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

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Kristal Hansley is the Founder & & CEO of WeSolar, Inc. and is the nations very first Black Woman CEO in the community solar industry. Under her management, WeSolar is growing quickly, offering consumers across Maryland access to inexpensive solar power, regardless of house type and assisting hard-working households minimize regular monthly costs
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What inspired you to begin your business?
I was at a neighborhood conference with 50 Black ladies organizers who were not invested in the neighborhood solar movement. I started revealing how greater income communities and individuals in the suburbs were taking advantage of this and received a heap of support. To be able to provide an item that will save our neighborhood up to 60% on their energy expenses is transformative
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Tell us about your business? (mission, partners, areas you run in, primary consumers, etc.).
WeSolars mission is to bring under-resourced communities affordable access to regional neighborhood solar and to assist business homes with energy performance. WeSolar released in Baltimore and will broaden to other cities in the future. Through WeSolar, electrical power consumers can acquire shared solar from a regional job without having to set up any equipment in their homes. In turn, locals conserve hundreds on their electrical energy expenses. In Maryland, lawmakers passed legislation that specifies 50 percent of its electricity must come from renewable resource sources by 2030
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What obstacles do you deal with? Why?
To a neighborhood that is currently facing so numerous pushing difficulties, persuading them that there is another one just as crucial is really difficult. I keep in mind attempting to discuss neighborhood solar to my good friends and the discussion rapidly rotating to housing.

By Constance ThompsonAugust 27, 2021
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The American Council on Renewable Energy (ACORE) is enjoyed share the very first installment in our “Ask an Accelerate Member” blog site series. Each installation will include among ACOREs Accelerate member business. August is National Black Business Month, so this month we are concentrated on Black-owned renewable energy companies

I was at a neighborhood conference with 50 Black women organizers who were not invested in the community solar movement. To be able to offer an item that will save our community up to 60% on their energy expenses is transformative
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WeSolars objective is to bring under-resourced neighborhoods inexpensive access to local neighborhood solar and to help industrial residential or commercial properties with energy performance. When I initially moved to Baltimore, the Community Solar Pilot Program was introduced and I desired to guarantee city residents were getting the very same quantity of financial investment as the county. Eco-friendly energy has actually historically been a middle class issue since Black neighborhoods have actually had to live in survival mode, however Reverend Mason and Reverend Dewitt brought me into the circle and connected me with the people I required to link with in order to make this collaboration effective
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Please share with us a recent company success story.
A very personal success story for me is cultivating a collaboration with Maryland United Baptist Missionary Convention, Inc. I grew up in a baptist church in Brooklyn where my cousin was the pastor and my mom was an organizer– community was sewn into my extremely being. When I first relocated to Baltimore, the Community Solar Pilot Program was launched and I wished to make sure city residents were receiving 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 whatever complete circle. Renewable energy has historically been a middle class issue due to the fact that Black neighborhoods have actually had to reside in survival mode, however Reverend Mason and Reverend Dewitt brought me into the circle and linked me with individuals I required to connect with in order to make this collaboration successful
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