Renewable Power Perspectives Q&A with Kristal Hansley, Founder & CEO of WeSolar, Inc.
Renogy 2000W Pure Sine Wave Inverter 12V DC to 120V AC Converter for Home, RV, Truck, Off-Grid Solar Power Inverter 12V to 110V with Built-in 5V/2.1A USB / Hardwire Port, Remote Controller
$264.80 (as of 17:39 GMT +00:00 - More infoProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.)
Solar Panel Charger, Solar Panel for Security Camera,6W USB Solar Panel with Micro USB & USB-C Port, IP66 Waterproof Camera Solar Panel with 360°Adjustable Mounting
$13.97 (as of 03:30 GMT +00:00 - More infoProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.)I was at a neighborhood meeting with 50 Black females organizers who were not invested in the neighborhood solar movement. To be able to use an item that will save our neighborhood up to 60% on their energy bills is transformative
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WeSolars mission is to bring under-resourced neighborhoods inexpensive access to local community solar and to assist industrial residential or commercial properties with energy effectiveness. When I initially moved to Baltimore, the Community Solar Pilot Program was launched and I wanted to guarantee city citizens were getting the same quantity of financial investment as the county. Eco-friendly energy has actually historically been a middle class concern since 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 required 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 nations very first Black Woman CEO in the neighborhood solar industry. Under her leadership, WeSolar is growing quickly, providing consumers throughout Maryland access to affordable solar power, no matter house type and helping hard-working families lower monthly costs
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What inspired you to start your business?
I was at a community meeting with 50 Black women organizers who were not invested in the community solar motion. I began revealing how higher income communities and individuals in the suburbs were taking advantage of this and got a heap of support. To be able to provide an item that will save our community up to 60% on their energy bills is transformative
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Tell us about your company? (mission, partners, areas you operate in, main consumers, etc.).
WeSolars objective is to bring under-resourced neighborhoods inexpensive access to regional neighborhood solar and to assist business properties with energy performance. WeSolar launched in Baltimore and will expand to other cities in the future. Through WeSolar, electrical power consumers can purchase shared solar from a local job without needing to install any equipment in their houses. In turn, locals save hundreds on their electrical energy bills. In Maryland, legislators passed legislation that mentions 50 percent of its electrical energy must come from sustainable energy sources by 2030
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What challenges do you face? Why?
To a community that is already dealing with a lot of pressing difficulties, convincing them that there is another one just as crucial is really difficult. I keep in mind attempting to describe neighborhood solar to my pals and the discussion quickly rotating to housing. The truth of the matter is, institutional bigotry and injustice is larger than we understand and it drowns our neighborhood. Where Black individuals are not being bought, we are being asked to focus on continuously for our survival
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Please share with us a current company success story.
An extremely individual success story for me is cultivating a partnership with Maryland United Baptist Missionary Convention, Inc. I grew up in a baptist church in Brooklyn where my cousin was the pastor and my mother was an organizer– neighborhood was stitched into my really being. When I first transferred to Baltimore, the Community Solar Pilot Program was introduced and I desired to make sure city locals were receiving the same quantity of financial investment as the county. It was the church that took me in, and the church that then supported my vision– bringing whatever cycle. Renewable resource has historically been a middle class concern since Black communities have needed to live in survival mode, but Reverend Mason and Reverend Dewitt brought me into the circle and connected me with individuals I required to link with in order to make this collaboration successful
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By Constance ThompsonAugust 27, 2021
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The American Council on Renewable Energy (ACORE) is thrilled to share the very first installment in our “Ask an Accelerate Member” blog series. Each installment will feature one of ACOREs Accelerate member business. August is National Black Business Month, so this month we are focused on Black-owned renewable energy business