GRID Alternatives Adewale Ogunbadejo, VP Workforce Development

Adewale Ogunbadejo, Vice President of Workforce Development at Grid Alternatives. They discussed Grid Alternatives' evolution from a volunteer- based solar installation organization founded in 2004 to a professional workforce development program serving 500-700 job trainees annually across multiple regions including California, Colorado, DC, and tribal communities throughout North America. Adewale explained how the organization transitioned from heavy volunteer involvement to focused technical training programs, including partnerships with Goodwill's Clean Tech Academy and various local organizations in markets like Houston, Albuquerque, Columbus, and Chicago. They covered Grid Alternatives' various service areas including residential installations, affordable housing projects, community solar, and international work primarily in Mexico and Puerto Rico, while also discussing the organization's relationship with AmeriCorps and the SolarCorps fellowship program. The touched on industry challenges including predatory contractors, the growth of solar and storage for data centers, and Grid Alternatives' current project scope ranging from residential to 5- megawatt community solar installations

Topics Covered

GRID Alternatives History

Workforce Development

Solar Installations

SASH Program

Solar Corps Fellowship

Goodwill Partnership

International Programs

Tribal Communities

Contractor Network

Clean Energy Transition