Bringing electricity to a remote village also means getting the right equipment there before a project can begin. Okra Solar, which supplies hardware and software for electricity networks beyond the national grid, has secured a $7 million borrowing facility from British International Investment, the UK's development finance institution. The money is intended to support equipment purchases for about 150,000 new connections, primarily in rural Nigeria.
Okra's system links neighboring properties so they can share power from solar panels and batteries. The financing lets it buy components before individual customer deals close, rather than leaving developers waiting for supplies. Those connections are a target, not completed installations. The test is whether buying stock ahead of demand can help more small communities get a working electricity network.
Source · empowerafrica.com ↗
