On April 17 the White House celebrated ten Solar Champions of Change who are driving policy changes at the local level to expand energy choices for Americans, grow jobs, and add new clean energy to the grid.
Among the honorees:
Honoree, Henry Red Cloud and Tim Sears, Co-Founder of GRID Alternatives 
GRID Alternatives is the only solar installer whose vision is a successful transition to clean, renewable energy that includes everyone. More than 500 families throughout the San Diego region are now generating their own power (more than 1 MW) and sending the rest back to the utility company. They join more than 4,200 families in the GRID Alternatives network who are saving more than $115 million in lifetime electricity costs.
Low-income or early adopters?
The transition to solar, we believe, must leave no one behind. GRID Alternatives founders Erica Mackie and Tim Sears stepped up 10 years ago, when money was being given away as an incentive to go solar.
They said, “Hey, we have an idea. Why not help everyone including those who could never afford it?”
Now families, who need it most in low-income communities are feeling empowered by generating their own power and are looking for other ways to prosper through sustainability
Our future is about moving backward
Let me explain: Solar is the future technology to deliver clean, affordable energy, not only here, but around the world. For those connected to the GRID, the goal is to move the meter in the opposite direction, or backward, than it has since the beginning. Through the net-metering process, meters on solar homes move forward and back: forward when pulling energy from the GRID and in reverse, when sending it back because of the power from the sun. Solar homeowners’ energy bills get reduced by up to 90 percent!
That’s quite a flip!
Not since the time when electricity was first discovered (Thank you, Thomas) were people so excited about their electric meter.The jobs are important too
As the solar industry soars, by an estimated 21 percent in the next few years, there is a lack of qualified workers. GRID Alternatives steps up again by providing thousands of volunteers with on-the-job skills. Recently, SunEdison joined forces with GRID Alternatives in a $1.2 million
investment to support a National Women in Solar Initiative, a year-long campaign aimed at increasing the number of women in the solar industry and supporting their professional advancement.
Connections like these bring us together and power us forward.
Promo written by -Tom McSorley
– Follow Tom on Twitter @GRIDSDTom