Renewable Power Perspectives Q&A with Kristal Hansley, Founder & CEO of WeSolar, Inc.
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$19.99 (as of 19:36 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 women organizers who were not invested in the neighborhood solar movement. To be able to use an item that will conserve our neighborhood up to 60% on their energy expenses is transformative.
WeSolars objective is to bring under-resourced communities affordable access to local neighborhood solar and to assist business properties with energy efficiency. When I initially moved to Baltimore, the Community Solar Pilot Program was launched, and I desired to guarantee city homeowners were getting the very same quantity of investment as the county. Sustainable energy has traditionally been a middle-class issue since 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 required to link 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 very first installation in our “Accelerating Renewables” blog series. Each installment will include industry leaders and topics associated with speeding up a fair and just transition to a renewable resource economy. In recognition of National Black Business Month, our August blog 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 countrys very first Black female CEO in the community solar industry. Under her management, WeSolar is growing rapidly, supplying customers throughout Maryland and the District of Columbia access to inexpensive solar power, regardless of home type, and assisting hard-working families decrease monthly expenses.
What inspired you to start your company?
The stark fact that most of families who were getting renewable energy rewards were higher earnings. I remember discovering this and thinking there needed to be a way to address this gap. I discovered there was a problem. I had my own ideas on how to solve it, and I wished to have agency over my own decisions. I was at a community meeting with 50 Black females organizers who were not bought the neighborhood solar motion. As soon as I began to describe how critical and urgent it was for us to be a part of the solar motion, it felt like a lightbulb had turned on for me. I started demonstrating how higher-income communities and individuals in the suburbs were taking advantage of sustainable tax incentives and had actually received a lot of assistance. The fact is, energy usage effects Black family budget plans greatly. 36% of Black homes experience a high energy burden, implying they spend over 6% of their income on house energy costs. Thats a massive portion. To be able to use a product that will conserve our community up to 60% on their energy bills is transformative.
Inform us about your company?
WeSolars objective is to bring under-resourced neighborhoods cost effective access to regional community solar and to assist industrial homes with energy effectiveness. WeSolar released in Baltimore and will expand to other cities in the future. Through WeSolar, electricity consumers can buy shared solar from a regional project without having to set up any equipment in their homes. In turn, homeowners conserve hundreds on their electricity bills. In Maryland, lawmakers passed legislation that specifies 50 percent of its electrical power need to originate from renewable resource sources by 2030.
What challenges do you face? Why?
To a community that is already dealing with so many pressing challenges, persuading them that there is another one just as essential is really difficult. I keep in mind attempting to discuss neighborhood solar to my friends and the discussion rapidly pivoting to real estate. The truth of the matter is, institutional racism and injustice are larger than we know, and it drowns our community. Where Black individuals are not being invested in, we are being asked to focus on continuously for our survival.
Please share with us a current business success story.
When I first moved to Baltimore, the Community Solar Pilot Program was introduced, and I wanted to guarantee city homeowners were receiving the very same quantity of financial investment as the county. Eco-friendly energy has historically been a middle-class issue since Black communities have actually had to live in survival mode, but Reverend Mason and Reverend Dewitt brought me into the circle and linked me with the people I required to link with in order to make this collaboration effective.
To get more information about WeSolar, check out wesolar.energy
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