Grid Alternatives celebrates 2,000th solar installation serving low-income families

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) —

Something the Central Valley has plenty of — sunshine. By using solar panels, those rays can be turned into energy to power your home.

But getting them installed can be costly. That is where Grid Alternatives comes in.

“We are funded by the California Public Utilities Commission SASH program, which stands for Single-Family Affordable Solar Homes,” said Grid Alternatives Karina Gonzalez.

They can offer solar to families at little to no cost.

“Some of our families that we serve are really in need not only because of the high energy cost, but they also may be facing medical issues, where they are required to have machines running in their home which pull extra electricity,” said Gonzalez.

Since 2009, they have helped Central Valley families save over $74 million.

Friday marked their 2,000th installation.

Brenda Burgess and her husband have been looking forward to this.

“He ended up getting COPD, and we have to use our air conditioner now, and our bill got really high,” said Burgess.

These panels save the Burgess family about 80 percent on their monthly energy bill.

“I know the bills are going to go down drastically and help our family with a little extra money for something else besides PG&E,” said Burgess.

Grid Alternatives says their mission does not stop here. They plan to help as many families as they can.