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 movement. To be able to use a product that will conserve our community up to 60% on their energy costs is transformative.
WeSolars objective is to bring under-resourced neighborhoods affordable access to regional neighborhood solar and to assist industrial homes with energy effectiveness. When I first moved to Baltimore, the Community Solar Pilot Program was launched, and I desired to make sure city locals were receiving the same amount of investment as the county. Eco-friendly energy has actually traditionally been a middle-class concern due to the fact that 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 individuals 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 happy to share the very first installment in our “Accelerating Renewables” blog site series. Each installment will include industry leaders and topics associated with accelerating a fair and just transition to a renewable energy economy. In acknowledgment of National Black Business Month, our August blog is the very first in a series highlighting how Black-owned member business are flourishing in the renewable energy 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 management, WeSolar is growing quickly, offering consumers throughout Maryland and the District of Columbia access to affordable solar energy, regardless of home type, and helping hard-working households minimize monthly costs.
What inspired you to begin your business?
I was at a community meeting with 50 Black ladies organizers who were not invested in the community solar movement. 36% of Black homes experience a high energy burden, indicating they spend over 6% of their income on home energy expenses. 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 inexpensive access to local neighborhood solar and to assist business properties with energy effectiveness. WeSolar introduced in Baltimore and will expand to other cities in the future. Through WeSolar, electricity consumers can acquire shared solar from a regional task without having to set up any equipment in their houses. In turn, homeowners conserve hundreds on their electrical power bills. In Maryland, lawmakers passed legislation that states 50 percent of its electricity must originate from renewable resource sources by 2030.
What challenges do you face? Why?
To a neighborhood that is currently dealing with numerous pressing obstacles, encouraging them that there is another one just as important is very difficult. I keep in mind attempting to explain community solar to my buddies and the discussion quickly pivoting to real estate. The fact of the matter is, institutional racism and injustice are larger than we understand, and it drowns our neighborhood. Where Black people are not being invested in, we are being asked to focus on constantly for our survival.
Please show us a recent business success story.
When I first moved to Baltimore, the Community Solar Pilot Program was introduced, and I desired to make sure city homeowners were getting the very same amount of financial investment as the county. Renewable energy has actually historically been a middle-class problem due to the fact that Black communities have actually had to live in survival mode, however Reverend Mason and Reverend Dewitt brought me into the circle and connected me with the individuals I needed to connect with in order to make this partnership effective.
To get more information about WeSolar, see wesolar.energy
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