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 pleased to share the very first installment in our “Accelerating Renewables” blog site series. Each installation will feature market leaders and topics related to speeding up a fair and just shift to a renewable resource economy. In recognition of National Black Business Month, our August blog site is the very first in a series highlighting how Black-owned member business are thriving in the sustainable energy sector.
Kristal Hansley is the Founder & & CEO of WeSolar, Inc and is the nations first Black lady CEO in the community solar market. Under her leadership, WeSolar is growing quickly, providing customers across Maryland and the District of Columbia access to economical solar energy, no matter home type, and helping hard-working families lower month-to-month costs.
What inspired you to start your company?
I was at a community conference with 50 Black ladies organizers who were not invested in the community solar movement. 36% of Black families experience a high energy problem, indicating they invest over 6% of their income on home energy costs. To be able to offer an item that will conserve our neighborhood up to 60% on their energy expenses is transformative.
Inform us about your business?
WeSolars mission is to bring under-resourced communities economical access to local neighborhood solar and to assist industrial properties with energy performance. WeSolar released in Baltimore and will expand to other cities in the future. Through WeSolar, electricity customers can buy shared solar from a local project without having to install any equipment in their homes. In turn, citizens save hundreds on their electricity costs. In Maryland, lawmakers passed legislation that specifies 50 percent of its electrical energy should originate from sustainable energy sources by 2030.
What difficulties do you deal with? Why?
To a neighborhood that is already dealing with numerous pushing difficulties, encouraging them that there is another one just as essential is very difficult. I keep in mind trying to describe neighborhood solar to my pals and the conversation quickly pivoting to real estate. The truth of the matter is, institutional racism and injustice are larger than we understand, and it drowns our community. Where Black people are not being invested in, we are being asked to focus on continuously for our survival.
Please show us a recent company success story.
When I first moved to Baltimore, the Community Solar Pilot Program was launched, and I desired to guarantee city homeowners were receiving the same amount of financial investment as the county. Eco-friendly energy has historically been a middle-class concern since Black neighborhoods have had to live in survival mode, however Reverend Mason and Reverend Dewitt brought me into the circle and linked me with the individuals I required to connect with in order to make this collaboration effective.
To read 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 community solar movement. To be able to provide an item that will save our neighborhood up to 60% on their energy expenses is transformative.
WeSolars objective is to bring under-resourced communities affordable access to local community solar and to help industrial homes with energy effectiveness. When I initially moved to Baltimore, the Community Solar Pilot Program was introduced, and I desired to guarantee city citizens were receiving the very same quantity of financial investment as the county. Eco-friendly energy has historically been a middle-class problem since Black communities have had to live in survival mode, but Reverend Mason and Reverend Dewitt brought me into the circle and connected me with the individuals I required to connect with in order to make this collaboration successful.