Low-income homes get Solar

By Neil GonzalesSan Mateo County Times
Posted: 12/30/2009 06:26:20 PM PST
Updated: 12/30/2009 07:29:18 PM PST

DALY CITY — Two low-income families will save money on monthly utilities after their houses are fitted with solar panels.
Next week, the nonprofit clean-energy organization GRID Alternatives will start work on the houses in the area of Miriam Street and Parkview Avenue, group co-founder and program director Tim Sears said.
GRID, which brings solar-power systems to underprivileged neighborhoods, is working on the houses being built by the nonprofit Habitat for Humanity, Sears said.
GRID will first put in a metal framework and workers will return later to install the panels, he said. The solar panels are being provided at no cost to the homeowners.
Typically, families who qualify for solar panels receive a 2-kilowatt system that produces 75 percent of the household's electricity, he said. That translates to a monthly savings of about $40.
Such a program is "very important because low-income households spend a much higher percentage of their income on energy than middle-income households," Sears said. "These savings make a big difference."
GRID is able to bring solar energy to needy homes by teaming up with other groups such as Habitat for Humanity and government agencies, tapping suppliers for discounts on materials and drawing in community donations, he said.
GRID also provides community members with training and hands-on experience with renewable energy technologies. Councilman David Canepa praised GRID's effort in his city.
"It's a complete win-win for the Daly City community by training community volunteers and job trainees in solar installation and by providing a low-income family with solar energy for their home," Canepa said.
For more information, visit the Web site http://www.gridalternatives.org/home.