Every GRID Alternatives project is a community project. Homeowners, volunteers, local organizations and businesses, corporations and municipalities as well as generous donors all pitch in to get the job done. To explore partnership opportunities with GRID Alternatives, contact Anna Lisa Lukes at alukes@gridalternatives.org.
Local Governments
In partnership with GRID Central Coast, local governments are helping reduce and stabilize long-term housing costs for low income-residents, preventing local greenhouse gas emissions to meet targets under AB32 and providing hands-on green job training opportunities for local workers. For every dollar invested by Central Coast jurisdictions and private donors, GRID Alternatives brings six dollars of state solar rebate money to the table. Current and past partners have utilized Community Development Block Grants, fee-for-service contracts, low-cost loans and local solar rebate programs to support GRID's work in their communities.
Job Training organizations
The expanding solar industry is one of the few bright spots in an otherwise slow labor market. Employers added 13 percent more jobs in 2012 over 2011, but four out of five solar companies say they can’t find applicants with enough relevant experience. GRID Alternatives provides a classroom in the field for job training organizations, giving their students the experience and networking opportunities they need to get jobs. Each workday is coordinated with the training program’s structure and curriculum to ensure that every single person has the chance to complete a solar installation, from start to finish.
Affordable Housing organizations
Low-income homeowners in the Central Coast have to make hard decisions every day about how to spend their limited resources. Solar power contributes to long-term financial security for these families, insulating them from fluctuating energy prices and helping keep them in their homes. At GRID, we help local affordable housing developers integrate solar power into new and existing developments for low-income homebuyers. Through our partnership, local housing developers also help us identify those potential clients who most need our services.