Category: Clean Energy

I was at a neighborhood meeting with 50 Black ladies organizers who were not invested in the community solar movement. To be able to use a product that will conserve our community up to 60% on their energy costs is transformative.
WeSolars mission is to bring under-resourced neighborhoods economical access to local neighborhood solar and to assist commercial properties with energy effectiveness. When I first moved to Baltimore, the Community Solar Pilot Program was introduced, and I desired to guarantee city residents were getting the same quantity of financial investment as the county. Sustainable energy has historically been a middle-class problem due to the fact that Black communities have had to live in survival mode, however Reverend Mason and Reverend Dewitt brought me into the circle and connected me with the individuals I required to link with in order to make this partnership effective.

By Constance ThompsonAugust 27, 2021
The American Council on Renewable Energy (ACORE) is happy to share the first installation in our “Accelerating Renewables” blog series. Each installment will feature industry leaders and topics connected to speeding up an equitable and simply transition to an eco-friendly energy economy. In recognition of National Black Business Month, our August blog site is the first in a series highlighting how Black-owned member companies are prospering in the sustainable energy sector.
Kristal Hansley is the Founder & & CEO of WeSolar, Inc and is the countrys first Black female CEO in the neighborhood solar market. Under her leadership, WeSolar is growing quickly, providing customers throughout Maryland and the District of Columbia access to budget-friendly solar energy, regardless of house type, and helping hard-working households reduce monthly expenses.
What inspired you to begin your company?
I was at a community meeting with 50 Black ladies organizers who were not invested in the neighborhood solar movement. 36% of Black families experience a high energy concern, meaning they invest over 6% of their earnings on home energy bills. To be able to offer a product that will conserve our neighborhood up to 60% on their energy costs is transformative.
Inform us about your company?
WeSolars objective is to bring under-resourced communities cost effective access to regional community solar and to help business homes with energy efficiency. In Maryland, lawmakers passed legislation that specifies 50 percent of its electrical energy must come from eco-friendly energy sources by 2030.
What difficulties do you face? Why?
To a community that is currently facing numerous pushing obstacles, persuading them that there is another one just as essential is extremely hard. I remember attempting to discuss community solar to my friends and the discussion rapidly rotating to housing. The fact of the matter is, institutional racism and oppression are bigger than we understand, and it drowns our neighborhood. Where Black individuals are not being bought, we are being asked to focus on continuously for our survival.
Please share with us a current business success story.
A really individual success story for me is cultivating a partnership with Maryland United Baptist Missionary Convention, Inc. I grew up in a Baptist church in Brooklyn where my cousin was the pastor, and my mommy was an organizer– neighborhood was sewn into my really being. When I first moved to Baltimore, the Community Solar Pilot Program was released, and I desired to guarantee city homeowners were getting the exact same amount of investment as the county. It was the church that took me in, and the church that then supported my vision– bringing everything cycle. Renewable resource has historically been a middle-class issue due to the fact that Black neighborhoods have had to live in survival mode, however Reverend Mason and Reverend Dewitt brought me into the circle and connected me with the individuals I required to link with in order to make this collaboration successful.
To find out more about WeSolar, check out wesolar.energy
###

By Constance ThompsonAugust 30, 2021

The American Council on Renewable Energy (ACORE) is happy to share the second installment in our “Accelerating Renewables” blog site series.
Each installation will include market leaders and topics related to accelerating an equitable and just transition to an eco-friendly energy economy.
In recognition of National Black Business Month, our August features highlight how three Black-owned Accelerate member companies are prospering in the sustainable energy sector.
Kevin Butler, PMP, PE, is the Chief Executive Officer of Sole Trader Renewable Energy LLC, a minority- and veteran-owned renewable resource business based in Memphis, Tennessee. Sole Trader helps energies, governments and co-ops integrate renewables into their energy portfolios
.
What inspired you to start your business?
A drive to bring innovative technologies and advanced structure methods to the eco-friendly energy industry. I desire to minimize the amount of green area used to support the growth of eco-friendly energy around the world and aid bring our industry into the future. I founded this business after working for a couple of large energies and recognizing that the old design will not get us to where we require to be as a nation.
How are you making an effect through your company?
We are changing the way federal governments, utilities and co-ops think about powering the future of this great country. We buy finding and utilizing tested, emerging innovations from around the globe that can be utilized to power today and the future. Sole Trader gives our customers access to clean energy, and we are inspiring the next generation with our capability to shape the nation each and every day.
Inform us about your business?
Sole Trader is a varied, expert, leading-edge sustainable energy company with 200+ combined years of experience covering power generation, building and construction, operations and maintenance. Our team of utility professionals assists us reduce building and construction costs and timelines for our clients. We can also supply consulting and strategic preparation services, website recognition and preparation, building, operations and maintenance, equipment recycling, cybersecurity, site start-up or shutdown, and so much more.
Exists anything else you would like to share with ACORE members and partners?
We embrace opportunities to bring our clients into the future, utilizing our extensive lessons learned and our tested brand-new technologies. And we believe energy self-reliance is the key to green growth.
To find out more about Sole Trader, go to soletraderenergy.org.
###.

A drive to bring innovative innovations and advanced building methods to the renewable energy industry. I desire to lower the quantity of green area used to support the growth of eco-friendly energy around the world and aid bring our market into the future. Sole Trader provides our clients access to tidy energy, and we are inspiring the next generation with our ability to form the nation each and every day.
Sole Trader is a varied, professional, leading-edge eco-friendly energy business with 200+ combined years of experience covering power generation, building and construction, operations and upkeep. And we think energy independence is the essential to green development.

Tell us about your business? (objective, partners, areas you operate in, primary customers, etc.).
The vision of 548 Capital is to make sustainable technologies accessible for all: all communities, all families, everybody ought to have gain access to. Someone, some entity, has to serve as the bridge so that those technologies reach everyone.

Show us a current success story.
We just recently joined Mayor Lightfoot for an interview to announce that we will be developing a $30 million, totally sustainable and totally budget friendly advancement, in collaboration with the City of Chicago. We are constructing 50 residential units, a cafe, an organization center, all on the South Side of Chicago, which will expand solar-powered use in the city
.
What impact are you making?
I think there is always a shock when individuals learn who lags our company. Even in our own neighborhoods, individuals just cant believe it. To me, thats quite satisfying. People seeing whos behind 548 Capital matters.
The other thing that I believe is crucial is we have a financial effect that resonates with individuals, and its a quite effective message. That amount of cash impacts the budget plan of everyday households
.
What obstacles do you face? Why?
When I go to banks and say that were constructing sustainable real estate in low- and moderate-income neighborhoods, they look at me like Ive spoken the incorrect language. These neighborhoods are still being red-lined. I believe the lesson is that coalition building is important.

What can organizations like ACORE do to move that needle for you, to break down that barrier?
Putting individuals in spaces together so everybody can share notes is always important. Stabilizing direct exposure, standing next to us and saying “these communities are worthwhile of financial investment”– you cant put a value on that
.
How can prospective partners work with you?
We are also always willing to host individuals if they desire to see some of the sustainable technology we are putting in these neighborhoods. We host people once a week at our building so they can see the innovation that were using in communities that historically have not had access. Im always challenging leading executives to put their name and face on these efforts because I believe that has real value
.
How was your Accelerate membership benefited you?
Its been great just to satisfy the other Accelerate member business. I learned a lot from having discussions with them in real-time, and finding out about individuals with completely different perspectives. I like the networking.
I believe we are doing the very best we can do in the COVID environment. Just understanding that it exists, which ACORE is so deliberate about the program, makes a big difference.
###.

I think there is always a shock when individuals discover who is behind our company. Even in our own neighborhoods, individuals just cant believe it. Putting individuals in rooms together so everyone can share notes is always important. We are also always prepared to host individuals if they want to see some of the sustainable technology we are putting in these neighborhoods. We host individuals as soon as a week at our structure so they can see the technology that were using in communities that traditionally have not had access.

By Constance ThompsonAugust 31, 2021
Image thanks to Pat Nabong/Sun-Times
The American Council on Renewable Energy (ACORE) is happy to share the 3rd installment in our “Accelerating Renewables” blog series.
Each installation includes industry leaders and subjects connected to accelerating a fair and just transition to a sustainable energy economy. In recognition of National Black Business Month, our August features highlight how three Black-owned Accelerate member business are thriving in the renewable resource sector.
Robert “A.J.” Patton is a financing, sales, and capital markets specialist with more than a years of experience in investment banking, endowment management, and property analysis. In May 2016, A.J. established 548 Capital, LLC, to combine his knowledge and performance history of creating constant returns with an individual passion for helping change neighborhoods and their influence on the planet. In 2019, Patton was named a recipient of the Energy News 40 Under 40 award– highlighting his effect on Americas shift to a tidy economy.
FOUND OUT MORE: Up-and-Comer Developer Makes Headway without the Banks ( Chicago Sun-Times, August 27, 2021).
What inspired you to begin your business?
I had two pivotal moments that made me leap. In 1999, my mother received a $400 gas costs, and she was only making ten bucks an hour, so we could not manage the gas bill. Therefore, unfortunately, we had our gas and heat shut off. For approximately a year in my teens, we needed to boil water and bring it up to a porcelain tub to take a bath. Those were uniquely difficult times, and experiences like that simply stick to you. I do not care what takes place the rest of your career or what your lifestyle is progressing; those minutes are with you permanently. As I discuss that with different groups around the nation, it has actually become clear that my experience is not an abnormality. A great deal of individuals have similar anecdotes, whichs not an excellent thing
.
The 2nd critical moment was probably 15 years back, as I was working for a company that was buying a host of things around the world. Individuals were can be found in to request for an investment around renewable resource, and I presented a question to them: “What you are making with these solar companies is magnificent, and the expense of solar is coming down, but how does that help daily individuals?” I asked, “Where are they in your equation? Where is their access? They are paying an out of proportion amount of their earnings on energy.” They looked puzzled that I would even dare ask about the daily people. They stated, “Well, you know, low- and moderate-income families frequently live in multi-family buildings, and it is hard to get in contact with those constructing owners. If you can not get in contact with the structure owners, you need to get in touch with individual households and the expense of getting those people educated and after that signing up for renewable resource is not a beneficial company design.” I asked, “What if I owned the housing development and the solar?” And they stated, whoever does that is going to change the market permanently. I stopped my task. I think I turned in my resignation within six months of that discussion, and I started my business. Since that is the system number in the public housing where I grew up, I named it 548 Capital. So whatever is I do is targeted to families in those scenarios and concentrated on improving their quality of life
.

I was at a community conference with 50 Black women organizers who were not invested in the community solar movement. To be able to provide a product that will save our community up to 60% on their energy bills is transformative.
WeSolars objective is to bring under-resourced neighborhoods budget-friendly access to regional community solar and to assist business residential or commercial properties with energy performance. When I first moved to Baltimore, the Community Solar Pilot Program was launched, and I wanted to ensure city homeowners were getting the very same amount of investment as the county. Renewable energy has actually traditionally been a middle-class concern since Black communities have had to live in survival mode, however Reverend Mason and Reverend Dewitt brought me into the circle and connected me with the people I needed to link with in order to make this collaboration successful.

By Constance ThompsonAugust 27, 2021
The American Council on Renewable Energy (ACORE) is delighted to share the first installment in our “Accelerating Renewables” blog series. Each installation will include market leaders and subjects related to accelerating an equitable and simply shift to a sustainable energy economy. In recognition of National Black Business Month, our August blog site is the first in a series highlighting how Black-owned member business are flourishing in the renewable resource sector.
Kristal Hansley is the Founder & & CEO of WeSolar, Inc and is the nations very first Black woman CEO in the neighborhood solar industry. Under her leadership, WeSolar is growing rapidly, offering customers across Maryland and the District of Columbia access to inexpensive solar power, despite home type, and assisting hard-working families decrease month-to-month expenses.
What inspired you to begin your business?
I was at a community conference with 50 Black ladies organizers who were not invested in the community solar motion. 36% of Black homes experience a high energy concern, meaning they invest over 6% of their earnings on house energy bills. To be able to offer an item that will save our neighborhood up to 60% on their energy bills is transformative.
Tell us about your business?
WeSolars objective is to bring under-resourced neighborhoods inexpensive access to local neighborhood solar and to assist business residential or commercial properties with energy efficiency. WeSolar introduced in Baltimore and will broaden to other cities in the future. Through WeSolar, electrical power consumers can acquire shared solar from a local task without having to install any devices in their homes. In turn, citizens save hundreds on their electrical energy expenses. In Maryland, lawmakers passed legislation that mentions 50 percent of its electricity must come from sustainable energy sources by 2030.
What challenges do you face? Why?
To a neighborhood that is currently facing numerous pressing challenges, persuading them that there is another one simply as essential is extremely tough. I remember attempting to describe community solar to my friends and the discussion rapidly pivoting to real estate. The reality of the matter is, institutional racism and oppression are bigger than we understand, and it drowns our community. Where Black people are not being bought, we are being asked to prioritize constantly for our survival.
Please show us a current business success story.
When I initially moved to Baltimore, the Community Solar Pilot Program was launched, and I desired to make sure city citizens were getting the same amount of investment as the county. Sustainable energy has actually historically been a middle-class concern due to the fact that Black neighborhoods have had to live in survival mode, but Reverend Mason and Reverend Dewitt brought me into the circle and linked me with the individuals I required to link with in order to make this partnership effective.
To get more information about WeSolar, check out wesolar.energy
###

By Constance ThompsonAugust 30, 2021

A drive to bring ingenious innovations and advanced structure techniques to the sustainable energy market. I want to minimize the amount of green space used to support the growth of eco-friendly energy around the world and help bring our market into the future. Sole Trader gives our customers access to clean energy, and we are motivating the next generation with our capability to form the country each and every day.
Sole Trader is a varied, professional, leading-edge sustainable energy business with 200+ combined years of experience covering power generation, building and construction, operations and maintenance. And we think energy self-reliance is the crucial to green growth.

The American Council on Renewable Energy (ACORE) is pleased to share the 2nd installment in our “Accelerating Renewables” blog series.
Each installment will include market leaders and topics related to accelerating an equitable and just shift to a renewable resource economy.
In acknowledgment of National Black Business Month, our August features highlight how 3 Black-owned Accelerate member business are flourishing in the renewable energy sector.
Kevin Butler, PMP, PE, is the Chief Executive Officer of Sole Trader Renewable Energy LLC, a minority- and veteran-owned eco-friendly energy business based in Memphis, Tennessee. Sole Trader assists co-ops, governments and utilities incorporate renewables into their energy portfolios
.
What inspired you to begin your business?
A drive to bring innovative technologies and advanced building methods to the sustainable energy industry. I desire to reduce the amount of green area used to support the development of renewable energy around the world and aid bring our industry into the future. I established this business after working for a couple of big utilities and understanding that the old model will not get us to where we need to be as a nation.
How are you making an effect through your company?
We are changing the way federal governments, co-ops and energies think about powering the future of this excellent nation. We invest in finding and using proven, emerging technologies from worldwide that can be used to power today and the future. Sole Trader provides our customers access to clean energy, and we are inspiring the next generation with our capability to shape the nation each and every day.
Inform us about your company?
Sole Trader is a varied, professional, leading-edge eco-friendly energy company with 200+ integrated years of experience covering power generation, building and construction, operations and maintenance. Our team of energy professionals assists us reduce building and construction expenses and timelines for our clients. We can likewise provide consulting and strategic planning services, website recognition and preparation, construction, operations and maintenance, devices recycling, cybersecurity, site startup or shutdown, therefore a lot more.
Is there anything else you wish to show ACORE members and partners?
There is no challenge too big or small for us. We accept chances to bring our clients into the future, using our extensive lessons discovered and our proven brand-new innovations. We can assist our clients believe differently about their community and the world. We like to state, “We offer you more power over your power.” And our company believe energy independence is the key to green development.
To find out more about Sole Trader, check out soletraderenergy.org.
###.

What can companies like ACORE do to move that needle for you, to break down that barrier?
Putting individuals in rooms together so everyone can share notes is always important. Normalizing exposure, standing next to us and stating “these communities are worthwhile of financial investment”– you cant put a worth on that
.
How can potential partners do business with you?
We are also always willing to host people if they want to see some of the sustainable technology we are putting in these communities. We host people when a week at our structure so they can see the innovation that were using in communities that historically havent had gain access to. Im constantly tough top executives to put their name and face on these efforts since I believe that has real value
.
How was your Accelerate subscription benefited you?
Its been fantastic simply to satisfy the other Accelerate member business. I learned a lot from having discussions with them in real-time, and discovering people with completely various viewpoints. I enjoy the networking.
I think we are doing the finest we can do in the COVID environment. Feeling in ones bones that it exists, and that ACORE is so deliberate about the program, makes a huge distinction.
###.

I think there is always a shock when individuals discover who is behind our company. Even in our own communities, people simply cant believe it. Putting individuals in spaces together so everyone can share notes is always valuable. We are likewise constantly willing to host people if they want to see some of the sustainable technology we are putting in these communities. We host people as soon as a week at our structure so they can see the technology that were applying in neighborhoods that traditionally have not had gain access to.

By Constance ThompsonAugust 31, 2021
Image thanks to Pat Nabong/Sun-Times
The American Council on Renewable Energy (ACORE) is delighted to share the third installation in our “Accelerating Renewables” blog site series.
Each installment includes industry leaders and subjects related to accelerating a fair and just transition to a renewable resource economy. In acknowledgment of National Black Business Month, our August functions highlight how 3 Black-owned Accelerate member companies are prospering in the sustainable energy sector.
Robert “A.J.” Patton is a finance, sales, and capital markets expert with more than a decade of experience in financial investment banking, endowment management, and realty analysis. In May 2016, A.J. established 548 Capital, LLC, to combine his competence and track record of creating constant returns with an individual passion for assisting transform neighborhoods and their effect on the planet. In 2019, Patton was named a recipient of the Energy News 40 Under 40 award– highlighting his impact on Americas shift to a clean economy.
LEARNT MORE: Up-and-Comer Developer Makes Headway without the Banks ( Chicago Sun-Times, August 27, 2021).
What inspired you to begin your company?
I had 2 critical minutes that made me jump. In 1999, my mom received a $400 gas expense, and she was only making ten dollars an hour, so we couldnt pay for the gas costs. And so, regrettably, we had our gas and heat turned off. For roughly a year in my teenagers, we had to boil water and bring it approximately a porcelain tub to take a bath. Those were uniquely difficult times, and experiences like that just stick to you. I dont care what happens the rest of your profession or what your lifestyle is progressing; those minutes are with you permanently. As I speak about that with various groups around the country, it has actually ended up being clear that my experience is not an abnormality. A great deal of people have comparable anecdotes, whichs not a good thing
.
They looked puzzled that I would even dare ask about the daily individuals. I believe I turned in my resignation within 6 months of that conversation, and I started my company. I named it 548 Capital because that is the system number in the public housing where I grew up.

Share with us a recent success story.
We recently joined Mayor Lightfoot for a press conference to reveal that we will be building a $30 million, completely budget friendly and entirely sustainable advancement, in partnership with the City of Chicago. We are developing 50 property systems, a coffee bar, an organization center, all on the South Side of Chicago, which will expand solar-powered use in the city
.
What impact are you making?
I believe there is always a shock when people learn who is behind our business. Even in our own neighborhoods, people just cant believe it.
The other thing that I believe is important is we have an economic effect that resonates with individuals, and its a quite effective message. That amount of cash impacts the spending plan of daily families
.
What difficulties do you deal with? Why?
You cant skip the grind. Let me acknowledge that starting a service, any organization, was going to be challenging. With that said, access to capital is ungodly hard. When I go to banks and state that were building sustainable real estate in low- and moderate-income communities, they look at me like Ive spoken the wrong language. These neighborhoods are still being red-lined. Some banks do not want to invest; they dont desire to partner; they dont wish to do their share. It is a battle of generational size that Im trying to eliminate here, and weve made extremely little, incremental development. I think the lesson is that union building is very important. My voice only indicates so much, however the more I can bring buddies to the table and enhance that voice, the more we can raise attention to the requirement
.

Tell us about your company? (mission, partners, regions you run in, primary customers, and so on).
The vision of 548 Capital is to make sustainable innovations available for all: all communities, all households, everybody should have gain access to. Somebody, some entity, has to serve as the bridge so that those innovations reach everybody.

By Constance ThompsonAugust 27, 2021
The American Council on Renewable Energy (ACORE) is pleased to share the first installment in our “Accelerating Renewables” blog series. Each installation will include market leaders and subjects associated with accelerating a fair and simply shift to a renewable resource economy. In acknowledgment of National Black Business Month, our August blog site is the very first in a series highlighting how Black-owned member business are flourishing in the renewable resource sector.
Kristal Hansley is the Founder & & CEO of WeSolar, Inc and is the nations first Black lady CEO in the community solar industry. Under her leadership, WeSolar is growing rapidly, offering customers across Maryland and the District of Columbia access to cost effective solar energy, regardless of home type, and helping hard-working families lower monthly costs.
What inspired you to start your company?
I was at a neighborhood meeting with 50 Black females organizers who were not invested in the community solar motion. 36% of Black households experience a high energy concern, suggesting they spend over 6% of their earnings on house energy bills. To be able to offer a product that will conserve our neighborhood up to 60% on their energy bills is transformative.
Tell us about your business?
WeSolars mission is to bring under-resourced communities budget-friendly access to regional community solar and to assist business properties with energy effectiveness. WeSolar launched in Baltimore and will expand to other cities in the future. Through WeSolar, electrical energy consumers can purchase shared solar from a regional project without having to set up any equipment in their houses. In turn, homeowners save hundreds on their electrical power bills. In Maryland, lawmakers passed legislation that states 50 percent of its electrical energy should originate from eco-friendly energy sources by 2030.
What difficulties do you face? Why?
To a community that is currently facing many pushing obstacles, convincing them that there is another one just as important is very difficult. I keep in mind attempting to explain community solar to my friends and the conversation rapidly pivoting to real estate. The fact of the matter is, institutional bigotry and injustice are larger than we understand, and it drowns our neighborhood. Where Black people are not being invested in, we are being asked to prioritize continuously for our survival.
Please share with us a current business success story.
A really personal success story for me is cultivating a partnership with Maryland United Baptist Missionary Convention, Inc. I matured in a Baptist church in Brooklyn where my cousin was the pastor, and my mama was an organizer– community was stitched into my really being. When I initially transferred to Baltimore, the Community Solar Pilot Program was launched, and I desired to make sure city residents were getting the exact same amount of investment as the county. It was the church that took me in, and the church that then supported my vision– bringing whatever cycle. Renewable energy has traditionally been a middle-class problem due to the fact that Black neighborhoods have needed to reside in survival mode, but Reverend Mason and Reverend Dewitt brought me into the circle and connected me with the people I needed to get in touch with in order to make this collaboration effective.
To get more information about WeSolar, see wesolar.energy
###

I was at a neighborhood conference with 50 Black women organizers who were not invested in the neighborhood solar motion. To be able to offer an item that will save our community up to 60% on their energy costs is transformative.
WeSolars objective is to bring under-resourced communities inexpensive access to regional community solar and to assist business properties with energy effectiveness. When I first moved to Baltimore, the Community Solar Pilot Program was introduced, and I desired to make sure city residents were getting the exact same amount of financial investment as the county. Sustainable energy has actually traditionally been a middle-class issue due to the fact that Black neighborhoods have actually had to live in survival mode, but Reverend Mason and Reverend Dewitt brought me into the circle and linked me with the people I required to connect with in order to make this partnership effective.

By Constance ThompsonAugust 30, 2021

The American Council on Renewable Energy (ACORE) is delighted to share the second installation in our “Accelerating Renewables” blog series.
Each installation will include market leaders and topics related to accelerating a fair and simply transition to a renewable resource economy.
In recognition of National Black Business Month, our August features highlight how three Black-owned Accelerate member companies are prospering in the eco-friendly energy sector.
Kevin Butler, PMP, PE, is the Chief Executive Officer of Sole Trader Renewable Energy LLC, a minority- and veteran-owned renewable resource company based in Memphis, Tennessee. Sole Trader assists energies, co-ops and federal governments integrate renewables into their energy portfolios
.
What inspired you to begin your business?
A drive to bring ingenious technologies and advanced structure methods to the renewable resource industry. I wish to reduce the amount of green space used to support the growth of renewable resource worldwide and assistance bring our industry into the future. I established this company after working for a number of large energies and realizing that the old model will not get us to where we need to be as a country. We need dynamic, unencumbered thought that accepts the possibility of where we can go. Albert Einstein said, “Logic will get you from A to Z; creativity will get you everywhere.” This is the genesis of Sole Trader.
How are you making an impact through your business?
We are altering the way co-ops, utilities and federal governments think of powering the future of this fantastic nation. We invest in finding and utilizing tested, emerging technologies from worldwide that can be utilized to power today and the future. Sole Trader provides our customers access to tidy energy, and we are motivating the next generation with our capability to shape the country each and every day.
Tell us about your company?
Sole Trader is a varied, expert, leading-edge eco-friendly energy company with 200+ integrated years of experience covering power generation, building and construction, operations and upkeep. Our team of utility professionals helps us decrease building costs and timelines for our customers. We can also offer consulting and strategic planning services, site recognition and preparation, building and construction, operations and maintenance, devices recycling, cybersecurity, website start-up or shutdown, and so far more.
Is there anything else you wish to show ACORE members and partners?
There is no obstacle little or too large for us. We embrace opportunities to bring our customers into the future, using our substantial lessons found out and our proven brand-new technologies. We can help our clients think in a different way about their community and the world. We like to state, “We give you more power over your power.” And our company believe energy self-reliance is the crucial to green development.
For more information about Sole Trader, go to soletraderenergy.org.
###.

A drive to bring ingenious innovations and advanced structure methods to the eco-friendly energy industry. I desire to reduce the amount of green area used to support the development of sustainable energy around the world and assistance bring our industry into the future. Sole Trader provides our customers access to tidy energy, and we are motivating the next generation with our capability to shape the nation each and every day.
Sole Trader is a varied, expert, leading-edge renewable energy business with 200+ combined years of experience covering power generation, building, operations and maintenance. And we believe energy independence is the essential to green development.

Tell us about your business? (mission, partners, areas you operate in, primary customers, and so on).
The vision of 548 Capital is to make sustainable innovations available for all: all neighborhoods, all households, everyone needs to have access. Someone, some entity, has to act as the bridge so that those technologies reach everybody. Thats what my mission is, and thankfully we are growing. We are presently headquartered in Chicago, however we will be announcing some new places this fall
.

So what can companies like ACORE do to move that needle for you, to break down that barrier?
Putting people in rooms together so everyone can share notes is constantly valuable. Stabilizing exposure, standing next to us and saying “these communities are worthy of investment”– you cant put a value on that
.
How can potential partners do business with you?
We are likewise constantly ready to host individuals if they desire to see some of the sustainable innovation we are putting in these neighborhoods. We host individuals once a week at our building so they can see the technology that were using in neighborhoods that historically havent had gain access to. Im constantly tough leading executives to put their name and face on these efforts due to the fact that I believe that has genuine worth
.
How was your Accelerate membership benefited you?
Its been terrific just to meet the other Accelerate member business. I found out a lot from having discussions with them in real-time, and learning more about individuals with absolutely different point of views. I enjoy the networking.
I believe we are doing the very best we can do in the COVID environment. Simply understanding that it exists, which ACORE is so intentional about the program, makes a huge distinction.
###.

I think there is always a shock when individuals discover who is behind our business. Even in our own communities, individuals just cant think it. Putting individuals in spaces together so everybody can share notes is always valuable. We are likewise always prepared to host people if they desire to see some of the sustainable innovation we are putting in these neighborhoods. We host individuals once a week at our building so they can see the innovation that were applying in communities that historically havent had gain access to.

By Constance ThompsonAugust 31, 2021
Photo courtesy of Pat Nabong/Sun-Times
The American Council on Renewable Energy (ACORE) is delighted to share the 3rd installment in our “Accelerating Renewables” blog series.
Each installation features industry leaders and topics associated with accelerating an equitable and simply shift to an eco-friendly energy economy. In acknowledgment of National Black Business Month, our August functions highlight how 3 Black-owned Accelerate member business are prospering in the renewable resource sector.
Robert “A.J.” Patton is a financing, sales, and capital markets professional with more than a decade of experience in investment banking, endowment management, and real estate analysis. In May 2016, A.J. established 548 Capital, LLC, to integrate his competence and performance history of developing consistent returns with a personal enthusiasm for assisting transform neighborhoods and their influence on the planet. In 2019, Patton was named a recipient of the Energy News 40 Under 40 award– highlighting his impact on Americas transition to a tidy economy.
FOUND OUT MORE: Up-and-Comer Developer Makes Headway without the Banks ( Chicago Sun-Times, August 27, 2021).
What inspired you to start your company?
I had two turning points that made me leap. In 1999, my mom got a $400 gas costs, and she was only making ten bucks an hour, so we could not pay for the gas bill. And so, regrettably, we had our gas and heat shut off. For roughly a year in my teenagers, we had to boil water and carry it approximately a porcelain tub to take a bath. Those were distinctively bumpy rides, and experiences like that simply stick to you. I do not care what happens the rest of your career or what your lifestyle is moving on; those minutes are with you forever. As I speak about that with various groups around the country, it has actually ended up being clear that my experience is not an anomaly. A great deal of people have comparable anecdotes, and thats not a good thing
.
The 2nd essential moment was most likely 15 years back, as I was working for a firm that was purchasing a host of things worldwide. People were can be found in to request a financial investment around renewable energy, and I posed a question to them: “What you are finishing with these solar firms is amazing, and the cost of solar is coming down, but how does that aid everyday individuals?” I asked, “Where are they in your equation? Where is their gain access to? They are paying an out of proportion amount of their earnings on energy.” They looked confused that I would even dare ask about the everyday individuals. They stated, “Well, you know, low- and moderate-income households often live in multi-family structures, and it is difficult to get in contact with those building owners. If you can not get in contact with the structure owners, you have to contact individual families and the cost of getting those individuals informed and after that signing up for sustainable energy is not a beneficial company design.” So, I asked, “What if I owned the housing development and the solar?” And they said, whoever does that is going to change the marketplace permanently. I stopped my task. I think I kipped down my resignation within 6 months of that discussion, and I started my company. Because that is the unit number in the public housing where I grew up, I called it 548 Capital. So everything is I do is targeted to families in those circumstances and concentrated on improving their quality of life
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Share with us a recent success story.
We recently joined Mayor Lightfoot for an interview to announce that we will be building a $30 million, entirely economical and entirely sustainable development, in partnership with the City of Chicago. We are building 50 domestic systems, a coffee shop, an organization center, all on the South Side of Chicago, which will broaden solar-powered usage in the city
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What impact are you making?
When individuals learn who is behind our company, I think there is always a shock. Even in our own neighborhoods, people just cant think it. To me, thats pretty satisfying. People seeing whos behind 548 Capital matters.
The other thing that I think is necessary is we have an economic impact that resonates with people, and its a quite powerful message. Were aiming to cut energy expenses for families in half. Thats a huge offer, you understand. That amount of cash effects the budget of daily families
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What difficulties do you deal with? Why?
You cant avoid the grind. Let me acknowledge that beginning an organization, any organization, was going to be difficult. With that stated, access to capital is ungodly difficult. When I go to banks and state that were developing sustainable housing in low- and moderate-income neighborhoods, they look at me like Ive spoken the wrong language. These communities are still being red-lined. Some banks dont wish to invest; they do not want to partner; they do not want to do their share. It is a battle of generational size that Im attempting to eliminate here, and weve made very little, incremental development. I think the lesson is that union building is very important. My voice just means a lot, but the more I can bring friends to the table and magnify that voice, the more we can raise attention to the requirement
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By Constance ThompsonAugust 27, 2021
The American Council on Renewable Energy (ACORE) is happy to share the first installment in our “Accelerating Renewables” blog site series. Each installation will feature market leaders and subjects connected to accelerating an equitable and just shift to an eco-friendly energy economy. In acknowledgment of National Black Business Month, our August blog is the very first in a series highlighting how Black-owned member companies are flourishing in the renewable resource sector.
Kristal Hansley is the Founder & & CEO of WeSolar, Inc and is the countrys very first Black lady CEO in the community solar market. Under her management, WeSolar is growing quickly, supplying customers across Maryland and the District of Columbia access to budget friendly solar energy, regardless of house type, and assisting hard-working households lower month-to-month costs.
What inspired you to start your business?
I was at a community conference with 50 Black females organizers who were not invested in the community solar movement. 36% of Black families experience a high energy concern, meaning they invest over 6% of their income on house energy expenses. To be able to provide an item that will save our community up to 60% on their energy bills is transformative.
Inform us about your business?
WeSolars objective is to bring under-resourced neighborhoods inexpensive access to local neighborhood solar and to assist industrial residential or commercial properties with energy performance. WeSolar launched in Baltimore and will broaden to other cities in the future. Through WeSolar, electrical power consumers can acquire shared solar from a local job without having to install any devices in their homes. In turn, homeowners save hundreds on their electricity bills. In Maryland, lawmakers passed legislation that states 50 percent of its electricity must originate from sustainable energy sources by 2030.
What challenges do you face? Why?
To a community that is already dealing with numerous pushing obstacles, persuading them that there is another one simply as essential is extremely hard. I remember attempting to discuss neighborhood solar to my pals and the discussion rapidly pivoting to housing. The truth of the matter is, institutional bigotry and injustice are bigger than we know, and it drowns our community. Where Black people are not being bought, we are being asked to focus on continuously for our survival.
Please show us a current company success story.
An extremely individual success story for me is cultivating a collaboration with Maryland United Baptist Missionary Convention, Inc. I matured in a Baptist church in Brooklyn where my cousin was the pastor, and my mother was an organizer– community was sewn into my very being. When I initially transferred to Baltimore, the Community Solar Pilot Program was released, and I wished to guarantee city citizens were getting the same quantity of financial investment as the county. It was the church that took me in, and the church that then supported my vision– bringing everything complete circle. Sustainable energy has traditionally been a middle-class problem due to the fact that Black communities have needed to live in survival mode, however Reverend Mason and Reverend Dewitt brought me into the circle and linked me with the people I required to get in touch with in order to make this partnership effective.
To get more information about WeSolar, go to wesolar.energy
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I was at a neighborhood conference with 50 Black females organizers who were not invested in the community solar movement. To be able to provide an item that will conserve our community up to 60% on their energy expenses is transformative.
WeSolars mission is to bring under-resourced neighborhoods economical access to regional neighborhood solar and to help business residential or commercial properties with energy efficiency. When I first moved to Baltimore, the Community Solar Pilot Program was released, and I wanted to ensure city locals were receiving the same amount of investment as the county. Sustainable energy has actually traditionally been a middle-class concern due to the fact that Black neighborhoods have had to live in survival mode, but Reverend Mason and Reverend Dewitt brought me into the circle and linked me with the individuals I required to link with in order to make this partnership effective.