Author: Lacy Cook — Today, we’re continuing our new blog post series, Humans of Uprise! We encounter some incredible people around Washington DC, and we want you to get to know them too. Meet Yashieka Anglin, who went solar with Uprise in October 2023.
A DC Transplant Story
Yashieka was born in Jamaica, and moved to New York when she was nine years old. In 2001, she left the United States Air Force and moved to the DMV for grad school at Marymount University, becoming a DC transplant like so many people in our part of the country. She was accepted into a federal government program as a MBA fellow, and then worked as a senior budget analyst for different departments, including the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the Department of the Interior, and the Department of Labor.
In 2014, Yashieka decided to leave the federal government, seeking a better work/life balance for herself as she raised her two daughters, who are seven and 12. She launched Anglin Consulting Group, and now has supported some of the agencies she worked at in the past. She’s also consulted for several branches of the military as well as multiple District government departments.
“We’re a CBE-certified business enterprise in the federal space. We are an 8(a) service that is veteran-owned, woman-owned, HUBZone. So they call us a unicorn in the industry,” says Yashieka. “I love it. It gives me the flexibility to create a life around my kids. And that’s very important to me.”
DC Highlight: Remote But Still In The City
Yashieka has lived in Virginia, Maryland, and DC, but found her current home in the city. In Fort Lincoln, Yashieka’s family is right on the DC-Maryland border — so close that she has to call 311 from the front of the house, because if she calls in the back she’ll be routed to Prince George’s County.
“We feel secluded, like it feels like suburbia suburbia here, but we’re still in DC, and I like that,” she says. “People live here, and it’s diverse. It’s not home, but I’ve made it a home. And so my girls like it.”
The Experience of Going Solar With A Local Company
Yashieka closed on her house and moved in on the same day back in 2014, and went solar through Uprise’s no-cost option, obtaining a 6.4 kilowatt system without having to put a bunch of money down upfront.
“I did not pay for anything, and people can’t believe it,” Yashieka says. “Like no, you don’t understand. I paid zero cost to have these solar panels installed and I am reaping the benefits. I’m giving back to the environment, and I save money. Who wouldn’t want to do this? But a lot of people don’t know about the program.”
She had a fantastic experience working with Uprise. “I tell Chris this all the time: working with his company was the best,” she says. “Some of the things that we do with the federal government are process improvement and reengineering. We go into an organization, we look at what they’re currently doing, and we propose new ways for them to actually make it better, make it more efficient and effective in how they do stuff. And I said to Chris, you guys hit all the points. I didn’t even have to come in and tell you anything. You guys communicated with me every single step of the way: what was going to be done, what we needed to do, how it was going to be done.”
The solar process went so well that Yashieka also had Uprise install an EV charger for her, and again appreciated all the communication. “Every step of the way, it was like they explained the process as though I was two; not condescending, but to make sure I understood the process from start to finish,” she says.
Going Green With A Family
While solar is a great way to save money, there’s a deeper meaning behind renewable power for Yashieka. “It’s teaching my children how to respect the environment and how to utilize clean energy. They’re growing up in this environment where Mom is doing other things. Like, yeah, I can get a gas-guzzling car — and I don’t knock anyone. I do not knock anyone. That’s your choice. But I’m choosing to do something different. Because they said it just takes one person to make a difference. These are the things we have to instill in the next generation, because it’s going to be their world and what’s going to be left? It’s one household at a time. If we can reach as many families and say hey, there are solar panels for free! Let’s do this.”
Her EV is another way she prioritizes the environment, especially now that she can power it with solar. She waited until she could purchase the EV she wanted: a seven-seater SUV. When she’s driving on conserve mode, she still gets 225 miles. She recently bought an IKEA bed and transported it home in her EV, and when her 12-year-old hosted an impromptu birthday sleepover, Yashieka was able to fit every one of her daughter’s friends in the EV. The family can drive to New York without taking a train, and Yashieka has even found the EV reduces motion sickness for her youngest daughter because it’s such a smooth ride.
Environmental consciousness isn’t just valuable for one family, but for the whole District. “It’s a benefit for DC to have the majority of the buildings in this city powered by solar. They should look at it from a point of gain or access,” Yashieka says. “Another thing too: a lot of solar owners, they don’t look like me. They do not look like me. I’m Black. They don’t look like me. You start having conversations with your peers and saying, ‘Hey, we have solar panels.’ We’re learning about it. We’re sharing it with our community and the community at large and helping them understand.”
Off-Grid Dreams in the Future
Yashieka’s raising her girls here in DC, but when they grow up and move out, she’s headed to Puerto Rico.
“It’s still part of the United States, but when you go there you feel like you’re in a completely different country, and I love it, it’s just really easy going,” Yashieka says. “San Juan is still built up where you can find things readily available, but if you want to go to the country, you go to the country. We go there because my girls are Cuban, Puerto Rican, and Jamaican, and I want to make sure they stay connected to their roots.”
The family goes every year, and Yashieka has big plans for the future: she’s building an off-grid home with solar and battery cells, designed in such a way where she won’t need to run air conditioning.
“We have to live within our means, and try to leave less of a carbon footprint if we can,” she says. “Most people — again, I don’t want to knock them — most people just kind of close their eyes. Or they’re not conscious about their impact and what it means. Their focus is primarily their happiness. Which is fine, at the risk of: is your happiness at the risk of something else. That’s what you have to think about. Once you get solar, your thought process changes about what your carbon footprint looks like and some of the things you can actually do to help the earth. Because we’re drawing on these resources and we’re not putting anything back.”
Let’s Go Solar, DC!
Are you ready to lower your own carbon footprint? Uprise can help you go solar at no cost just like we did for Yashieka and her family. Check out our blog post on our no-cost solar program, and either call us at (202) 750-5718 or reach out online to ask us your questions and start the solar process.
And be sure to check out our Humans of Uprise page to meet other community members who have gone solar too!