“Thank you for your interest in Solar Spring Break! Due to COVID-19 restrictions, GRID Alternatives will not be holding the Solar Spring Break program this year so SERC is unable to form a team for Spring 2021. 

However, we will continue to uphold the values of the previous Solar Spring Break program in various ways this year.

Renewable Energy and Environmental Justice DeCal

SERC will be hosting a brand new 1-unit, Thursday 5-6pm PST DeCal in spring 2021. We all know energy is vital to today’s society, but burning fossil fuels to meet our demand is driving global warming. The new RE & EJ DeCal addresses the need for fair and clean energy in society as a way to combat injustice and climate change. The class will explore renewable energy, environmental justice, and their connection in the fight against the climate crisis through facilitator presentations and class discussions. Fill out this interest form to receive the course number and enroll!

SERC has partnered with GRID Alternatives to provide an annual UC Berkeley Solar Spring Break Team since spring  2014. GRID Alternatives’ Solar Spring Break provides college students the opportunity to spend their spring break installing solar panels on qualifying homes in underrepresented communities. These clean energy systems provide needed financial savings for residents, while lowering greenhouse gas emissions. Every Solar Spring Break project hosts 10-12 college students traveling to one of GRID Alternatives’ regional offices in California, New York, or Nicaragua. In 2018, UC Berkeley started hosting 2 Solar Spring Break teams each year.

GRID Alternatives teaches participants how to install a residential solar panel system through hands-on experience and training. Their licensed solar panel installers will lead participants through all aspects of the installation process, from start to finish.

Solar Spring Break’s direct impacts include:

-Financial savings for a low-income family
-Reduced carbon emission
-Hands-on, technical educational enrichment for UC Berkeley students.

The application for SSB 2020 is now closed. Thank you for your interest, and look out for the next opportunity to join the Spring 2021 team during the Fall 2020 semester! 

Check Out Solar Spring Break 2018 Trip Photos (Bay Area Team | Central Coast Team)

Read 2019 team member Sabina Mahavni’s blog post, 2017 team member Bianca Champenois’ blog post and 2015 team member Angela Shen’s blog post

and Watch this video from the 2018 trip: