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 use an item that will conserve our neighborhood up to 60% on their energy costs is transformative.
WeSolars objective is to bring under-resourced neighborhoods budget friendly access to local community solar and to assist commercial properties with energy efficiency. When I first moved to Baltimore, the Community Solar Pilot Program was introduced, and I desired to guarantee city residents were getting the very same quantity of financial investment as the county. Renewable energy has actually traditionally been a middle-class issue because Black neighborhoods 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 connect with in order to make this partnership 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 include industry leaders and subjects related to accelerating a fair and simply shift to a sustainable energy economy. In acknowledgment of National Black Business Month, our August blog is the first in a series highlighting how Black-owned member companies are growing in the sustainable energy sector.
Kristal Hansley is the Founder & & CEO of WeSolar, Inc and is the countrys very first Black lady CEO in the community solar market. Under her leadership, WeSolar is growing rapidly, providing consumers across Maryland and the District of Columbia access to budget-friendly solar energy, no matter home type, and assisting hard-working families decrease regular monthly expenses.
What inspired you to begin your company?
I was at a neighborhood conference with 50 Black women organizers who were not invested in the community solar motion. 36% of Black households experience a high energy burden, suggesting they spend over 6% of their income on home energy costs. To be able to provide a product that will save our neighborhood up to 60% on their energy expenses is transformative.
Tell us about your company?
WeSolars mission is to bring under-resourced neighborhoods budget friendly access to regional community solar and to help commercial properties with energy effectiveness. WeSolar introduced in Baltimore and will expand to other cities in the future. Through WeSolar, electrical power consumers can purchase shared solar from a local project without having to set up any devices in their homes. In turn, citizens conserve hundreds on their electricity bills. In Maryland, lawmakers passed legislation that states 50 percent of its electricity should originate from eco-friendly energy sources by 2030.
What obstacles do you face? Why?
To a neighborhood that is currently dealing with so many pressing obstacles, convincing them that there is another one just as crucial is very hard. I keep in mind trying to explain neighborhood solar to my good friends and the discussion quickly rotating to housing.
Please show us a recent business success story.
When I initially moved to Baltimore, the Community Solar Pilot Program was launched, and I desired to make sure city homeowners were receiving the exact same amount of investment as the county. Eco-friendly energy has historically been a middle-class problem due to the fact that Black neighborhoods 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 needed to connect with in order to make this collaboration successful.
To get more information about WeSolar, visit wesolar.energy
###