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

I was at a community conference with 50 Black women organizers who were not invested in the neighborhood solar movement. To be able to use a product that will save our neighborhood up to 60% on their energy expenses is transformative.
WeSolars objective is to bring under-resourced communities economical access to regional neighborhood solar and to assist industrial properties with energy efficiency. When I first moved to Baltimore, the Community Solar Pilot Program was introduced, and I desired to make sure city citizens were receiving the same amount of investment as the county. Sustainable energy has historically been a middle-class problem since Black neighborhoods have actually 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 collaboration successful.

By Constance ThompsonAugust 27, 2021
The American Council on Renewable Energy (ACORE) is delighted to share the very first installment in our “Accelerating Renewables” blog site series. Each installment will include industry leaders and topics connected to accelerating a fair and simply shift to a sustainable energy economy. In recognition of National Black Business Month, our August blog is the first in a series highlighting how Black-owned member business are growing in the sustainable energy sector.
Kristal Hansley is the Founder & & CEO of WeSolar, Inc and is the countrys first Black woman CEO in the community solar industry. Under her management, WeSolar is growing rapidly, supplying consumers throughout Maryland and the District of Columbia access to economical solar energy, no matter home type, and assisting hard-working families minimize monthly costs.
What inspired you to start your company?
I was at a community meeting with 50 Black ladies organizers who were not invested in the neighborhood solar motion. 36% of Black households experience a high energy problem, indicating they spend over 6% of their income on home energy expenses. To be able to offer an item that will conserve our community up to 60% on their energy expenses is transformative.
Inform us about your company?
WeSolars mission is to bring under-resourced neighborhoods budget friendly access to local neighborhood solar and to assist commercial properties with energy effectiveness. WeSolar launched in Baltimore and will expand to other cities in the future. Through WeSolar, electrical power consumers can acquire shared solar from a regional task without having to set up any equipment in their homes. In turn, residents save hundreds on their electrical power costs. In Maryland, lawmakers passed legislation that mentions 50 percent of its electricity should originate from eco-friendly energy sources by 2030.
What obstacles do you deal with? Why?
To a community that is already dealing with so many pushing challenges, convincing them that there is another one simply as crucial is extremely tough. I remember trying to discuss community solar to my good friends and the conversation quickly rotating to housing.
Please show us a current business success story.
When I first moved to Baltimore, the Community Solar Pilot Program was launched, and I wanted to guarantee city citizens were getting the very same quantity of investment as the county. Renewable energy has historically been a middle-class concern since Black neighborhoods have actually 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 partnership effective.
To find out more about WeSolar, check out wesolar.energy
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