GRID Alternatives

What GRID Alternatives does

GRID Alternatives is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2004 and headquartered in Oakland, California, that operates as the nation's largest nonprofit deployer of renewable energy. The organization provides no-cost and reduced-cost solar photovoltaic (PV) installations, battery storage systems, and electric vehicle charging infrastructure to income-qualified households, veterans, tribal communities, seniors, disabled individuals, and nonprofit facilities across California, Colorado, Maryland, Virginia, Washington D.C., Oregon, and New York through a network of regional affiliate offices. Its customer-facing programs include the Energy for All Program (single-family, community, and multifamily solar), Tribal Energy Alternatives, Clean Mobility, and Battery Storage, with installations funded through a mix of federal incentives (SASH, DAC-SASH, Inflation Reduction Act Solar for All), state programs (California LIWP), and charitable contributions.

The organization's second major function is workforce development, delivered through the Installation Basics Training (IBT) Program (a 13-week paid solar installation course with 80%+ graduate employment rates), the SolarCorps Fellowship Program (an 11-month paid AmeriCorps-affiliated fellowship with 300+ alumni), Troops to Solar (veterans-focused training), Women in Solar, and Solar Futures (youth pipeline). Programs are delivered through AmeriCorps members, SolarCorps fellows, and trained installation teams, with employer matchmaking via RE+ Events job fairs and regional Rooftop Ready events. Over 34,000 people have been trained and over $750 million in cumulative energy cost savings have been delivered since inception.

GRID Alternatives is funded entirely through philanthropic and government grants rather than earned revenue from customers, with no-cost service delivery to eligible homeowners. Major funding sources include MacKenzie Scott ($15M in 2024), Bank of Montreal ($3M in 2023 and $2M in 2025), Amazon Web Services ($1.2M in 2024), Wells Fargo ($3.8M cumulative including a $750K Troops to Solar grant), Bank of America ($510K), Invenergy ($300K), and the U.S. Department of Labor ($2.3M in 2020), supplemented by corporate volunteer partnerships with Accenture, KPMG, Hannon Armstrong, and Mitsubishi Electric. The organization is led by Co-CEO and Co-Founder Erica Mackie and Co-Founder/COO Tim Sears, with a board-supported regional Co-Executive Director structure across affiliates.

Name

GRID Alternatives

Legal name

GRID Alternatives, Inc

Website

https://gridalternatives.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

GRID Alternatives is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2004 that provides no-cost solar installations, battery storage, and EV charging infrastructure to low-income families, veterans, and tribal communities, alongside workforce development programs including IBT and SolarCorps, across multiple U.S. states.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Nonprofit Solar Installation & Workforce Development

NAICS

Solar Electric Power Generation (221114), Electric Power Generation (22111)

SIC

Electric Services (4911)

akta.pro primary industry

Renewable Distributed Generation (Rooftop/Onsite Solar, Small Wind, Small Hydro) (EUACALAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Community Solar Development & Subscription Management (EUAMAJAA), Distributed Storage (Behind-the-Meter Batteries) (EUAMAJAE), Resilience & Backup Power Solutions (Critical Facilities, Islanding) (EUAMAJAK)

Keywords

• Nonprofit solar installation
• Workforce development training
• Solar job training
• Community solar programs
• Low-income solar access

Headquarters

HQ city

Oakland

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Donations and Grants: GRID Alternatives is a nonprofit organization that relies on charitable donations from individuals, corporations, and foundations, as well as government grants to fund solar installations and workforce development programs. Major donors include MacKenzie Scott ($15 million), Amazon Web Services ($1.2 million), Bank of Montreal ($3 million), Bank of America ($500,000), and Invenergy ($300,000 grant).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

GRID Alternatives is a nonprofit organization that provides no-cost and low-cost solar photovoltaic installations to income-qualified households, affordable housing, and nonprofit facilities, combined with hands-on workforce development programs (Installation Basics Training, SolarCorps Fellowship, Women in Solar, Solar Futures) that train individuals from underserved communities for careers in the solar industry. The organization also delivers battery storage, EV charging (Clean Mobility), and Tribal Energy Alternatives programs across multiple U.S. states.

Product overview

GRID Alternatives operates as a nonprofit organization offering a unified portfolio of solar energy and workforce development programs. The core offerings center on the Energy for All Program, which provides single-family, community, and multifamily solar installations for low-income communities. Supporting this is a comprehensive Workforce Development division encompassing the Installation Basics Training (IBT) Program, SolarCorps Fellowship Program, Women in Solar, Solar Futures, and Contractor Network. Additional programs include Clean Mobility (EV charging), Battery Storage, Tribal Energy Alternatives, and Policy Leadership initiatives. Together, these programs aim to advance economic and environmental justice through renewable energy while building community-powered solutions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• SolarCorps Fellowship Program: An 11-month paid fellowship offering hands-on experience in solar photovoltaics, construction, outreach, project management, program administration, and communications for those new to the workforce or interested in career change.
• Installation Basics Training (IBT)
• Energy for All Program
• Solar Futures
• Troops to Solar
• Women in Solar

Products and services

• Energy for All Program
• Installation Basics Training (IBT) Program
• SolarCorps Fellowship Program
• Clean Mobility Program
• Battery Storage Program
• Tribal Energy Alternatives
• Women in Solar Program
• Solar Futures Program

Quantifiable outcome

• Energy cost savings of $750 million+ for served communities
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• RE+ EventscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 November 2025RE+ Events is expanding its partnership with GRID Alternatives to hold clean energy job fairs across the U.S. in 2025 and 2026, aiming to connect over 300 job seekers with clean energy companies. These events provide networking opportunities for professionals and those transitioning into the clean energy sector.
• Collective EnergycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollective Energy funds solar and battery storage projects for nonprofit community health centers across California, partnering with GRID to install the San Fernando Community Health Center solar system.
• Operation DignitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGRID collaborated with Operation Dignity to transition their veteran housing facilities to clean energy through a solar installation funded by California's Low-Income Weatherization Program (LIWP).
• State of California Low-Income Weatherization Program (LIWP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLIWP funded 91% of the total cost of solar installation for Operation Dignity's House of Dignity, aiming to provide low and no cost solar PV systems and energy efficiency upgrades to California residents.
• Partnership for a Civilian Climate Corps (PCCC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGRID is a partner organization of the American Climate Corps (ACC) and the PCCC, working with federal agencies and the White House to implement equitable climate resilience programs.
• SMUD (Sacramento Municipal Utility District)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGRID Alternatives North Valley partnered with SMUD on the Career Energy Pathways program, a free stipended solar certificate program with virtual education and in-person lab training.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• IREC (Interstate Renewable Energy Council): IREC is a nonprofit that sets clean-energy workforce standards, credentials, and training program quality benchmarks. It is comparable to GRID Alternatives on the workforce development side, particularly as GRID scales IBT and SolarCorps programs across states.
• Coalition for Community Solar Access (CCSA): CCSA is a nonprofit trade association advancing community solar policy and project deployment. It overlaps with GRID Alternatives' community solar program work and is a relevant peer for federal program positioning and policy advocacy.
• Vote Solar: Vote Solar is a nonprofit advocacy organization advancing state-level solar policy and equitable access. It is comparable to GRID Alternatives' Policy Leadership function and shares the equity-and-access mission, though Vote Solar focuses on policy rather than installation.
• Solar United Neighbors: Solar United Neighbors is a nonprofit that organizes solar co-ops and advocates for rooftop solar adoption. It is comparable to GRID Alternatives in mission (expanding solar access) but focuses on group purchasing power rather than direct installation and workforce development.

Regional players

• ReVision Energy: ReVision Energy is a mission-driven, employee-owned solar installer operating primarily in the Northeast U.S. It is comparable to GRID Alternatives' values-aligned installer model but with a regional rather than multi-state geographic focus.
• Sun Light & Power: Sun Light & Power is a California-based commercial and residential solar installer with a long operational history. It is a regional peer in GRID Alternatives' core California market, competing for installation capacity on commercial and multifamily projects.

Direct peers

• PosiGen: PosiGen is a for-profit residential solar installer specializing in low-to-moderate-income households. It is the closest for-profit analog to GRID Alternatives' low-income single-family solar model, competing for the same customer base through a leasing/PPAs structure rather than grants.
• Solar Energy International (SEI): SEI is a nonprofit solar training and workforce development organization. It directly parallels GRID Alternatives' IBT and SolarCorps training offerings, providing industry-recognized PV installation credentials and serving as a feeder into the same clean-energy labor market.

Broad incumbents

• Sunrun: Sunrun is the largest U.S. residential solar installer with a national footprint and a growing low-income segment. As a broad incumbent, it competes for installer labor, customer leads, and subcontractor capacity in the same geographies where GRID Alternatives operates.

Others

• GRID (organization) — same anchor; excluding from peer list: Not applicable — listed for completeness only.

Market position

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/GRID
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/gridalternatives
• Facebookfacebook.com/gridalternatives
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/grid-alternatives
• Instagraminstagram.com/gridalternatives

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds5 records

Investors6 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about GRID Alternatives