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

I was at a community meeting with 50 Black females organizers who were not invested in the community solar motion. To be able to provide an item that will conserve our neighborhood up to 60% on their energy bills is transformative.
WeSolars objective is to bring under-resourced neighborhoods affordable access to regional neighborhood solar and to help commercial homes with energy performance. When I first moved to Baltimore, the Community Solar Pilot Program was released, and I desired to make sure city residents were getting the same quantity of investment as the county. Renewable energy has traditionally been a middle-class concern due to the fact that Black neighborhoods have actually had to live in survival mode, however Reverend Mason and Reverend Dewitt brought me into the circle and linked 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 happy to share the first installment in our “Accelerating Renewables” blog site series. Each installation will include market leaders and topics connected to speeding up an equitable and just shift 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 growing in the renewable resource sector.
Kristal Hansley is the Founder & & CEO of WeSolar, Inc and is the countrys first Black lady CEO in the neighborhood solar market. Under her management, WeSolar is growing quickly, offering customers across Maryland and the District of Columbia access to budget-friendly solar energy, despite home type, and assisting hard-working families decrease month-to-month costs.
What inspired you to begin your business?
The plain truth that most of homes who were receiving eco-friendly energy incentives were greater earnings. I remember discovering this and believing there needed to be a way to resolve this gap. I discovered there was an issue. I had my own concepts on how to solve it, and I wanted to have agency over my own decisions. I was at a community meeting with 50 Black women organizers who were not bought the community solar motion. It felt like a lightbulb had actually turned on for me when I began to explain how critical and immediate it was for us to be a part of the solar motion. I began showing how higher-income communities and individuals in the suburban areas were taking benefit of eco-friendly tax incentives and had actually gotten a heap of assistance. The truth is, energy usage impacts Black home budgets significantly. 36% of Black families experience a high energy problem, meaning they spend over 6% of their income on house energy costs. Thats a huge portion. To be able to use an item that will conserve our neighborhood approximately 60% on their energy costs is transformative.
Tell us about your company?
WeSolars mission is to bring under-resourced communities budget-friendly access to local neighborhood solar and to assist business residential or commercial properties with energy effectiveness. WeSolar released in Baltimore and will broaden to other cities in the future. Through WeSolar, electrical power consumers can purchase shared solar from a regional project without having to install any equipment in their houses. In turn, locals save hundreds on their electricity bills. In Maryland, lawmakers passed legislation that mentions 50 percent of its electrical power must come from renewable resource sources by 2030.
What obstacles do you deal with? Why?
To a community that is currently dealing with so lots of pushing obstacles, convincing them that there is another one just as essential is very difficult. I keep in mind trying to explain neighborhood solar to my friends and the discussion rapidly pivoting to real estate.
Please share with us a current business success story.
When I initially moved to Baltimore, the Community Solar Pilot Program was released, and I wanted to make sure city citizens were receiving the same amount of financial investment as the county. Sustainable energy has historically been a middle-class issue because Black communities have 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 connect with in order to make this collaboration effective.
To get more information about WeSolar, check out wesolar.energy
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