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

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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 management, WeSolar is growing quickly, supplying customers throughout Maryland access to budget friendly solar power, regardless of home type and helping hard-working families lower monthly expenses
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What inspired you to start your company?
I was at a community meeting with 50 Black ladies organizers who were not invested in the neighborhood solar movement. I started showing how greater income neighborhoods and people in the residential areas were taking benefit of this and received a heap of assistance. To be able to use an item that will conserve our community up to 60% on their energy bills is transformative
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Tell us about your business? (objective, partners, regions you operate in, primary consumers, and so on).
WeSolars objective is to bring under-resourced communities affordable access to regional community solar and to assist industrial homes with energy performance. WeSolar launched in Baltimore and will broaden to other cities in the future. Through WeSolar, electrical power customers can purchase shared solar from a regional job without having to set up any devices in their homes. In turn, locals save hundreds on their electricity expenses. In Maryland, lawmakers passed legislation that specifies 50 percent of its electrical energy should come from renewable resource sources by 2030
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What obstacles do you face? Why?
To a community that is already dealing with numerous pushing obstacles, encouraging them that there is another one just as essential is extremely challenging. I keep in mind trying to explain community solar to my buddies and the discussion rapidly rotating to housing. The truth of the matter is, institutional bigotry and oppression is larger than we know and it drowns our neighborhood. Where Black people are not being invested in, we are being asked to prioritize continuously for our survival
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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 first installment in our “Ask an Accelerate Member” blog series. Each installation will feature among ACOREs Accelerate member business. August is National Black Business Month, so this month we are focused on Black-owned renewable energy business

I was at a neighborhood meeting with 50 Black women organizers who were not invested in the community solar motion. To be able to offer a product that will conserve our neighborhood 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 regional neighborhood solar and to help business homes with energy performance. When I initially moved to Baltimore, the Community Solar Pilot Program was introduced and I wanted to guarantee city residents were getting the exact same amount of financial investment as the county. Sustainable energy has actually historically been a middle class issue because Black neighborhoods have had to live in survival mode, but Reverend Mason and Reverend Dewitt brought me into the circle and linked me with the people I required to link with in order to make this collaboration effective
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Please share with us a current business success story.
When I first moved to Baltimore, the Community Solar Pilot Program was launched and I desired to guarantee city locals were receiving the same amount of investment as the county. Sustainable energy has traditionally been a middle class issue because Black neighborhoods have had to live in survival mode, but Reverend Mason and Reverend Dewitt brought me into the circle and connected me with the people I required to connect with in order to make this collaboration effective
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