Environmental Justice

Legislators, administration officials and community groups gathered at a live GRID solar installation in Sacramento to highlight the state’s partnership with GRID to expand clean energy access to disadvantaged communities. Using proceeds from the state’s Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund (GGRF)--a fund created through California's cap and trade program--we will install rooftop solar for more than 1,600 families through 2016.

Often referred to as “Charm City”, Baltimore is the site of GRID Alternatives’ next set of solar installations, where we hope to sprinkle a little of our charm. Through support from the Abell Foundation and partnering with the City of Baltimore Office of Sustainability and Civic Works, we will launch in Baltimore this June, bringing solar power to ten homes in the CARE Community.

What do basketball star Bill Walton, twenty NRG Home Solar employees, and a baker in San Francisco have in common? The question might sound like the lead-in to a joke, but the answer is actually a pretty serious matter. The common thread between these people is a commitment to making solar power more accessible.

Raising a child with cerebral palsy has meant constant struggle with electric bills for the Heltsley family of Yuba City California. This week, relief is on the way, as the Heltsleys receive a new solar PV system on their home through GRID Alternatives' no- to low-cost residential solar program.

San Francisco’s Bayview neighborhood, named for the sweeping views of the San Francisco Bay from its hilltop perch, was once one of the city’s most polluted. Today, with 130 GRID Alternatives solar electric systems producing clean power for residents, it is a showcase for the success of the city and state’s investment in low-income solar.

Thanks to a new program offered by the District Department of the Environment (DDOE) and DC Sustainable Energy Utility (DCSEU), we can ramp up our work in DC at full speed! The new program called “Solar Advantage Plus”, will provide $1.4 million in solar rebates for single-family, low-income homeowners in the District.

When Charlie Wilde started taking classes at Solar Energy International in 2013 he knew already what his goals were. Many people jump into the solar industry for lots of different reasons and with different outcomes, but for Charlie he had already made plans and was committed to following through with them. That’s why when NPR reached out to Solar Energy International to hear more from their students, they mentioned Charlie right away. His dedication to learning, positive attitude, and the reasons for joining the solar movement all stand out among the many people who move through the beautiful SEI Campus.

We are humbled by the generosity of our many volunteers, supporters and contributors - together we achieved a huge milestone: our 500th Solar Installation on the Central Coast!

In Nicaragua last year, I joined a team of strangers as we traveled to the small Central American country to install solar for a rural village and see another part of the world with the GRID Alternatives International Program. Throughout the week people commented on “Nica time” warning us not to worry if things didn’t always follow the prescribed path. Over the week we all learned to let go and give the schedule over to the circumstance, to let the days flow uninhibited, to laugh, to work hard, and to understand that what will be, will be. It was a powerful experience to see a transformation as the group settled in with a different culture and concept of time.