Tesla Plants Seed of Solar Power in Low-Income Neighborhoods with Donation of 569kW of Solar Panels

September 5th, 2017 by Kyle Field

GRID Alternatives recently announced that it has received a massive donation from Tesla Energy of a mix of 569 kW of solar panels that will be installed on the rooftops of low-income homes.

GRID Alternatives is focused on and has become a national leader in helping low-income communities and communities of color nationwide learn how to integrate solar power while at the same time realizing the employment benefits that come along with it. GRID also works globally to power up off-grid communities across the globe with solar power.

The donation from Tesla also unlocks 15,000 hours of hands-on training through GRID’s community participation training model that guides participants through a solar training curriculum from zero knowledge to installer — with an objective of finding jobs for participants afterward. Tesla’s contribution to GRID is an impressive example of how Tesla is perpetually focused on making as large of an impact as possible on the transition to sustainable energy generation.

In this case, a single donation of solar panels scales to provide hands-on career training and life skills to hundreds of people while at the same time enhancing the lives of hundreds of low-income households on the receiving end of the new systems.

The solar panel donation also opens up a completely new discussion for many as their first exposure to cleantech solutions. A solar panel installation begs for discussion of what happens to the power that is generated. Should it be stored onsite in a Tesla Powerwall system, pushed to the grid, or used to charge an electric vehicle? Conversations, ideas, business ideas, careers, and dreams that would not have happened will sprout from one simple albeit large donation of a few pallets of solar panels.

The donation adds Tesla to an impressive list of existing donors to GRID Alternatives including Enphase, SunPower, Jinko Solar, IronRidge, and Schneider Electric.

To learn more about GRID Alternatives or how you can get involved in the work they are doing in the US or abroad, head over to the GRID Alternatives website.

Source: Grid Alternatives











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