Renewable Power Perspectives Q&A with Kristal Hansley, Founder & CEO of WeSolar, Inc.
TP-Link Tapo Solar Panel A200, (Compatible with Tapo MagCam C425, Tapo C420, and Tapo C400), Long-Lasting Charging Power with High-Efficiency Solar Cells, IP65 Weatherproof, 360° Adjustable Angle
$39.99 (as of 18:47 GMT +00:00 - More infoProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.)
Moultrie - Solar Panel Power Pack - 3.4W - Gen 2 Solar Panel with Battery for Trail Cameras and Deer Feeders - 7.2v, 3350mAh
$59.99 (as of 17:40 GMT +00:00 - More infoProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.)I was at a community conference with 50 Black ladies organizers who were not invested in the community solar motion. To be able to offer an item that will save our neighborhood up to 60% on their energy expenses is transformative.
WeSolars mission is to bring under-resourced communities economical access to regional community solar and to assist commercial properties with energy efficiency. When I first moved to Baltimore, the Community Solar Pilot Program was released, and I desired to guarantee city citizens were getting the exact same amount of investment as the county. Renewable energy has traditionally been a middle-class issue because 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 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 site series. Each installment will feature market leaders and subjects related to speeding up an equitable and simply transition to a renewable resource economy. In recognition 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 sustainable energy sector.
Kristal Hansley is the Founder & & CEO of WeSolar, Inc and is the nations very first Black lady CEO in the neighborhood solar market. Under her leadership, WeSolar is growing rapidly, providing customers throughout Maryland and the District of Columbia access to budget-friendly solar power, regardless of house type, and helping hard-working households minimize monthly costs.
What inspired you to begin your company?
I was at a neighborhood 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 spend over 6% of their earnings on house energy expenses. To be able to offer a product that will conserve our community up to 60% on their energy bills is transformative.
Tell us about your business?
WeSolars objective is to bring under-resourced neighborhoods budget-friendly access to local neighborhood solar and to assist commercial residential or commercial properties with energy efficiency. WeSolar released in Baltimore and will expand to other cities in the future. Through WeSolar, electricity consumers can purchase shared solar from a regional project without having to set up any equipment in their homes. In turn, homeowners save hundreds on their electrical energy bills. In Maryland, lawmakers passed legislation that states 50 percent of its electrical energy need to come from renewable resource sources by 2030.
What obstacles do you face? Why?
To a neighborhood that is currently dealing with so lots of pressing challenges, encouraging them that there is another one simply as crucial is very hard. I remember attempting to describe neighborhood solar to my good friends and the discussion quickly rotating to real estate.
Please share with us a current business success story.
A very personal 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 mama was an organizer– community was sewn into my extremely being. When I initially moved to Baltimore, the Community Solar Pilot Program was launched, and I wished to make sure city homeowners were getting the same amount of financial investment as the county. It was the church that took me in, and the church that then supported my vision– bringing everything full circle. Renewable resource has actually historically been a middle-class issue due to the fact that Black communities have had to live in survival mode, but Reverend Mason and Reverend Dewitt brought me into the circle and connected me with individuals I required to connect with in order to make this collaboration effective.
For more information about WeSolar, check out wesolar.energy
###