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 delighted to share the very first installation in our “Accelerating Renewables” blog series. Each installment will include industry leaders and subjects related to accelerating a fair and just shift to a renewable resource economy. In acknowledgment of National Black Business Month, our August blog is the first in a series highlighting how Black-owned member companies are thriving in the renewable resource sector.
Kristal Hansley is the Founder & & CEO of WeSolar, Inc and is the nations very first Black woman CEO in the neighborhood solar industry. Under her leadership, WeSolar is growing quickly, providing customers throughout Maryland and the District of Columbia access to inexpensive solar energy, regardless of home type, and helping hard-working families lower month-to-month expenditures.
What inspired you to begin your company?
I was at a community conference with 50 Black females organizers who were not invested in the neighborhood solar motion. 36% of Black households experience a high energy problem, implying they spend over 6% of their earnings on home energy expenses. To be able to use a product that will conserve our neighborhood up to 60% on their energy costs is transformative.
Tell us about your business?
WeSolars objective is to bring under-resourced communities cost effective access to regional neighborhood solar and to assist industrial residential or commercial properties with energy performance. WeSolar introduced in Baltimore and will broaden to other cities in the future. Through WeSolar, electrical energy consumers can acquire shared solar from a local task without having to set up any equipment in their houses. In turn, homeowners save hundreds on their electrical energy expenses. In Maryland, lawmakers passed legislation that specifies 50 percent of its electrical power should come from renewable resource sources by 2030.
What difficulties do you deal with? Why?
To a neighborhood that is currently facing so numerous pressing obstacles, encouraging them that there is another one simply as important is extremely difficult. I keep in mind attempting to discuss neighborhood solar to my friends and the conversation rapidly rotating to housing. The fact of the matter is, institutional bigotry and injustice are bigger than we understand, and it drowns our neighborhood. Where Black people are not being purchased, we are being asked to prioritize constantly for our survival.
Please show us a recent company success story.
When I initially moved to Baltimore, the Community Solar Pilot Program was introduced, and I desired to ensure city homeowners were getting the same quantity of financial investment as the county. Eco-friendly energy has actually historically been a middle-class problem since 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 individuals I needed to connect with in order to make this collaboration effective.
To get more information about WeSolar, visit wesolar.energy
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I was at a neighborhood 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 community up to 60% on their energy costs is transformative.
WeSolars mission is to bring under-resourced neighborhoods economical access to local neighborhood solar and to help industrial residential or commercial properties with energy performance. When I first moved to Baltimore, the Community Solar Pilot Program was introduced, and I wanted to guarantee city citizens were getting the very same amount of financial investment as the county. Eco-friendly energy has actually historically been a middle-class issue because Black communities have actually had to live in survival mode, however Reverend Mason and Reverend Dewitt brought me into the circle and linked me with the individuals I required to link with in order to make this collaboration effective.