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 neighborhood solar motion. To be able to offer a product that will conserve our community up to 60% on their energy costs is transformative.
WeSolars mission is to bring under-resourced neighborhoods cost effective access to local neighborhood solar and to assist industrial homes with energy efficiency. When I first moved to Baltimore, the Community Solar Pilot Program was released, and I desired to guarantee city residents were receiving the very same amount of financial investment as the county. Sustainable energy has actually traditionally been a middle-class issue because Black neighborhoods have had to live in survival mode, but Reverend Mason and Reverend Dewitt brought me into the circle and connected me with the individuals I required to connect with in order to make this collaboration effective.

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 topics related to speeding up an equitable and just shift to a renewable resource economy. In recognition of National Black Business Month, our August blog site is the first in a series highlighting how Black-owned member business are flourishing in the renewable resource sector.
Kristal Hansley is the Founder & & CEO of WeSolar, Inc and is the countrys first Black lady CEO in the community solar industry. Under her management, WeSolar is growing rapidly, supplying customers across Maryland and the District of Columbia access to budget-friendly solar power, no matter home type, and helping hard-working households lower month-to-month expenses.
What inspired you to begin your business?
I was at a neighborhood meeting with 50 Black females organizers who were not invested in the community solar movement. 36% of Black families experience a high energy concern, suggesting they invest over 6% of their earnings on house energy costs. To be able to provide a product that will conserve our community up to 60% on their energy costs is transformative.
Tell us about your company?
WeSolars mission is to bring under-resourced neighborhoods budget friendly access to local community solar and to assist commercial homes with energy performance. WeSolar introduced in Baltimore and will broaden to other cities in the future. Through WeSolar, electricity customers can buy shared solar from a regional job without needing to install any devices in their houses. In turn, residents save hundreds on their electrical energy bills. In Maryland, lawmakers passed legislation that specifies 50 percent of its electrical energy should come from renewable resource sources by 2030.
What challenges do you deal with? Why?
To a community that is currently dealing with so lots of pushing obstacles, persuading them that there is another one just as crucial is extremely challenging. I keep in mind trying to describe neighborhood solar to my pals and the discussion quickly pivoting to real estate. The fact of the matter is, institutional racism and oppression are bigger than we know, and it drowns our neighborhood. Where Black individuals are not being bought, we are being asked to prioritize constantly for our survival.
Please share with us a current company success story.
When I initially moved to Baltimore, the Community Solar Pilot Program was released, and I wanted to guarantee city homeowners were getting the 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 connected me with the individuals I needed to link with in order to make this collaboration effective.
To find out more about WeSolar, see wesolar.energy
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