More than 45 Applied Materials employee volunteers equipped with hard hats, tool belts and harnesses, in partnership with GRID Alternatives, spent 350 hours installing 36 rooftop solar panels on the homes of three low-income first-time homeowners at the new Habitat for Humanity development in Santa Clara, California.

At the construction site, volunteers gained valuable hands-on experience in solar installation, important skills as the clean energy market is poised to grow rapidly in the next few years. Teams spent the day splicing and routing cable through the homes and in between inverters and meters while others prepped rooftops and installed solar panels. Volunteers also learned about residential solar power programs and installation details; including calculating power needs and return on investment.

The solar panels provide clean, renewable energy and in total generate about 2.4 kW per house — enough energy to cover each family's entire electric bill, saving the residents hundreds of dollars each year and thousands of dollars over the lifetime of the panels.

GRID Alternatives' mission is to empower communities in need by providing renewable energy and energy efficiency services, equipment and training.

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