Renewable Power Perspectives Q&A with Kristal Hansley, Founder & CEO of WeSolar, Inc.

By Constance ThompsonAugust 27, 2021
The American Council on Renewable Energy (ACORE) is delighted to share the first installment in our “Accelerating Renewables” blog site series. Each installation will include market leaders and topics connected to accelerating a fair and just shift to a renewable energy economy. In recognition of National Black Business Month, our August blog is the very first in a series highlighting how Black-owned member business are growing in the renewable energy sector.
Kristal Hansley is the Founder & & CEO of WeSolar, Inc and is the nations first Black lady CEO in the neighborhood solar industry. Under her management, WeSolar is growing quickly, providing customers across Maryland and the District of Columbia access to cost effective solar energy, no matter home type, and helping hard-working families minimize regular monthly costs.
What inspired you to begin your business?
I was at a community meeting with 50 Black ladies organizers who were not invested in the neighborhood solar movement. 36% of Black households experience a high energy problem, meaning they spend over 6% of their earnings on house energy expenses. To be able to offer a product that will conserve our neighborhood up to 60% on their energy expenses is transformative.
Tell us about your company?
WeSolars mission is to bring under-resourced neighborhoods cost effective access to local neighborhood solar and to help business properties with energy efficiency. WeSolar launched in Baltimore and will expand to other cities in the future. Through WeSolar, electricity consumers can purchase shared solar from a local task without needing to set up any devices in their homes. In turn, citizens conserve hundreds on their electrical power costs. In Maryland, legislators passed legislation that specifies 50 percent of its electrical energy must originate from renewable resource sources by 2030.
What challenges do you deal with? Why?
To a community that is already dealing with so lots of pressing challenges, encouraging them that there is another one simply as crucial is really hard. I remember attempting to describe community solar to my friends and the discussion quickly rotating to housing.
Please show us a current business success story.
When I first moved to Baltimore, the Community Solar Pilot Program was released, and I wanted to guarantee city citizens were getting the same amount of financial investment as the county. Eco-friendly energy has actually historically been a middle-class issue since Black neighborhoods have had to live in survival mode, but Reverend Mason and Reverend Dewitt brought me into the circle and connected me with the people I needed to connect with in order to make this partnership successful.
To find out more about WeSolar, visit wesolar.energy
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I was at a neighborhood conference with 50 Black females organizers who were not invested in the neighborhood solar motion. To be able to offer an item that will conserve our community up to 60% on their energy expenses is transformative.
WeSolars mission is to bring under-resourced neighborhoods budget friendly access to local neighborhood solar and to assist business properties with energy effectiveness. When I first moved to Baltimore, the Community Solar Pilot Program was launched, and I desired to ensure city homeowners were receiving the same amount of investment as the county. Renewable energy has traditionally been a middle-class problem since Black communities 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 needed to link with in order to make this collaboration effective.