Roseville Family Gets Financial Relief Via Solar Power

Roseville, Calif.- Raising a child with a life-threatening illness at home has meant a constant struggle with electricity bills for the Vallejo-Herrera family in Roseville.

This week, relief is on the way, through a program funded by the City of Roseville Housing Program and the non-profit GRID Alternatives, relief is on the way. On Friday, the non-profit, who provides solar power and solar job training in underserved communities, will be installing a no-cost solar electric system for the Vallejo-Herrera with helping hands from UNFI employee volunteers. 

The solar installation is the second of three installations to occur in the City of Roseville, funded by the partnership. For the parents of 4-year old Tamara Vallejo, energy bills are among the last things they want to think about.

Even with medical discounts from the Roseville Utility, the family’s utility costs are as high as $350 a month. 

“We know solar can give a family struggling with high electric bills a much needed measure of security,” says Bob Gragson, Regional Director with GRID Alternatives.  “For families with severe medical issues, solar eases their monthly financial burdens, allowing them to focus more on their family’s well-being.” 

GRID Alternatives designed the Vallejo-Herrera’s family system to save them about 75%-85% of their annual electricity bill.  With solar, the family is expected to save $32,000 over the system’s lifetime. The system is expected to eliminate 100 tons of greenhouse gasses over the system’s lifetime, equivalent to removing 18 cars from the road for 1 year or planting 2,346 trees.

About GRID Alternatives

GRID Alternatives is a non-profit organization that brings the benefits of solar technology to low-income communities across the country. Using a barn-raising model, GRID Alternatives leads teams of volunteers and job trainees to install solar power on qualifying homes, providing needed savings for families struggling to make ends meet while preparing workers for jobs in the fast-growing solar industry and cleaning our air. More than 4,000 families have benefitted from the program to date, saving more than $110 million in lifetime electricity costs, and more than 15,000 people have received hands-on solar installation experience. The North Valley regional office was established in Chico, California in 2011 and serves a 20-county region in the north state.

For more information, please visit www.gridalternatives.org/northvalley