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

I was at a community conference with 50 Black females organizers who were not invested in the neighborhood solar movement. To be able to use a product that will save our neighborhood up to 60% on their energy bills is transformative.
WeSolars mission is to bring under-resourced neighborhoods cost effective access to local neighborhood solar and to assist commercial properties with energy efficiency. When I initially moved to Baltimore, the Community Solar Pilot Program was launched, and I desired to make sure city homeowners were getting the same quantity of investment as the county. Renewable energy has actually traditionally been a middle-class concern since Black communities have actually 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 connect with in order to make this partnership successful.

By Constance ThompsonAugust 27, 2021
The American Council on Renewable Energy (ACORE) is happy to share the very first installment in our “Accelerating Renewables” blog series. Each installation will include market leaders and subjects related to accelerating a fair and simply shift to a sustainable energy economy. In recognition of National Black Business Month, our August blog site is the first in a series highlighting how black-owned member companies are growing in the renewable resource sector.
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, offering consumers across Maryland and the District of Columbia access to budget-friendly solar power, no matter home type, and helping hard-working households minimize month-to-month costs.
What inspired you to start your company?
The plain truth that the bulk of homes who were getting renewable resource incentives were greater income. I keep in mind learning this and believing there needed to be a way to address this gap. I discovered there was a problem. I had my own ideas on how to resolve it, and I wanted to have firm over my own choices. I was at a community conference with 50 Black ladies organizers who were not purchased the neighborhood solar movement. It felt like a lightbulb had actually turned on for me once I started to describe how critical and urgent it was for us to be a part of the solar motion. I started demonstrating how higher-income communities and individuals in the residential areas were benefiting from sustainable tax rewards and had actually received a load of support. The truth is, energy use effects Black family budget plans significantly. 36% of Black families experience a high energy problem, implying they spend over 6% of their earnings on house energy bills. Thats a massive percentage. To be able to use a product that will conserve our community approximately 60% on their energy costs is transformative.
Inform us about your company?
WeSolars mission is to bring under-resourced neighborhoods budget friendly access to regional neighborhood solar and to assist industrial properties with energy effectiveness. WeSolar introduced in Baltimore and will broaden to other cities in the future. Through WeSolar, electrical energy consumers can purchase shared solar from a local job without needing to install any equipment in their houses. In turn, residents save hundreds on their electrical energy expenses. In Maryland, lawmakers passed legislation that mentions 50 percent of its electricity must originate from sustainable energy sources by 2030.
What challenges do you deal with? Why?
To a community that is currently facing so many pushing challenges, encouraging them that there is another one simply as essential is extremely hard. I keep in mind trying to explain community solar to my friends and the conversation quickly rotating to housing.
Please share with us a current business success story.
When I first moved to Baltimore, the Community Solar Pilot Program was launched, and I wanted to ensure city homeowners were getting the very same quantity of investment as the county. Eco-friendly energy has actually historically been a middle-class concern because Black neighborhoods have actually had to live in survival mode, but Reverend Mason and Reverend Dewitt brought me into the circle and connected me with the individuals I required to connect with in order to make this collaboration effective.
For more information about WeSolar check out wesolar.energy
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