Diana Melody knows exactly what the workers on her rooftop are doing — she volunteered with GRID Alternatives for around six months before a knee operation put her out of commission. \u201cThat\u2019s why I put together such a great lunch for them,\u201d she says. \u201cI know how hard they are working!\u201d<\/p>\n
Ms. Melody was studying HVAC (heating, ventilating, and air conditioning) at college and thought she may as well find out about solar, \u201cI thought it might be a good career move,\u201d she says. Although she enjoyed her time volunteering, Ms. Melody says she didn\u2019t connect with solar as much as she has with other construction work. \u201cI feel too old to be up on the roof and I don\u2019t really enjoy sales,\u201d she says. \u201cI decided to stick with HVAC and ended up buying my own business last week!\u201d<\/p>\n
Ms. Melody has been in construction for many years, starting off in landscaping. \u201cI must have been the only woman landscaper in the city at the time,\u201d she says. \u201c I know a lot of women might not be interested, but I\u2019ve always enjoyed the physical work.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ms. Melody spends most of her time in her garden, it\u2019s unusually large for San Diego. \u201cIt\u2019s the first place I go as soon as I get back from work,\u201d she says. \u201cFor years I thought I should sell the house and get away from the expense but I\u2019m glad I have it now, this yard really makes it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ms. Melody\u2019s knee operation was a success and as she gears up for work and a busy summer season installing air conditioning units she is glad to be able to hook up her own system to her new solar panels.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think a lot of people don\u2019t call because they don\u2019t think they could possibly qualify, I thought the same thing\u201d says Diana Melody, she says she still can\u2019t quite believe it. \u201cI\u2019ve been telling all my neighbors to at least check GRID out, it doesn\u2019t hurt to just try.\u201d<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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