Justice Partner – Green Sanctuary Choice (Acterra – Solar Project)

Acterra’s Green@Home to Grid Ready Project helps low-income families in East Palo Alto adopt energy efficient practices and participate in a state-funded solar energy program. The region’s tight housing market means that the number of residents per household is typically large in this community, and their resulting higher energy use places them in a higher cost tier. Reducing household electricity usage can thus disproportionately increase financial savings. For example, installing solar energy panels can reduce the energy bills of low-income families in East Palo Alto by 60-90%. Acterra’s partners in this project include Grid Alternatives, which provides the state-funded solar panels, and Habitat for Humanity, which provides free installations. Acterra’s multi-pronged community outreach effort identifies eligible homes and helps homeowners, many of whom have trouble with English, to sign-up.