Okra Solar

📢 Are you a Renewable Energy Developer? Have you Applied for the Nigeria Distributed Access through Renewable Energy Scale-Up (DARES)? Applications are still open to Developers to access the Performance-Based Grant to deploy Solar Hybrid Mini-Grids and Standaloned Solar Systems (SAS). Join us as we advance the nation's renewable energy scale-up efforts. Your Guide on Standalone Alone Solar (SAS) Application: https://lnkd.in/ddvJYizb Your Guide on the Solar Hybrid Mini-Grid, PBG Application: https://lnkd.in/dWWUyDcc To Apply Now, Visit https://lnkd.in/dG7HSx63.

A really interesting preliminary analysis by CrossBoundary Group and Tombo Banda! 👏 This post does a great job of outlining a description and key advantages of mesh-grids. Our product team has actually managed to decrease average cost per connection even further, since the mesh-grid in this study was installed in 2023! This can go a long way towards helping mini-grid developers reach even more households and build profitable energy portfolios. We're looking forward to seeing the next chapter of your analysis, Tombo!

How did we get our team to build a 'Product Mindset'? 🤔 It happened in September, where we hosted our 2024 Hackathon in Porto, bringing 40 Okranauts from around the globe together to connect and drive Okra forward. Spanning two weeks, with 15 engaging workshops and 8 new projects, the Hackathon focused on understanding our product, addressing customer pain points, and aligning our resources to better meet their needs. We found ways to increase power sharing, tested new products, began work on scaling our software platform and much more. ⚙️ Beyond the work, the Hackathon also brought us closer together as a team. We bonded over 8 team lunches, 3 dinners, and countless fun activities. We'll be taking these learnings to shape the product roadmap for the next 18 months. Check out the video to find out we achieved, and hear straight from our staff what our Hackathons are really like! 🧩

As we reflect on the incredible year we’ve just had, the growth of our team stands out as one of our proudest highlights. 💡 This year, we welcomed exceptional talent to our Portugal and Nigeria offices, each bringing passion, expertise, fresh perspectives, and a contagious energy to fuel our mission. 🌱 With 13 new hires this year, we're totaling 45 Okranauts now! Take a look - these are some of the faces who are working hard to bring #PowerToThePeople! 

Susan Yang is a key part of Okra’s team in China, and is key to making our Supply Chain process run smoothly, from finding suppliers to working with manufacturers and translating our stringent product requirements between English and Chinese. Learn more about her day-to day here at Okra, and why she loves being part of the team! ⚡️ See yourself starting your own journey with us? We're hiring! https://lnkd.in/gz2YPdu

We're #hiring a new Test Automation Engineer - Electronics in Shenzhen, Guangdong. Apply today or share this post with your network.

It's that time of the year 🎊. Is there a better way to end the year and welcome the holiday season than to look back and see all that we've accomplished? We don't think so. That's why we compiled our yearly stats, wrapped with a nice little bow 🎁 We've just gotten started, and we can't wait to hit the ground running and smash 2025! Wishing you and your family happy holidays, and see you in the new year ⚡️

Mesh-grids cut distribution costs by up to 90%—here’s how 👇 Mini-grids are already decentralized. Now imagine decentralizing that further to increase resilience and reduce the cost of distribution. 🧠 Distributed Generation & Storage ✅ Generation on distributed rooftops means most power is used where it’s produced, only sending excess power over the grid. ✅ Less power over the lines means lower voltages (50V DC) and smaller conductors can be used. ✅ Mesh-grids use 2.5sqmm conductors, which compared to 50sqmm for mini-grids means there's a massive savings made on cables alone, not to mention poles. Other benefits ✅ Lower voltages (50V DC) also mean that it's much safer to operate a mesh-grid. Infact anyone who can install an SHS can safely operate a mesh-grid. ✅ No land acquisition means less wahala and less environmental footprint and compliance for mesh-grids. ✋ Don't be confused by the label "DC mesh-grids", 230V AC power is still enjoyed by each household, powering standard appliances. Mini-grid are best served for areas with high commercial loads like milling. Mesh-grids are an approach that work for surrounding communities who are using general productive use like refrigeration, pumping, electric cooking. Mesh-grids are helping mini-grid developers increase the total number of communities being served by having more tools in the belt 💪 We'd love to answer any more technical questions and get down and dirty in the details with you - just hit us up!

Do you DARE? ⚡️ How exciting is this? DARES is officially out, and for the first time ever, mesh-grids are included in a government subsidy program! A huge shoutout to REA Nigeria and The World Bank for working tirelessly to make this historic $750M program a reality. We're working with some of the biggest developers in Nigeria to be the first to submit pipeline applications under DARES. If you want to design a mesh-grid pipeline (there's more than 1.3M connections in Nigeria that will be eligible for mesh-grid subsidy!) please contact Markus van der Merwe and we'll happily have a chat to see how we can energize more houses under DARES 💡

6,000 households installed in just 120 days—with only 6 trained technicians and 36 local installers. How could you make this a reality? ⚡ Markus van der Merwe has shared a detailed presentation on how Okra’s mesh-grid technology enables installations at this incredible speed. Watch it below. With mesh-grids: 🟢 Households can come online in a sweeping fashion, with lights coming on as they're installed, without having to wait for the entire community to be connected. 🟢 Communities can be fully commissioned within 4-7 months from purchase, ensuring you secure the DARES subsidy well within the 12-month deadline 🟢 The minimum mesh-grid connection that we offer is able to deliver over 3x the energy requirement to receive the second tranche of the DARES Performance Based Grant. Interested in a detailed breakdown or curious how we can customize this approach for your organization? Contact Markus for more info.