Low-income families join solar revolution with help of California NGO

If you were to make a list of the poorest areas in Los Angeles, somewhere on that list would be Bertha Dortch’s neighbourhood in Inglewood. The 68-year-old is on a fixed income, but she’s chosen to take in her great-granddaughter and two foster children. On hot days, she faces difficult choices — does she keep the house cool, or buy groceries?

“Our electric bill was going sky high and I really couldn’t turn the air conditioning on,” Dortch says.

Now, her monthly energy bill is about to drop by more than a quarter. She’s getting solar panels installed on her bungalow, for free, under a state-funded program paid for by California’s cap-and-trade revenues.

California gives solar panels to low-income homeowners
Growth of residential solar power slowed by ‘zero incentive’ for renters

A pair of volunteers hauls a solar panel up to another group waiting on the roof. They belong to an NGO called Grid Alternatives, which recruits volunteers to help implement California’s $162-million Single-family Affordable Solar Homes incentive program.

Why should solar only benefit the wealthy?

That means lower electricity costs for participating households, which must be in disadvantaged neighbourhoods.

Before he became a Grid Alternatives solar installation supervisor, Nicolas Gomez worked for the country’s largest solar installer. He says he spent most of his time putting up panels in wealthy communities like Palm Springs. Read more…