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 installment in our “Ask an Accelerate Member” blog site series. Each installment will feature among ACOREs Accelerate member companies. August is National Black Business Month, so this month we are concentrated on Black-owned eco-friendly energy companies

Please share with us a recent business success story.
A really personal success story for me is cultivating a collaboration with Maryland United Baptist Missionary Convention, Inc. I grew up in a baptist church in Brooklyn where my cousin was the pastor and my mom was an organizer– neighborhood was sewn into my extremely being. When I initially moved to Baltimore, the Community Solar Pilot Program was released and I desired to ensure city residents were getting the exact same amount of investment as the county. It was the church that took me in, and the church that then supported my vision– bringing whatever complete circle. Sustainable energy has historically been a middle class issue because Black neighborhoods have had to reside in survival mode, but Reverend Mason and Reverend Dewitt brought me into the circle and connected me with the people I needed to link with in order to make this partnership effective
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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 customers across Maryland access to economical solar energy, regardless of home type and helping hard-working households minimize monthly costs
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What inspired you to start your company?
The stark reality that the bulk of households who were getting renewable resource incentives were higher earnings. I remember discovering this and believing there needed to be a way to resolve this gap. I saw there was an issue, I had my own concepts to resolve it and I wished to have company over my own choices. I was at a neighborhood conference with 50 Black women organizers who were not bought the neighborhood solar motion. It felt like a lightbulb had actually turned on for me as soon as I began to explain how crucial and urgent it was for us to be a part of the solar motion. I started showing how higher earnings communities and people in the residential areas were taking advantage of this and got a lots of support. The reality is, energy usage impacts Black home budgets greatly. 36% of Black families experience a high energy concern, implying they invest over 6% of their income on home energy expenses. Thats an enormous portion. To be able to provide an item that will conserve our community approximately 60% on their energy bills is transformative
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Inform us about your business? (mission, partners, areas you run in, main clients, etc.).
WeSolars mission is to bring under-resourced neighborhoods inexpensive access to regional community solar and to assist industrial residential or commercial properties with energy effectiveness. WeSolar released in Baltimore and will expand to other cities in the future. Through WeSolar, electrical power customers can buy shared solar from a regional job without needing to set up any equipment in their houses. In turn, homeowners conserve hundreds on their electrical energy costs. In Maryland, lawmakers passed legislation that mentions 50 percent of its electricity should come from sustainable energy sources by 2030
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What difficulties do you deal with? Why?
To a neighborhood that is already dealing with a lot of pressing challenges, persuading them that there is another one just as crucial is really challenging. I keep in mind attempting to explain neighborhood solar to my buddies and the discussion rapidly pivoting to real estate. The reality of the matter is, institutional bigotry and injustice is larger than we understand and it drowns our community. Where Black individuals are not being purchased, we are being asked to prioritize constantly for our survival
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I was at a neighborhood meeting with 50 Black women organizers who were not invested in the neighborhood solar motion. To be able to provide a product that will conserve our community up to 60% on their energy expenses is transformative
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WeSolars objective is to bring under-resourced neighborhoods budget-friendly access to local community solar and to help commercial properties with energy effectiveness. When I initially moved to Baltimore, the Community Solar Pilot Program was introduced and I wanted to ensure city locals were getting the exact same amount of financial investment as the county. Renewable energy has actually historically been a middle class issue 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 people I needed to connect with in order to make this collaboration successful
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