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

I was at a neighborhood conference with 50 Black women organizers who were not invested in the community solar movement. To be able to use an item that will save our community up to 60% on their energy expenses is transformative.
WeSolars objective is to bring under-resourced communities economical access to regional community solar and to help business homes with energy effectiveness. When I first moved to Baltimore, the Community Solar Pilot Program was released, and I wanted to guarantee city residents were getting the same amount of financial investment as the county. Renewable energy has actually traditionally been a middle-class issue due to the fact that 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 required to link with in order to make this partnership successful.

By Constance ThompsonAugust 27, 2021
The American Council on Renewable Energy (ACORE) is delighted to share the very first installment in our “Accelerating Renewables” blog series. Each installation will include market leaders and subjects related to speeding up a fair and just transition to a renewable resource economy. In acknowledgment of National Black Business Month, our August blog site is the first in a series highlighting how black-owned member companies are thriving in the renewable resource sector.
Kristal Hansley is the Founder & & CEO of WeSolar, Inc and is the nations first Black Woman CEO in the community solar industry. Under her leadership, WeSolar is growing rapidly, supplying customers across Maryland and the District of Columbia access to inexpensive solar power, despite home type, and helping hard-working households lower month-to-month expenses.
What inspired you to begin your company?
I was at a community conference with 50 Black ladies organizers who were not invested in the neighborhood solar movement. 36% of Black households experience a high energy concern, suggesting they spend over 6% of their income on home energy bills. To be able to offer an item that will conserve our neighborhood up to 60% on their energy costs is transformative.
Inform us about your business?
WeSolars mission is to bring under-resourced neighborhoods economical access to regional community solar and to assist industrial residential or commercial properties with energy efficiency. WeSolar launched in Baltimore and will broaden to other cities in the future. Through WeSolar, electrical power customers can acquire shared solar from a regional job without having to set up any devices in their homes. In turn, locals save hundreds on their electrical power costs. In Maryland, legislators passed legislation that mentions 50 percent of its electrical energy need to come from renewable resource sources by 2030.
What obstacles do you face? Why?
To a neighborhood that is currently facing so numerous pushing difficulties, encouraging them that there is another one simply as essential is very tough. I keep in mind attempting to explain community solar to my pals and the conversation quickly pivoting to real estate.
Please share with us a current company success story.
When I first moved to Baltimore, the Community Solar Pilot Program was launched, and I wanted to ensure city locals were getting the same quantity of investment as the county. Renewable energy has actually historically been a middle-class concern due to the fact that Black neighborhoods have 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.
To find out more about WeSolar go to wesolar.energy
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