “It’s the first place I go as soon as I get back from work,” she says. “For years I thought I should sell the house and get away from the expense but I’m glad I have it now, this yard really makes it.”
Ms. Melody’s knee operation was a success and as she gears up for work and a busy summer season installing air conditioning units she is glad to be able to hook up her own system to her new solar panels.
“I think a lot of people don’t call because they don’t think they could possibly qualify, I thought the same thing” says Diana Melody, she says she still can’t quite believe it. “I’ve been telling all my neighbors to at least check GRID out, it doesn’t hurt to just try.”