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.

In San Francisco last week, nearly 300 people came out to help us celebrate another incredible year making solar power and solar job training accessible to people who need it most. Our Interconnection event this year honored three key supporters who have not just helped us achieve our mission, but have been leaders in the clean energy transition: the State of California, SunPower Corp., and SunEdison.

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.

In her own words, Rhonda Rhoque, a GLA volunteer, shares her story of transitioning into a career in solar.

In March 2015, 36 employee volunteers from Viridian travelled with us to the remote community of Platanal, Boaco, Nicaragua to help us light up 40 homes.

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.

"Solar Spring Break with GRID Alternatives in the Central Coast has been the best week of my life so far!" That's from Abhishek Rao, a graduate student at Arizona State University, who volunteered with us through Solar Spring Break.

Nine Nicaraguan women joined GRID Alternatives and community members of El Guayo, Nicaragua to install solar power on the school. The women were participating in GRID’s first Mujeres del Sol project, an all-Nicaraguan, all-women installation event to both educate and inspire local women in the energy field, and bring power to a community yearning for access to more education and opportunities for themselves and their children.

Cassie is just one hundreds of Veterans who have walked through GRID Alternatives’ training doors to continue serving their communities here at home. This year several of our offices are ramping up partnerships with Veteran service agencies, like The Mission Continues, in an effort to help them learn new skills and gain a foothold in the solar industry.

Last month, GRID Alternatives joined representatives of housing organizations, foundations, finance companies and solar companies from around the country for a White House summit on solar for multifamily affordable housing. Solar has a lot of benefits for housing authorities and other affordable housing owners, and as part of his 2013 Climate Action Plan, President Obama called for 100 MW of solar on Federally-assisted housing.