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 happy 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 simply 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 business 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 market. Under her leadership, WeSolar is growing rapidly, providing consumers throughout Maryland and the District of Columbia access to inexpensive solar power, no matter house type, and assisting hard-working households lower month-to-month expenses.
What inspired you to start your company?
I was at a neighborhood conference with 50 Black ladies organizers who were not invested in the community solar movement. 36% of Black households experience a high energy burden, suggesting they invest over 6% of their income on house energy expenses. To be able to provide a product that will conserve our community up to 60% on their energy expenses is transformative.
Inform us about your business?
WeSolars objective is to bring under-resourced neighborhoods cost effective access to local community solar and to help business residential or commercial properties with energy effectiveness. In Maryland, lawmakers passed legislation that specifies 50 percent of its electricity need to come from sustainable energy sources by 2030.
What difficulties do you deal with? Why?
To a neighborhood that is already facing so many pressing obstacles, encouraging them that there is another one just as essential is extremely difficult. I keep in mind attempting to explain community solar to my pals and the conversation quickly rotating to housing.
Please share with us a current business success story.
An extremely individual success story for me is cultivating a partnership with Maryland United Baptist Missionary Convention, Inc. I matured in a Baptist church in Brooklyn where my cousin was the pastor, and my mama was an organizer– community was stitched into my very being. When I first transferred to Baltimore, the Community Solar Pilot Program was launched, and I wished to ensure city homeowners were receiving the same amount of investment as the county. It was the church that took me in, and the church that then supported my vision– bringing everything cycle. Renewable resource has historically been a middle-class problem since Black communities have actually needed to reside in survival mode, but 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.
To read more about WeSolar, visit wesolar.energy
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I was at a neighborhood meeting with 50 Black ladies organizers who were not invested in the community solar motion. To be able to use an item that will save our neighborhood up to 60% on their energy bills is transformative.
WeSolars objective is to bring under-resourced communities inexpensive access to regional community solar and to assist commercial residential or commercial properties with energy efficiency. When I first moved to Baltimore, the Community Solar Pilot Program was launched, and I desired to make sure city citizens were getting the very same quantity of financial investment as the county. Eco-friendly energy has actually historically been a middle-class issue since 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 effective.