fellow

solar installer

construction assistant

outreach coordinator

electrician

GRID Alternatives

I worked as an AmeriCorps VISTA with GRID Alternatives as a Development Associate. As a Development Associate, most of my day was focused on creating new opportunities for funding for the Central Valley office of GRID Alternatives. A majority of the projects that I worked on were ideas that I suggested to the Regional Director of the Central Valley Office. This helped me to understand the importance of follow through and gave me the confidence to present my ideas knowing that I could carry them out.

Management encouraged their employees to be involved in the total process of assisting homeowners in receiving solar energy. Everyone in the office assisted other departments in the office if the help was needed, which inspired a team atmosphere. I attended job fairs & college fairs to promote the mission of GRID Alternatives and also to encourage members of the community to volunteer their time.

This job also provided me with my first opportunity to deal with a difficult co-worker. It was definitely a struggle at first, but as the year continued, I learned to not take things personal. This change in attitude helped to change the atmosphere for our department, although the co-worker still provided many challenges for the office & its employees.

The hardest part of the job was working as a AmeriCorps VISTA because of the salary and absence of health insurance.

I enjoy working for GRID. Everyone is a hard working and a team player. They promote within the company which is a great benefit. The work life balance is amazing as you are rewarding for flex time when you work more than 40 hours for EXEMPT employees. Everyone pulls their weight and there are several resources and support from HQ when we are under capacity with heavy workloads. 

This is a great organization for those who do not need management supervision as management is very off-hands. They delegate your responsibilities and entrust you to get the job done. Schedules are flexible and working remote is an option for those who desire too. I do feel managers do need a little more training in communication and conflict resolution.

I worked at GRID for over three years in multiple roles, and can not say enough great things about the organization. No mater your position you get to directly contribute to and see the impact of GRID's mission of helping undeserved communities access the benefits of solar.

Without sacrificing a sense of urgency and fast paced work timelines, GRID is able to maintain a relaxed vibe and laid back culture with amazing benefits such as over a month of PTO and flex schedules. 

One of the greatest benefits to working at GRID are the opportunities for professional development. In addition to providing employees with a PD budget each year, individuals are encouraged and trained to take on new roles/responsibilities and initiatives.

Overall I think GRID is an exciting and rewarding place to work!

GRID is awesome. I served with them on their Outreach team with AmeriCorps and that experience really helped shaped my career. I never thought much about solar energy or renewable energies in general, but with them I definitely learned the importance. It was great being able to take that knowledge regarding energy and use it to help low-income families take another step toward financial stability (solar helped cut electricity bills and we installed the system at no-cost to them as long as they qualified).

The pay my be better if I wasn't living on an AmeriCorps stipen, but as a non-profit I wouldn't personally expect them to pay very well unless I was a regional director or something.

A typical day at work would be for me to check all upcoming projects to verify all steps have been followed to ensure an efficient installation.
I've learned how to navigate around Salesforce to track all steps leading to an installation and work efficiently with a great team.
Management at this great company is definitely inspiring to one's career.
My team at Grid Alternatives has motivated me to follow my dream in renewable energy and pursue what makes me happy.
The hardest part of this job would be getting all departments within the organization, and even other offices, to run efficiently.
The most enjoyable part of this job is knowing that every installation is a step closer to our mission of helping communities that need it most.

GRID is a great place to work. All of the people who come to work here really care about the mission and about each other. They work hard and they play hard! Management really cares about staff and has helped the company grow quickly while maintaining a good culture. They have a really neat fellowship program and care about the growth of all of their staff. They have an annual conference where we do fun things like play human hungry hippos. The benefits are great for a nonprofit - 5 weeks vacation, full medical/dental/vision, retirement, etc. I may be a bit biased given my role but I've worked here for 7 years (and we have at least 40 staff who've been here 5+) so I think that really says something about our culture.

what I have learned is that how to discover the shading analysis, and then lining the chalking line for the railings, the measurements for the modules. also how to put a stand off and then the flashing on top. then the L-foot is put on for the railings. if the railings are to short, there's a rail splice that are added to it to support two railings. Then u add copper wire to each railing that has a ground connect, then u add the modules. To support the modules, u add a mid-clamp to keep it steady. once one is secured every module would be easy to install on top of the railings. so when the modules are placed, the combiner box is installed, then we add EMT/ conduit raceways to the inverter, then to the net meter, then to house and then its connected to the grid.

I ABSOLUTELY LOVED THE WORK. I felt unsupported by my Support Staff.   Work Culture represented falsely in public. Many people left the company in spite of Great Salaries. I was a trainee who became a Workforce Training Supervisor in a short time, however I was expected to work as well as Seasoned Staff.  I had to create my own Surveys to prove my Competency and work performance to my own Supervisor.
I left the company prematurely. I LOVED MY WORK AND PUT MY HEART AND SOUL INTO IT.
VERY SAD YET UNFORGETTABLE EXPERIENCE FOR ME.🥺

While GRID strives to make solar accessible to marginalize communities, it is funded by donations from companies with investments in the fossil fuel industry, and actively work against those same communities through predatory lending and deceitful practices. Essentially, greenwashing. Management often solicited input from field staff, but rarely followed through, ie lipservice.

I've learned a lot from the volunteer work that i have done with Grid Alternatives; Safety, protecting the roof, locating rafters, racking assembly, conduit bending etc. The company employees are a fun and interesting group to work with. The hardest part of the job is keeping from getting sunburned. My favorite part of the job is enjoying the diverse food that the different customers offer for lunch every day.

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Fellow 8 salaries reported	$21.40 per hour
Solar installer 3 salaries reported	$28.94 per hour
Construction assistant 8 salaries reported	$23.27 per hour
Outreach coordinator 7 salaries reported	$26.94 per hour
Electrician 1 salary reported	$46.90 per hour

Working at GRID Alternatives: Company Overview and Reviews

GRID Alternatives

GRID Alternatives Ratings

Popular jobs at GRID Alternatives

Salary Satisfaction

Job Seeker Tools

Employer Tools

Browse

Stay Connected