Renewable Power Perspectives Q&A with Kristal Hansley, Founder & CEO of WeSolar, Inc.

By Constance ThompsonAugust 27, 2021
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The American Council on Renewable Energy (ACORE) is enjoyed share the very first installation in our “Ask an Accelerate Member” blog series. Each installation will feature among ACOREs Accelerate member companies. August is National Black Business Month, so this month we are concentrated on Black-owned renewable resource business

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 residents were getting the very same amount of financial investment as the county. Eco-friendly energy has traditionally been a middle class issue because 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 individuals I needed to link with in order to make this partnership successful
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Kristal Hansley is the Founder & & CEO of WeSolar, Inc. and is the countrys first Black Woman CEO in the community solar market. Under her leadership, WeSolar is growing quickly, providing consumers across Maryland access to budget friendly solar power, regardless of home type and assisting hard-working families reduce monthly expenses
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What inspired you to start your business?
I was at a neighborhood conference with 50 Black ladies organizers who were not invested in the neighborhood solar movement. I started revealing how higher earnings neighborhoods and people in the residential areas were taking benefit of this and received a ton of assistance. To be able to provide an item that will save our community up to 60% on their energy expenses is transformative
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Inform us about your company? (objective, partners, areas you run in, primary consumers, etc.).
WeSolars objective is to bring under-resourced neighborhoods economical access to regional neighborhood solar and to help industrial residential or commercial properties with energy effectiveness. WeSolar launched in Baltimore and will broaden to other cities in the future. Through WeSolar, electrical energy consumers can purchase shared solar from a regional project without needing to install any devices in their homes. In turn, homeowners save hundreds on their electrical power expenses. In Maryland, legislators passed legislation that specifies 50 percent of its electrical power must originate from sustainable energy sources by 2030
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What challenges do you deal with? Why?
To a neighborhood that is currently facing so many pushing challenges, encouraging them that there is another one simply as crucial is very hard. I keep in mind trying to discuss community solar to my friends and the conversation rapidly rotating to housing.

I was at a community meeting with 50 Black ladies organizers who were not invested in the neighborhood solar motion. To be able to use an item that will conserve our community up to 60% on their energy costs is transformative
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WeSolars mission is to bring under-resourced communities inexpensive access to regional neighborhood solar and to help business residential or commercial properties with energy performance. When I first moved to Baltimore, the Community Solar Pilot Program was launched and I wanted to make sure city citizens were receiving the very same quantity of financial investment as the county. Renewable energy has actually traditionally been a middle class concern since Black communities 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 needed to connect with in order to make this collaboration effective
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