The Silicon Valley may be a hub for solar technology, but rooftops in the low-income neighborhoods of East San Jose rarely show it. All this will change on Saturday when more than 200 volunteersindividual sponsors, corporate teams, job trainees and the homeowners themselvescome out to install solar electric systems on 13 homes near Hillview Park as part of the GRID Alternatives Solarthon, an annual solar block party and fundraiser for the Oakland-based non-profit.
We are very excited about getting solar on our home because we are passionate about saving our planet by using clean energy, saving money from electric bills, and being a model in our community, said homeowner Dante Decena, whose family will be receiving a solar system during the event. The Decena family thought about going solar in the past, but the cost was too high for them, especially since Dante was unemployed at that time. This is a dream come true for us! said Dante. The money we'll save on electric bills will be used to purchase an energy star refrigerator." He and the other Solarthon families will save approximately 75 percent on their electricity bills from day one, money they can use for food, clothing and other necessities.
The installations are expected to save the families $450,000 over the 30-year lifetime of the systems and prevent 1500 tons of carbon emissions. It isnt every day that people get to see the impact of their community investment so up close and personal, said Mary Biasotti, Regional Director for GRID Alternatives Bay Area office. With GRID Alternatives, volunteers and donors actually work side-by-side with the people they are helping.
Its not only the homeowners who benefit from GRID Alternatives program, but volunteers and green job trainees as well. Sean Taylor, who will be a volunteer roof and ground team leader at the event, got his start in solar by volunteering for GRID Alternatives and now runs his own installation company, Taylor Energy Systems. Saturdays Solarthon is one of seven such events being held around the state this year, and the seventh annual Bay Area Solarthon.
Much like a walkathon, individuals raised money for the event through their personal networks, while corporations like Wells Fargo, Google, Sungevity, Real Goods Solar, Aruba Networks and Answer Lab sponsor homes for their employee volunteers. GRID Alternatives official solar panel providers, SunPower Corp. and Yingli Americas will also have employee teams at the event, as will the City of San Jose. Special guests during a lunchtime presentation in Hillview Park include Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren, Assemblymember Paul Fong and San Jose Councilmember Rose Herrera.
GRID Alternatives has installed 41 systems in San Jose to date, including the 13 from Solarthon, and plans to install 10 more by the end of the year. Id like to thank all of the companies and volunteers who participated in the Solarthon and helped these families enjoy the benefits of using solar power, San Jose Mayor Chuck Reed said. I encourage all San Jose residents to learn about the many options available for installing solar and reducing their monthly energy bill, with zero or little up front cost.
About GRID Alternatives GRID Alternatives is a non-profit organization that brings the benefits of solar technology to low-income communities. Using a barn-raising model, GRID Alternatives leads teams of volunteers and job trainees to install solar power on qualifying homes, providing needed savings for families struggling to make ends meet while preparing workers for jobs in the fast-growing solar industry. GRID Alternatives has installed more than 2200 photovoltaic solar energy systems to date throughout California, to help low-income families save nearly $60M in energy bills over the 30 year lifespan of the solar energy systems. For more information, please visit http://www.gridalternatives.org or contact Julian Foley at jfoley@gridalternatives.org
