Sunrun renews GRID Alternatives partnership

Low-income families throughout the country often struggle to gain access to solar energy. But one long-running partnership aims to change the equation.

For the sixth straight year, Sunrun, a San Francisco-based residential-solar company, will partner with nonprofit solar installer GRID Alternatives, to serve the mutual mission to provide solar to more homeowners throughout the United States.

The partnership consists of a financial donation of $150,000, as well as employee volunteers to help bring the projects across the country from conception to conclusion. The money will help bring solar to low-income families and a hands-on job training to area residents to prepare them for careers in the fastest growing segment of the U.S. economy.

To date, Sunrun employees have donated nearly 3,500 hours to help GRID Alternatives projects come to fruition on nearly 30 homes around the nation. The installed projects have produced more than 220 kWh for a total of $1.7 million lifetime savings for GRID Alternatives’ families.

GRID Alternatives has completed 7,857 systems totaling nearly 28,000 kW of capacity and trained 29,460 volunteers to date.

“Building on a relationship that has been in place for more than five years, we are thrilled to renew our partnership with GRID Alternatives,” said Paul Winnowski, Chief Operating Officer for Sunrun. “After all, the companies share the same values and mission: providing low-income families with energy generation and management in a clean, renewable and sustainable way.”

Without support from companies like Sunrun, GRID Alternatives could not complete its mission, said said Erica Mackie, CEO and co-founder of GRID Alternatives.

“Getting solar power to the families that need it most is a real community effort,” “WE could never do this alone. From employee volunteers who get on the roof with us to ongoing financial support for our work, Sunrun has been a great partner in making this happen.”