The average household pays nearly $170 each month in energy costs, and the typical homeowner saves more than $1,000 a year on electricity by installing roof-top solar panels.
Under NeighborWorks America's partnership with GRID Alternatives, the country's largest nonprofit solar installer, 68 homes and 6 multifamily buildings serving 50 farmworker families will be equipped with solar panels.
NeighborWorks America will provide funding to offset the cost of each solar installation for our local grant recipients and GRID Alternatives will provide training, technical assistance and thousands of additional dollars to each project.
"NeighborWorks America is increasing its support of low-income communities by giving them access to greener, more efficient power," said Paul Weech, chief executive officer at NeighborWorks America. "We are helping to lower the utility costs for individuals and families around the country, and we are pleased to join in this partnership with GRID Alternatives. Together we are increasing the access of low-income families to solar power."
The solar installation grant recipients are:
- Eatontown, NJ: Affordable Housing Alliance
- Centereach, NY: Community Development Corporation of Long Island
- Westminster, CO: Community Resources and Housing Development Corp.
- New York, NY: Neighborhood Housing Services of New York City
- Ontario, CA: Neighborhood Partnership Housing Services
- Rochester, NY: NeighborWorks Rochester
- Kingston, NY: RUPCO
- Visalia, CA: Self-Help Enterprises
- Camden, NJ: St. Joseph's Carpenter Society
All of the solar projects in the partnership will provide hands-on professional-development opportunities in the booming solar industry for local trainees in each community.
Trainees will come from the local community, including students from area community colleges and job-training programs, as well as from GRID Alternatives' SolarCorps Fellowship Program, which recently received a major investment from the federal AmeriCorps program. According to the U.S. Census, solar installation jobs offer wages of $20-$24 an hour, but usually do not require advanced education.
