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 motion. To be able to use a product that will save our community up to 60% on their energy bills is transformative.
WeSolars objective is to bring under-resourced neighborhoods affordable access to local community solar and to help industrial homes with energy performance. When I initially moved to Baltimore, the Community Solar Pilot Program was introduced, and I wanted to guarantee city locals were getting the same amount of financial investment as the county. Eco-friendly energy has actually traditionally been a middle-class concern since Black communities have had to live in survival mode, however 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.

By Constance ThompsonAugust 27, 2021
The American Council on Renewable Energy (ACORE) is pleased to share the very first installation in our “Accelerating Renewables” blog site series. Each installment will include market leaders and subjects associated with accelerating a fair and just shift to a renewable resource economy. In recognition of National Black Business Month, our August blog site 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 nations first Black lady CEO in the community solar industry. Under her management, WeSolar is growing rapidly, providing customers throughout Maryland and the District of Columbia access to budget-friendly solar power, despite house type, and assisting hard-working households decrease monthly expenses.
What inspired you to start your company?
The stark reality that the bulk of households who were getting sustainable energy rewards were greater earnings. I keep in mind learning this and thinking there had to be a method to resolve this space. I observed there was a problem. I had my own concepts on how to resolve it, and I wished to have firm over my own choices. I was at a neighborhood meeting with 50 Black women organizers who were not invested in the neighborhood solar movement. It felt like a lightbulb had actually turned on for me once I began to describe how important and immediate it was for us to be a part of the solar movement. I began revealing how higher-income neighborhoods and individuals in the residential areas were benefiting from renewable tax incentives and had actually gotten a lots of support. The reality is, energy use effects Black household budgets greatly. 36% of Black homes experience a high energy burden, suggesting they invest over 6% of their income on house energy costs. Thats a huge percentage. To be able to use an item that will conserve our neighborhood approximately 60% on their energy bills is transformative.
Inform us about your company?
WeSolars mission is to bring under-resourced neighborhoods cost effective access to local neighborhood solar and to assist commercial residential or commercial properties with energy performance. In Maryland, legislators passed legislation that states 50 percent of its electrical power must come from sustainable energy sources by 2030.
What obstacles do you deal with? Why?
To a community that is already facing many pushing obstacles, encouraging them that there is another one just as crucial is extremely challenging. I keep in mind attempting to describe neighborhood solar to my good friends and the conversation quickly rotating to real estate. The reality of the matter is, institutional bigotry and oppression are larger than we understand, and it drowns our neighborhood. Where Black people are not being bought, we are being asked to prioritize continuously for our survival.
Please show 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 getting the exact same quantity of financial investment as the county. Renewable energy has historically been a middle-class issue 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 partnership effective.
To find out more about WeSolar, go to wesolar.energy
###