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 first installation in our “Accelerating Renewables” blog series. Each installation will include industry leaders and subjects connected to speeding up a fair and simply shift to a renewable energy economy. In recognition of National Black Business Month, our August blog site is the first in a series highlighting how Black-owned member companies are growing in the renewable resource sector.
Kristal Hansley is the Founder & & CEO of WeSolar, Inc and is the nations first Black woman CEO in the community solar market. Under her leadership, WeSolar is growing quickly, providing consumers across Maryland and the District of Columbia access to budget friendly solar energy, despite house type, and helping hard-working families minimize regular monthly expenditures.
What inspired you to start your company?
I was at a community conference with 50 Black females organizers who were not invested in the neighborhood solar movement. 36% of Black households experience a high energy burden, meaning they spend over 6% of their income on house energy expenses. To be able to offer an item that will conserve our community up to 60% on their energy costs is transformative.
Inform us about your business?
WeSolars mission is to bring under-resourced communities inexpensive access to local neighborhood solar and to assist industrial homes with energy efficiency. WeSolar launched in Baltimore and will broaden to other cities in the future. Through WeSolar, electricity customers can purchase shared solar from a regional job without having to set up any equipment in their houses. In turn, residents save hundreds on their electricity costs. In Maryland, legislators passed legislation that specifies 50 percent of its electrical energy should come from eco-friendly energy sources by 2030.
What challenges do you face? Why?
To a community that is already dealing with so lots of pushing difficulties, encouraging them that there is another one simply as crucial is extremely tough. I remember trying to describe neighborhood solar to my friends and the conversation quickly rotating to housing.
Please share with us a recent company success story.
When I first moved to Baltimore, the Community Solar Pilot Program was introduced, and I wanted to make sure city homeowners were getting the same quantity of financial investment as the county. Sustainable energy has historically been a middle-class concern because Black communities have had to live in survival mode, but 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 partnership successful.
To get more information about WeSolar, go to wesolar.energy
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I was at a community conference with 50 Black ladies organizers who were not invested in the neighborhood solar motion. To be able to provide a product that will save our community up to 60% on their energy bills is transformative.
WeSolars mission is to bring under-resourced neighborhoods economical access to regional community solar and to assist business residential or commercial properties with energy efficiency. When I initially moved to Baltimore, the Community Solar Pilot Program was introduced, and I wanted to guarantee city residents were receiving the very same quantity of investment as the county. Sustainable energy has actually historically been a middle-class concern because 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 individuals I needed to link with in order to make this collaboration effective.