Environmental Justice

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.

Between the four sacred mountains of the Navajo Nation the land and sky stretch vast and wild. Here, in Bird Springs Arizona, GRID Alternatives' Tribal Program staff partnered with three Navajo communities for an inaugural installation of a 2.6kW grid-tied solar photovoltaic system.

Saturday was a perfect day for solar in Long Beach thanks to a joint effort between Building Healthy Communities: Long Beach (BHCLB) and GRID Alternatives Greater Los Angeles (GLA). During the community awareness event, local leaders joined a group of GLA and BHCLB volunteers to install 2.7 kilowatts of solar for two Long Beach families. While solar went up on the roof, it also spread door to door as canvassers walked around the neighborhood talking to community members about solar energy.

This past Saturday, more than 3,700 volunteers from all over the world participated in US Green Building Council’s Green Apple Day of Service, a global movement that encourages people to take action in their communities through service projects.