PLUG & PLAY
Out of the box plug and play microgrid that works with off-the shelf panels and batteries.
PAYMENTS
Integrate your networks with mobile money operators or crypto wallets to achieve <1% trans. costs*
FLEXIBILITY
We provide metering and backend support for you to operate the business model that works for your customers.
SCALE
24/7 remote monitoring lets you know when to install more panels and batteries so the Okra network grows as families’ needs grow.
SERVICE
Guaranteed 99% uptime and unlimited access to power. Happy days.
Smart & Modular
Okra’s distributed architecture shares solar power down the most efficient route of the mesh, reducing wasted excess power and making power more affordable. System modularity means a small number of households, panels and batteries can be connected to begin with, and the network can grow to match the growing energy needs of the community over time.
The Tech
Okra employs remote monitoring of energy generation, consumption and battery charge levels at all nodes. This enables control of the Okra network to make sure power is being best utilised, batteries are effectively managed and households are charged fairly based on their net power consumption.
Our Partners
Impact Map
Number of units in the production pipeline to be installed by our global distribution partners
Team
Afnan Hannan
Co-Founder / Engineer
Afnan has an academic background in Renewable Energy Engineering and Economics from the Australian National University. Afnan’s mission is to empower the under privileged by enabling access to energy and access to technology. Having worked for various technology companies, most recently Bueno (Australia’s fastest growing IoT start up), Afnan has an appreciation for getting down and dirty in the problem space, human centred design & implementation of innovative technologies.
Damian Veling
Co-Founder / Software Engineer
Damian is a Software Engineer with an academic background in Information Systems and Business. Having developed solutions for a range of industries from workflow solutions for digital marketing technology to managing integrations between hundreds of thousands of IoT embedded devices, Damian is proficient across the full web stack with advanced level knowledge in the Domain and Data Access tiers.
Dylan Lu
R&D Lead
Dylan is an Associate Professor at the University of Technology Sydney and at the University of Sydney, Australia. He has a passion for engineering for humanitarian causes and has over 20 years of experience working with power electronics. Dylan’s current research interests include power electronics circuits design & control for efficient power conversion, power factor correction, renewable energy systems, microgrid and grid-integration. He holds 2 patents, is associate editor of various electronics journals & is author and co-author of over 140 academic papers.
Louis Jolivet
Business Development & Operations
Louis has an academic background in development economics and politics having studied a masters degree in the Political Economy of Emerging Markets at the International Development Institute, King’s College London. Having worked in the startup environment in the past, as well as in sales and logistics focused roles, Louis aims to provide value to business development, social impact assessment and operations functions at Okra.
Oscar Aitchison
Power Systems Engineer
Oscar is an Engineer with a broad range of experience in designing and commissioning electrical power systems. After several years working on the big end of town, including coal fired power plants and large scale electrical infrastructure, he has since directed his efforts towards finding clean, sustainable energy solutions for those who need it most. He is a passionate believer that energy poverty can be eradicated by consumer led, ground up solutions.
Fergus McCracken
Hardware Engineer
Fergus, or “Ferg” (yes, very creative) as he likes to be known, is a hardware engineer with a background in electronics and a passion for getting new products out to market. He has spent 6 years working with Seeing Machines, one of Australia’s most innovative companies and a world leader in the development of computer vision technology. His primary roles have been in electronics product development, covering all bases from requirements definition all the way to high volume manufacturing.
Matthew Smart
Data Scientist
Matthew Smart is a data aficionado. He enjoys spending time meticulously designing, tuning and analysing a database like an elderly woman enjoys reading a Sherlock Holmes novel. He loves getting to the bottom of the mystery. He has completed degrees in Economics & Actuarial Studies from the Australian National University and completed an honours program focusing on systemic risk in Australian banks – by modelling networks and system interdependence. Coupled with his professional experience at the global leader in Insurance and Risk Management, Matt aims to bring all the tools of his trade to the Engineering world to ensure Okra provides end users the maximum benefit from each generated Joule of power.
Nithya Menon
Firmware Engineer
Nithya is an engineer whose expertise ranges from high tech firmware and software all the way to low tech mechanical solutions. She is motivated by applying her background towards empowering marginalized and developing communities world-wide, with a particular interest in water management and energy access. She has employed her rigorous technical background and commitment to people-centered design in India, Myanmar, Cambodia, and Mali, to develop and implement water access and agricultural products and services. At Okra, she builds firmware and works on product design and development strategy.
Thavry Thon
Community Engagement Lead
Thavry Thon, author of ‘A Proper Woman’, is an ambassador for female empowerment and equality in Cambodia. Thavry has a passion for learning and passing her knowledge on, demonstrated by undertaking travel expeditions for countless expats through the most remote parts of the nation. Coming from humble beginnings in Koh Ksach Tonle, at heart Thavry also has an appreciation for the rural lifestyle, free of urban pollution and stresses. Thavry aims to leverage her networks and her understanding of the social benefits of energy access to bring power to the people before the people are forced to go urban.
Get in touch
More Information
For more information on Okra Solar please contact us directly.
Phone: +855 98 549 869
Email: info@okrasolar.com