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

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Kristal Hansley is the Founder & & CEO of WeSolar, Inc. and is the countrys first Black Woman CEO in the neighborhood solar market. Under her management, WeSolar is growing quickly, supplying customers throughout Maryland access to affordable solar power, regardless of house type and helping hard-working families lower monthly expenses
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What inspired you to start your business?
I was at a community conference with 50 Black ladies organizers who were not invested in the community solar motion. I began showing how greater earnings neighborhoods and people in the suburbs were taking advantage of this and got a heap of support. To be able to provide a product that will save our neighborhood up to 60% on their energy bills is transformative
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Tell us about your company? (mission, partners, areas you run in, main customers, and so on).
WeSolars objective is to bring under-resourced neighborhoods cost effective access to local neighborhood solar and to assist commercial properties with energy performance. In Maryland, lawmakers passed legislation that specifies 50 percent of its electricity should come from renewable energy sources by 2030
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What difficulties do you deal with? Why?
To a community that is currently facing numerous pressing challenges, convincing them that there is another one simply as important is extremely challenging. I remember trying to describe community solar to my pals and the discussion rapidly pivoting to real estate. The reality of the matter is, institutional racism and oppression is larger than we know 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.
A very 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 mom was an organizer– neighborhood was sewn into my extremely being. When I initially relocated to Baltimore, the Community Solar Pilot Program was launched and I wished to ensure city residents were getting the same amount of financial investment as the county. It was the church that took me in, and the church that then supported my vision– bringing everything cycle. Sustainable energy has actually historically been a middle class problem 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 individuals I required to get in touch with in order to make this collaboration effective
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I was at a neighborhood meeting with 50 Black females organizers who were not invested in the community solar motion. To be able to provide a product that will save our neighborhood up to 60% on their energy bills is transformative
.
WeSolars mission is to bring under-resourced neighborhoods budget-friendly access to local neighborhood solar and to help commercial properties with energy efficiency. When I initially moved to Baltimore, the Community Solar Pilot Program was launched and I wanted to make sure city locals were receiving the same quantity of financial investment as the county. Sustainable energy has actually historically been a middle class issue because 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 people I required to link with in order to make this partnership effective
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