Community Checkins Agendas, Meeting notes and recordings for all our meetings Previous Meetings Recorded   NFE Checkin 10/04/2025 NFE Checkin 17/04/2025 NFE Checkin 25/04/2025 NFE Checkin 02/05/2025 Meeting with Uzuzi Meter Supplier 07/05/2025     NFE Checkin - 16/05/2025 Agenda  Metering Evaluation review  Pearl Marina Proposal Review  Company tools Demos  Element (Matrix)  Kimai (Time tracking)  NextCloud (Calendar and Email)  Bookstack (Team Documentation)  Action items  Prepare Fundraising update for next meeting - Aaron Ordering meters from Top 3 providers - Aaron  Need to locate manual for China Brandless meter - Dansturn  Nansana Site inspection Open questions for next meeting - Dansturn  Find out process for requesting/applying for bulk/sub meter from Umeme  NFE Checkin - 23/05/2025 Payment System Evaluation Design of Sezibwa Rentals Microgrid  Need to a separate switch to turn Umeme on/off May need bypass on the inverter too for maintainance  How much last gasp mechanism does the Lora Gateway come with How about meters? What happens before and after power goes off Materials Meters + Lora Gateway  Wiring  Cabinet  Umeme switch on/off - circuit breaker  Civil works - cement  No demos of company tools, keeping it short because Hillary has a hard stop (1.5 hours) Action items  Set up payment page - Aaron Follow up on shopping for materials - Dansturn  Update micro design from notes above - Aaron  Inventory management - How do we keep track of hardware we have - Aaron to propose something  NFE Checkin - 30/05/2025 Agenda  Payment Processor demo AMI demo CalinAMI  MicroPowerManager  Other collaboration tools dashboard  calcom Kimia  BOQ for locally sourced items  Physical layout for Sezibwa Rentals Microgrid  Action items  Pesapal - How to process refunds - Aaron  Check on when money is received on the bank account  - Aaron  What is the process of becoming a 3 phase (bulk metering) customer - Dansturn Include how payments are made  What does UMEME reclaim/own? Meters?  Circuit breakers? Wiring? BOQ feedback - Dansturn Confirm that meter is for Code 10.2 not Code 20  Resize PDU (we need one for 10 meters)  Compare both suppliers instead combining and present both  NFE Checkin - 06/06/2025 Agenda  AMI demo CalinAMI   MicroPowerManager   Other collaboration tools dashboard  calcom Kimai Company Board and Structure updates  Fundraising Updates  Action items  Ownership model - Aaron to present this next week Upload documents to Element/Bookstack - Dansturn Layout of Sezibwa rentals  BOQ excel  6/13/2025 Updates and Action items - Dansturn Purchase the PDU in which to put the meters in the course of next week complete the BOQ Excel with new revisions Receive the meters that arrived from China Application for 3 phase commercial from uedcl Aaron fundraising update to be discussed next week. Collaboration tools to be discussed next week. Expectations for next week MicroPowerManager   NFE Checkin - 20/06/2025 Agenda  Operation Updates  How to apply for Three Phase connection BOQ updates for Sezibwa Rentals  Fundraising updates  We are tracking our finances on open collective. Phase 1: Sezibwa Rentals - funding status  Fundraising efforts - Tracker Other collaboration tools  dashboard  calcom MicroPower Manager -  Toggling Calinmeter on/off  in progress Adding Calinmeters via LoraWAN gateway - In analysis Action Items  Documentation that shows the relationship between the client (Sezibwa Rentals) and NFE. - Aaron can provide MOU  Examples of Postpaid Bills - Hillary + Dansturn Code 10.2 to Code 50 Load Schedule for Sezibwa Rentals - Aaron + Hillary Confirm that the 10.2 meter come with in built phase selector or if we need a phase selector - Dansturn  Meeting early next week    NFE Checkin - June 24th 2025 Action items  Power bank for Gateway - Aaron  Padlocks for gateway - Aaron  Set up Calinmeters and Gateway - Dansturn Conference list needs compiling - Aaron  NFE <> EnAccess Checkin Attendees  Aaron Tushabe - NFE Vivien - EnAccess  Daniel - EnAccess  Meeting link:  https://meet.google.com/rpg-vpmw-zzh Agenda  Introductions Expectations for NFE using EnAccess provided MPM instance for  Sezibwa Rentals Pilot  Daniel: For transparency: We haven't yet had the time to fully clarify and conceptionalise our ToS for MPM, w.r.t SLA/SLO/Uptime promises/Data security, but also pricing to cover the infrastructure costs etc... As a result we currently provide the MPM cloud service this "as-is". Aaron: This is understood and when we are successful with the pilot, we'd like to collaborate on the posibility of agreeing on some Terms of Service or setting up NFE's self hosted instance. I think the community needs an instance to quickly evaluate MPM cheaply and quickly so I'd prefer we collaborate on improving the cloud.mpm.io experience more production ready for new joiners.  Support with Regular Community Calls on MPM/EnAccess projects/materials Let's talk about how I can help, I have ideas but I some questions first Who do you recommend I pair with on this one. I am of the view that initiatives are more resilient if we have more than one human co-owning it so I'd like to have someone I pair with to get this going. I can reach out to Thulie add see if she's up for it  Anything that has been tried in the past that I should consider before proposing something?  NFE overview I have a pitch deck I keep refining  and our bylaws  share more about our ownership model Notes  Quick summary During this meeting, Aaron, Vivien, and Daniel discussed the Nearly Free Energy mini-grid project, the history and current status of the Microgrid Power Manager (MPM) software, challenges related to community adoption and technical implementation, and potential collaboration on pilot deployment and funding sustainability. Action items for Aaron Test and finalize the connection of the newly arrived smart meters with the existing LoRa gateway and the MPM system by the end of the week. Reach out to Truly (community manager at EnAccess) to plan the first collaborative call focusing on MPM pilot. Share detailed documentation of Nearly Free Energy’s funding model and business plans with Vivien and Daniel. Investigate and propose any feature improvements or integration needed for MPM to support Nearly Free Energy’s pilot. Continue applying for grants to sustain Nearly Free Energy operations and explore co-application opportunities with EnAccess. Action items for Vivien Provide continued onboarding and support for Aaron on the MPM platform and relevant documentation. Facilitate coordination between Aaron and Truly for community engagement and calls. Share more detailed information about EnAccess’s current funding, support structure, and pricing policy as it develops. Invite relevant stakeholders from REA Nigeria and Cameroon to join the community discussions and pilot support. Assist in documenting prospective features and integrations for MPM in the public GitHub repository. Action items for Daniel Support Aaron with technical guidance on MPM setup, infrastructure reliability, and data backup processes. Monitor and assist with troubleshooting any compatibility issues between smart meters and MPM, especially regarding Colleen meters. Ensure automated database backups are working effectively on the cloud infrastructure used for the pilot. Help Aaron with understanding MPM functionalities, feature limitations, and contribute to the software documentation. Participate in community management activities and support onboarding efforts for new users like Aaron.   NFE Checkin - July 4th 2025 Agenda  Sezibwa rentals BOQ review Open Questions  How we are funding it NFE will fund it  Kimbowas will contribute 1k to NFE  Arinda will contribute 1k to NFE  Open Collective NFE account Calinmeter AMI Testing results review Outstanding issues  Code 10 application Code 10 bills  Github issues on Micropower Manager  Meeting with Vivien  Action items  Submit Contributions by tomorrow: Dansturn + Arinda  Find remaining balance for Sezibwa rentals: Aaron  Submit expenses for Sezibwa Rentals to Open Collective: Dansturn + Aaron  Follow up with Scott on Last month meter reading feature: Arinda Needed to retry commands a couple of times, why?: Arinda  Build PDU and deploy next week: Dansturn  Code 10 Application: Aaron NFE Checkin - July 9th 2025 Agenda  -  NFE Checkin 11/7/2025 Agenda  Review of Last week's Action items Review of progress on PDU setup  Discuss next steps concerning the power application. Review of Last week's Action items  Submit Contributions by tomorrow: Dansturn + Arinda == Done Find remaining balance for Sezibwa rentals: Aaron === Aaron to update Submit expenses for Sezibwa Rentals to Open Collective: Dansturn + Aaron ==  Pending, Dansturn will submit receipts by Monday  Follow up with Scott on Last month meter reading feature: Arinda == Scott hasnt been responsive. Follow up more Needed to retry commands a couple of times, why?: Arinda == Has dependency on Scott, pending Build PDU and deploy next week: Dansturn == work in progress. to be done by Monday Code 10 Application: Aaron ==. Aaron to update when he wakes up Action items for this week Complete meter assembly in the PDU by Monday 14th July == Dansturn Add stands and secure lock on the PDU and deliver to site by Monday 14th July == Dansturn Pull ABC (1 span) to the proposed service point. By Next meeting == Dansturn Push connection application in tandem with the pending PDU works == Dansturn Follow up Scott again === Hillary NFE Checkin 18/7/2025 Agenda  Sezibwa Homes Phase 1 - Deployment Blockers New CODE 10 application - I tried applying here but I need a Cert Number PDU Deployment Pictures  Communication with Scott: Still unresponsive?  Funding Updates Sezibwa Homes Phase 2 - 5k grant pledged by Energy IoT open source Expense submissions  Action items  Submit all outstanding expenses for Phase 1 - Dansturn Provide Cert Number for Code 10 application (6890377606518) - Dansturn  Share deployment photography on Bookstack Customer contact information collected - Aaron  Complete service cable installations - Dansturn  Share Recoverable grant funding agreement with Team on - Aaron  Checkin with Scott - Hillary NFE checkin 26/07/2025 Agenda  Previous action items  Provide Cert Number for Code 10 application (6890377606518) - Dansturn  Share deployment photography on  Bookstack Customer contact information collected - Aaron  Complete service cable installations - Dansturn  Share Recoverable grant funding agreement with Team on - Aaron  Checkin with Scott - Hillary New items to discuss Demo Self serve portal for UEDCL  Application approved notice  Recoverable grant agreement Template Pictorial Phase 1 Dansturn meeting with Vivien follow ups  Issues for Sezibwa Homes Umeme Meter box installed outside fence - is this an issue  Calin AMI bugs - can we launch with them Next steps Capture customer names and contacts - assign meters  Umeme billing portal - How will be get our monthly bill and how are we expected to pay Action items  Submit all outstanding expenses for Phase 1 - Dansturn Customer contact information collected - Aaron  Complete service cable installations - Dansturn  Schedule follow-up call with Vivien - Aaron  Autarky (Titiana) Follow-up call - Aaron  How to collect data from Chint three phase meter - Aaron/Dansturn NFE <> Power for All - July 31st 2025 Had a meet and great with Joel , Alba and Sumaya from power for all.  They shared plenty of questions and feedback on our model. Here's some resources they shared that I am following up on.  https://www.ze-gen.org/about-ze-gen/ - TBD https://a2ei.org/   Working on an open smart meter we could use. Downloaded their data here and will reach out to Thomas about an open smart meter Oddessy - Battery vendor who may be able to help us with phase 2  Band I invited them to join our advisory team .  NFE checkin 02/08/2025 Agenda  Action items from last week Submit all outstanding expenses for Phase 1 - Dansturn Customer contact information collected - Aaron Done. Entered here and in Calin AMI Complete service cable installations - Dansturn We have an extra home instead of the boys quoter  Schedule follow-up call with Vivien - Aaron  Autarky (Titiana) Follow-up call - Aaron  How to collect data from Chint three phase meter - Aaron/Dansturn Made some progress, it's seeming too costly to get a calin meter that will measure this load, they want to sell us more than just the meter  New items  Fundraising updates, check the tracker Energy IoT and battery + inverter donations They have a battery (20kwh) for us but we need to ship it in from USA  She has an inverter for us, it's an 8kw inverter though  She will be drafting an MOU to communicate what EIoT needs out of this engagement Applying for an EU grant (100k to 250k Euros) with EnAccess + Another company  Business development Published a tracker for potential customers , I will be following up on those next week.  Setting up MicroPower Manager Still running into some issues that I am sharing with EnAccess on Discord . We will launch without it and enable it later Updates from Location in Nansana Meter should have been installed  We are using UEDCL downstream breakers  We will not use the customer's solido  Safety risk if the solido is live - we need to terminate it - how? Calin AMI open issues  New Action items  Submit all outstanding expenses for Phase 1 - Dansturn Collect National IDs for all customers  Complete service cable installations - Dansturn Follow up on shipping battery and inverter to Uganda by October - Aaron  NFE Mid week 08/06/2025 Agenda  Site layout review Action items  Review cost pf phase selectors and see if we can add them to phase 1.1- Dansturn  Provide meter reference - Dansturn  Reach out to our UEDCL connections - Hillary | Dansturn | Aaron  NFE Checkin 8/8/2025 Agenda  Action items  from Last Week Review cost of phase selectors and see if we can add them to phase 1.1- Dansturn to be shared. Provide meter reference - Dansturn This was provided Reach out to our UEDCL connections - Hillary | Dansturn | Aaron  Meter paid for by Aaron. No meters currently. check meter proposed. Action item still active New updates Hopetelle meters arrived yesterday 7/8/2025 - 10 meters plus their DCU New Actions items Reach out to our UEDCL connections - Hillary | Dansturn | Aaron Review cost of phase selectors and see if we can add them to phase 1.1- Dansturn   Suggestion to power the PDU with one of the existing power sources.- Aaron Get in touch with Hopetelle team about connecting meters to AMI, etc - Aaron Set up around 5 meters with a DCU as we await AMI communication - Dansturn Accountability for the money used for 3 phase extension and installation Umeme meter box, meter - Dansturn | Aaron NFE / SLS Energy / Energy IoT -intro meeting Quick summary During this meeting, Arila, Merci, Léandre, and Aaron discussed a collaboration on an open-source microgrid project in Uganda, focusing on battery storage solutions, battery-as-a-service models, and integration with open-source energy management systems. They explored technical specifications, cost models, and operational challenges related to battery backup, grid outages, and energy trading platforms. The participants also considered opportunities for mentorship programs and local community involvement to support sustainable energy solutions. Action items for Arila Facilitate the sharing of open-source hardware and software specifications (e.g., open BMS, hi-fi APIS) with Aaron and Léandre for integration and testing. Share a diagram of the submetring panel and energy management setup with Léandre and Aaron. Coordinate engagement with local universities and mentorship programs to involve students in the energy projects. Support defining the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that will outline the pilot project's scope and transition to commercial stages. Monitor progress and provide sponsorship funding for battery storage for the pilot project starting by October. Action items for Léandre Provide detailed battery data sheets and specifications for the 48V 2.5 kWh and 5 kWh systems to Aaron and Arila via email. Clarify and confirm the service pricing structure and cost model with Aaron for the pilot microgrid project in Uganda. Share information about current battery monitoring systems and explore integration with open-source BMS and EMS solutions. Assist in logistics and regulatory requirements for shipping batteries within East Africa, especially Uganda and Rwanda. Engage in discussions to define the terms of collaboration and commercial agreements related to battery-as-a-service. Consider sharing technology and expertise for the semi-mobile irrigation battery systems as a potential learning case. Action items for Aaron Share detailed data on current microgrid capacity, battery needs, and outage patterns for community planning. Provide feedback on battery service pricing and integration from Nearly Free Energy's perspective. Collaborate with Léandre and Arila to develop a pilot project plan aiming to start battery deployment by October. Facilitate contact with local community partners and potentially local universities for mentorship and project support. Share research and documentation on grid outage causes and tariff structures with Léandre and Arila. Maintain communications with Léandre and Arila to define the Memorandum of Understanding and commercial framework. NFE Checkin 03/08/2025 Agenda Reach out to our UEDCL connections -  Hillary | Dansturn | Aaron Review cost of phase selectors and see if we can add them to phase 1.1-  Dansturn   Suggestion to power the PDU with one of the existing power sources.-  Aaron Get in touch with Hopetelle team about connecting meters to AMI, etc -  Aaron Set up around 5 meters with a DCU as we await AMI communication -  Dansturn Accountability for the money used for 3 phase extension and installation Umeme meter box, meter -  Dansturn | Aaron Fundraising updates  Battery research updates  Lisencing updates, working with Sam Kizito  Notes Action items  Have a mid week checkin on Wednesday to confirm whether we can connect direcrtly - Aaron Review Hopetele documents to prepare for test connection next Saturday - Hillary  Update Potential customer tracker with new leads - Hillary Apply Certificate of Registration - Aaron NFE checkin August 30th 2025 Attendees  Dansturn Dismas - Green Volta Engineer  Aaron  Agenda  Going live in Sezibwa Microgrid CIUs - do we need them Notes  Dismas: Cables were laid to the Main house, R2 and R3. Connection to R3 was attempted and Meter input voltage was ~220V but output voltage was ~ zero.  Dansturn: Aaron are the relays on Aaron: No, looks like they are off, I did not realize that their default state was off  Dansturn: Dismas can you share photos of how you connected R3 for review  Dismas: I did not take photos, I can go back and take photos today  Dansturn: We need to always take photos, Dismas please make a check list so that you don't forget again  Aaron: I can be available all morning to turn on meters  Dansturn: CIUs, do we need to connect them  Aaron: I don't think so, the CUIs seem to have no use in a postpaid billing world but Hillary thinks customers can use them to check monthly usage but not sure how yet. We may need them later for regulatory purposes but for now, we don't need to install them.  Communication with Customers is in Progress: We shared this overview with them 2 days ago and NFE whatsapp account joined the whatsapp group of the neighborhood to help answer any questions. https://app.simplenote.com/p/tdKJBq VAT registration (and PAYE) was completed this week.  Action Items  Dismas to return on site today and turn on at least 3 houses, Aaron will be available for remote access. Dansturn will be available to confirm physical connection design Hillary to investigate how we can use CUIs  NFE Checkin - Sept 6th 2025 Going live - any blockers and questions  How can we tell if UEDCL power is off? Check the gateway?  Let's ask Calimeter  Action items  Get in touch with Dismas on going live today -Aaron  Find out from Scott about how to change the low voltage cut off - Hillary      NFE Weekly Checkin September 13th 2025 Agenda  Fundraising Updates and requests for review We are live: What next? Operation strategy  Data analytics and reports: how do we take advantage of this  How can we tell if UEDCL power is off? Gateway status will tell us Yaka units Retrospective on deployment What went well What did not go so well  Things we can approve  Phase 1.1: Do we need a new AMI Low voltage on some phases  3 phase meter smart meter for UEDCL connection Game plan for Phase 2  New team members: Nickson  Updates from LF Energy in Conference  How do optimize our costs of materials eg cabling, meters, etc Actions  Schedule retro during next week's mid week checkin - Aaron  Communicating with the Chint Meter - Hillary + Dansturn  Recruiting an Resident Microgrid Manager (5k per hour) - Aaron  Analytics and reports from Calinmeter - What else can we get from Calin AMI - Hillary  URA monthly filling - We need to engage a person - Aaron  Do we need a power backup for the Lora Gateway - Hillary  Compliance and Safety inspection letter from Certified Engineer - Dansturn  Submit expenses from Greenvolta - Aaron  NFE Weekly Checkin September 19th 2025 Agenda  Fundraising Updates and requests for review Game plan for Phase 2  New team members: Nickson  Phase 1.1: How do we resolve phase 1 current issues Phase selector  Reviewing Data from the meters/gateway  Actions from previous meeting Schedule retro during next week's mid week checkin - Aaron  Communicating with the Chint Meter - Hillary + Dansturn  Recruiting an Resident Microgrid Manager (5k per hour) - Aaron  Analytics and reports from Calinmeter - What else can we get from Calin AMI - Hillary  URA monthly filling - We need to engage a person - Aaron  Do we need a power backup for the Lora Gateway - Hillary  Compliance and Safety inspection letter from Certified Engineer - Dansturn  Submit expenses from Greenvolta - Aaron  Retro was conducted: https://ideaboardz.com/for/Sezibwa%20Phase%201%20Retro/5640560 NFE Mid week Checkin September 25th 2025 Sezibwa Phase 1.1 Progress updates  Calinmeter Gateway issues  Billing readiness  Battery / Inverter evaluations updates    Notes  Actions  Collect data for phase issues in Sezibwa - Aaron + Hillary  Manage Calinmeter issues and refocus on new solutions -  Follow up on FenCon battery/inverter pricing - Aaron  Follow up on Gonahasa's Solar/Battery and inverter system - Aaron  NFE weekly checkin October 11th 2025 General Updates  Usage and billing for September : Battery evaluations: we have some local suppliers: See SRNE We have a URA person to help with monthly filling  Engaged a lawyer on Certificate of registration from ERA -  Agenda  Discuss usage and billing issues Postpaid - how is that going  Meter accuracy? UEDCL meter seemed to come up with less than our meters  Lora gateway issues relapsed  Waiting to configure daily report issues when China team is back from national holiday next week  Work involved in invoicing  Phase 2 Budget: We are at about 20m right now - should we begin the fundraising? Tushabe family contributed another ~1800 USD  Tondo and Greenvolta wanted to contribute  Data on usage: still pending Calin AMI issues but we should be able to get it from Daily usage report  Suppliers: SRNE currently looking like the best option  Pending Action items  Compliance and Safety inspection letter from Certified Engineer - Dansturn Visit Nakulabye to complain about bill rates - Aaron  Run last month reports for calinmeter - Aaron  Collect data on phase variance - Hillary Phase 2 next steps - Meter 2.0 testing  Battery + Inverter testing  Budget and fundraising  NFE Weekly - October 18th 2025 Previous actions  Compliance and Safety inspection letter from Certified Engineer - Dansturn Visit Nakulabye to complain about bill rates - Aaron  Run last month reports for calinmeter - Aaron  Collect data on phase variance - Hillary Phase 2 next steps - Meter 2.0 testing  Battery + Inverter testing  Budget and fundraising  Agenda  Fundraising updates and next steps Metering bottle necks  Scope for Meter 2.0 testing Communication with AMI  Test with at least 5 meters  Need a rig with multiple sockets  Action  Check with Calinmeter on status of pattern approval with UNBS - Aaron  Check chint meter + calinmeter readings again for variance in October reading - Hillary  Move gateway outside for a day or two, move it to main house - Aaron  Collect data on phase variance for half week to inform phase selection - Hillary Mount Meters on a rig and deliver test rid to buwate, Hillary's garage - Dansturn / Hillary  Running OpenEMS in a test environment - Hillary + Aaron  NFE Weekly Checkin - October 25th 2025 Agenda  Battery evaluation updates Fundraising Updates  100% paid up for September  We have a mailing list manager (new app)  Action items  Relocate new meters to Buwate Lab @ Arindas - Dansturn Onboard Sevo to help with Data modeling and analysis for battery sizing - Aaron  Evaluate Zembo and other local suppliers for batteries - Dansturn  NFE Weekly Checkin - Nov 1st 2025 Agenda  Fundraising Continues Praxis not successful  Submitted D-Prize (20K)  Up Next Tondo Akampa Tom  Sevo  Energy IoT (fiscal sponsorship at 10% fees)  Kickstarter  Metering 2.0 Working with Energy IoT to set up OpenEMS  Initial ROI Projections for Phase 2 Registering US entity to aid fundraising  Action items  Export Daily usage data from CalinAMI to determine maximum demand - Aaron Possible Pilot for NFE USA - Aaron  NFE Weekly Checkin - Nov 15th 2025 Previous meeting action items Export Daily usage data from CalinAMI to determine maximum demand - Aaron See initial results here, Sevo also committed to doing similar analysis, waiting for his feedback  Possible Pilot for NFE USA - Aaron  Actions Items 10 Hopetele meters with a board today 15th Nov 2025 to be delivered to Arinda's Buwate residence - Dansturn OpenEMS edge on raspberry pi running - Hillary  Confirm installation guidelines from SRNE - Aaron  Detailed breakdown of the Kyanja installation by midweek- Dansturn November invoices breakdown Midweek weekly check-in Thursday 6-7 am Ugandan time NFE Checkin - Jan 7th 2026 Agenda  Roadmap review  Action Items  What will postpaid using Metering 2.0 look like? Will the regulator approve? - Aaron  Can we sell the product we currently have running at Sezibwa? - Dansturn and Aaron  NFE weekly checkin - Jan 22nd 2026 Agenda  Product at Sezibwa readiness Update on Metering 2.0  Funding Updates  Action Items  What will postpaid using Metering 2.0 look like? Will the regulator approve? - Aaron  Can we sell the product we currently have running at Sezibwa? - Dansturn and Aaron  Ask Chint what UNBS approval this smart meter have? - Aaron  Engage Hillary and Abdul for a session to guide on current blockers - Arinda    Modbus security risks report - Arinda  NFE weekly checkin - Jan 29th 2026 Notes    Metering 2.0 Updates: We are ready to test openEMS edge during this Friday's working session Grant applications: we need an Estonian partner for ESTDEV and we need to continue pace of 1 funding application per week  Whole House backup Pricing seems higher but maybe worth the value prop of 24 7 power  Demo Open Solar CRM  Action items  Prepare open solar demo for next week - Aaron  Pitch for Submetering to Lofty Skies customer - Aaron + Dansturn  Review investor readiness checklist - Dansturn  Time tracking reminders - Aaron    NFE Checkin - Feb 6th 2026 Agenda  OpenEMS Fundrasing Update   NFE checkin - Feb 12 2026 Deployment Checklist  Internet connectivity - orange Meter Modbus conversion - orange  BOQ - green  deployment pipeline - orange  Action Items  Prepare hardware for gateway deployment to Nansana - Aaron Sourcing the right internet connectivity device  AI workflow integration in Design/Quotation/BOQs - Dansturn  Deploy gateway and 3 phase meter to Nansana - Dansturn  Get meter unlock script from Hillary Zembo - Hillary NFE Weekly Checkin - March 21 2026 Agenda  Demo for Metering 2.0 Changes Review of NFE business models: https://bookstack.nearlyfreeenergy.com/books/business/page/draft-business-models-for-the-nfe-microgrid-os Action items  Data analysis from most recent dump from about 2 days of Grid meter data - Aaron  Set up local environment (meter + pi ) for testing changes before deploying to production - Hillary  Procedure for commissioning a new meter and setting up to log data - Hillary / Aaron  Serial numbers from Nansana - Dansturn / Dismas  NFE Tech Huddle - April 3rd 2026 Quick summary During this meeting, Aaron, Hillary discussed, the current meter-logging system, data buffering and aggregation approach, deployment pipeline, backup and metadata storage, and commissioning/precommissioning of meters. Action items for Aaron Wrap up gateway deployment repo and onboard Hillary so he can use it going forward NFE Web app integration with real (CSV) data via nextcloud once Hillary has populated sample meter data; coordinate timing for verification. Action items for Hillary Implement and enable the 15-minute buffering and averaging approach (already in place) and ensure exported log entries represent averages for each 15-minute window; document the buffering logic. Adjust the backup/upload timer to start with hourly uploads and monitor cost/performance; report recommended cadence after initial test period. Deploy the meter services to the other production Pi and validate that the metadata folder is populated with meter folders (start tonight where possible). Add a commissioning/precommissioning script that converts meters from the Chinese protocol to Modbus, assigns temporary address 1 for precommissioning, then writes the production address and serial number; document the commissioning procedure and constraints (e.g., stopping services may lock serial port). Onboard Dansturn to execute on this Share the correct metadata/metadata folder link and confirm access is granted to Aaron; reorganize folder structure as discussed (metadata -> customer -> meter folders). Test image building and deployment flow (VM build -> push to main -> CI build image -> manual deploy) and document the exact deployment commands. Test upgrading the client version in a staging environment and report any compatibility/security concerns before upgrading production. Notes: Hillary already demonstrated the buffering (10s sampling, 15-min average) and the backup/upload service; team agreed to start with hourly uploads and scale as needed. Commissioning constraints and Modbus address conflicts were discussed; precommissioning workflow will be created to avoid on-site conflicts. Nfe Weekly checkin - 4th April 2026 Agenda  Review of last week's action items Way forward based on feedback Discuss a little bit about the pre-commissioning process Backup battery updates Chint meter deployment plan Action items feedback Data analysis from the most recent dump from about 2 days of Grid meter data - Aaron - This was done. Preliminary 2-day feedback returned, with concern about the 45kw spikes. needs to be reviewed. Set up local environment (meter + pi ) for testing changes before deploying to production - Hillary- Done, testing would be better with a three-phase meter. Aaron also has a dev PI set up. Procedure for commissioning a new meter and setting up to log data - Hillary / Aaron - draft presented, to be optimized for Nansana Serial numbers from Nansana - Dansturn / Dismas - provided Action items  Procurement of meters - Dansturn  Installation and commissioning - All Battery backup updates - Aaron Tech Huddle - Behind the Meter Connection for each customer NFE Checkin - 11th April 2026 Agenda  Financial Model game plan: https://bookstack.nearlyfreeenergy.com/books/team/page/financial-model-game-plan-q2 Sezibwa Site plan changes for phase 2: https://bookstack.nearlyfreeenergy.com/books/business/page/sezibwa-site-plan-for-phase-2 Demos Pi deployment  Customer App v1 Action items  Complete Kyanja energy/power audit inspection - recommendations - @Dansturn Get specsheets and dimensions for batteries and inverter - Aaron  Decision on physical location of batteries and inverter - Hillary and Dansturn  Data from NFE microgrids - How can we productize this (target for Q2) - Aaron  NFE Checkin - May 16th 2026 Agenda  Metering 2.0 Updates Customer App  OpenEMS Support for DDSU and DTSU  Deployment Automation for the gateway  MBE - Metering and Billing Engine New invoices  New customers Pearl Marina  Kyanja  Kyaliwajala  Phase 2 in Nansana Civil work  Managing Customer Data  Funding / Women Owned Green Business  LF Energy Summit 2026 Metering 3.0 Working with Glenn Action items  Update Customer App to show usage using billing markers  - Aaron NFE Checkin - May 23rd 2026 Last week's Agenda  Metering 2.0 Updates Customer App - successfully demoed OpenEMS Support for DDSU and DTSU - both changes merged. release expected first june 2026.  Deployment Automation for the gateway - Not discussed MBE - Metering and Billing Engine New invoices - Demoed New customers Pearl Marina  Kyanja  Kyaliwajala  Phase 2 in Nansana Civil work  Managing Customer Data - I want the link  Funding / Women Owned Green Business - Green volta totally in (week 2 of 10) LF Energy Summit 2026 - submission underway Metering 3.0 Working with Glenn - prepare for Nairobi workshop Action items  Update Customer App to show usage using billing markers  - Aaron Agenda Metering 2.0 Updates OpenEMS Deployment Automation for the gateway MBE - Metering and Billing Engine New customers Pearl Marina Kyanja Kyaliwajala Phase 2 in Nansana Discussion happening today - happening now Architectural design of the connection Action items  Submit the LF energy paper - Aaron remove dependency of local pc for uploading customer data to superbase for free - Hillary Put  demo together and do some testing on test pi for single phase next week - Aaron Set Dansturn's account up - Aaron BOQ with 1 variable line for the cheaper and more expensive location - Dansturn EnAccess <> NFE Checkin - June 2nd 2026 Attendees Aaron T.  Vivien B. Obinna I. Daniel M. Overview The call focused on whether MPM should evolve to better support grid-connected mini-grids, especially postpaid billing, meter integrations, and monitoring of batteries/solar assets. The team agreed the current direction is promising for the Nigerian mini-grid use case, but emphasized that new capabilities should be integrated carefully so the platform remains technically coherent and maintainable. Why the conversation happened Aaron raised a strategic question: whether the current MPM product is being pushed beyond its original design by supporting grid-connected mini-grids, or whether a new system should be built instead. Vivien and Daniel clarified that MPM was historically built as a mini-grid CRM and later adapted by solar home system companies by the newest work in Mozambique. However, new conversations with REI in Nigeria is increasingly steering it toward mini-grid needs again. Product positioning and strategic direction Vivien explained that MPM’s roots are in mini-grid operations and CRM workflows, not solar home systems, even though solar home system companies adopted it over time. He noted that recent demand from Mozambique and a larger contract in Nigeria are driving more mini-grid-specific work, including OEM integrations, dashboard hardening, and other adaptations. The team also discussed the upcoming PayGo Ops community edition, which may better serve some solar home system users. Vivien’s view was that this does not undermine MPM’s mini-grid identity; rather, it highlights that MPM should keep focusing on the mini-grid segment while remaining open to adjacent use cases where appropriate. Postpaid vs. prepaid metering A major topic was Aaron’s observation that the pilot became easier when the team moved away from a proprietary prepaid meter setup and adopted postpaid billing. Aaron had originally feared that MPM might be too biased toward prepaid workflows, and wondered whether postpaid mini-grid support would require an entirely new system. Daniel responded that prepaid metering is easier to support technically because the abstraction is straightforward: a customer pays, a tariff applies, and energy is delivered. Postpaid introduces more complexity because it requires tracking usage over a billing period, calculating debt/amount owed, and handling billing logic in a less linear way. Daniel said MPM already has some related concepts, but postpaid still requires careful design so the abstractions remain coherent. Metering and data acquisition lessons from the pilot Aaron described the operational problems they faced with a Chinese vendor, Kalin: the meters claimed to support both prepaid and postpaid, but the vendor did not expose meter data directly. Instead, the team had to use proprietary middleware APIs hosted by the vendor, which caused reliability issues, token-lockout problems, slow support response times, and pressure to place larger orders before the pilot was stable. To solve this, the team switched in March 2026 to locally sourced meters that are postpaid-only and expose data via RS-45/Modbus into a Raspberry Pi, which is then connected to the internet through a modem. This setup gave them direct access to meter data, reduced dependency on the vendor, and eliminated the operational risk of needing tokens from overseas just to unlock a customer meter. Aaron also noted that the meters are physically clustered in a single PDU, which makes wired connectivity practical in this pilot. Vivien pointed out that this works for dense apartment-complex style deployments, but would not translate well to rural, dispersed mini-grids where wireless communication is usually more appropriate. Open-source monitoring and OpenEMS integration Aaron said the pilot team had already contributed a plugin to OpenEMS so that usage data from the new meters can be read in real time. He suggested a future model where OpenEMS handles monitoring of meters, batteries, and solar assets, while MPM handles business functions such as billing, invoicing, and customer communication. Daniel and Vivien were receptive to this division of labor. Vivien emphasized that the goal should be integration rather than rebuilding existing open-source tools. He referenced the existing Prospect integration as a model: ideally, MPM should connect with external monitoring systems in a way that lets users move seamlessly between tools rather than duplicating functionality. Battery and solar support Aaron asked whether MPM was originally intended to handle batteries and solar generation data as part of mini-grid operations. Daniel clarified that this was not part of the original core focus. MPM’s main scope has been customer transaction management and business workflows, not system monitoring. That said, Daniel acknowledged that there is a gray area where battery or solar data affects billing, and therefore may need to be integrated into MPM workflows. He stressed that system monitoring should not simply be bolted on as a disconnected feature. Instead, the team should think carefully about where such data belongs, how it is modeled, and how it can be integrated without making the product overly complicated. Billing, customer visibility, and invoicing features Aaron demonstrated the pilot’s customer-facing web app, which lets customers see their usage, estimated bill, and end-of-month projection. The app refreshes automatically every six hours, with manual refresh available. This was intended to reduce uncertainty for customers and let them see charges before the monthly billing cycle closes. He also showed the microgrid manager billing interface, where customer data is imported, billing cycles are created monthly, invoices are generated, and payment links are attached through a payment service. Aaron highlighted this as one of the strongest parts of the pilot and argued that MPM should gain similar invoicing capability, alongside an integrated payment-provider flow and an OpenEMS data source. The group agreed that these were the most concrete candidate features to pursue. Aaron said his team could likely push the payment integration and invoicing work, while also helping define the OpenEMS plugin approach and continuing conversations with Nigerian partners. Nigeria and regulatory relevance Vivien stressed that Nigeria is especially relevant because it has an active mini-grid market, including grid-connected mini-grids, structured regulation, and tariff systems that resemble the use case Aaron is working on. Aaron agreed, noting that Uganda’s regulator is increasingly looking to Nigeria as an example for policy development, and that his team is preparing a paper to make the case for adopting elements of Nigeria’s regulatory framework. The discussion made clear that Nigeria is both a strong market for the problem and a promising source of practical solutions. Vivien also suggested Aaron could observe some conversations EnAccess has with other community members who are focussing on Mini-grids.  Managing codebase complexity and simplification Later in the call, Aaron asked whether there should be a roadmap for removing or disabling legacy features from MPM, since long-running applications tend to accumulate unused functionality. Daniel said the team had spent much of 2025 removing things, but had recently shifted toward adding new capabilities. He agreed that managing complexity is an ongoing concern. Daniel distinguished between two kinds of simplification: user-facing simplification, such as hiding advanced options by default or using more sensible defaults; backend simplification, which is harder because core abstractions like “mini-grid” are deeply embedded in the codebase. Obinna added that from his experience, the team usually receives feature requests rather than removal requests. He suggested that if the roadmap included clearer visibility into unused functionality, he could help identify features that no one appears to use and also warn when something that looks unused is actually used by someone else. Key takeaways MPM is still seen by the team as a mini-grid CRM, not just a solar home system platform. Postpaid support is viable, but it needs deliberate abstraction design. Direct meter integration and open data access are critical for reliable mini-grid operations. OpenEMS is a strong candidate for handling monitoring, while MPM should focus on billing, customer/account management, and payment workflows. The strongest near-term product opportunities are invoicing, payment-link generation, and an OpenEMS data-source integration. The team should continue exploring simplification opportunities, but removal of legacy code or features needs a more explicit process and roadmap. NFE checkin - June 6th 2026 Agenda   Nansana phase 2 - budget review Metering 2.0 - what next  Kyanja phase 1 - updates  Notes and action items  Review phase 2 budget with contractor after the team made adjustments - Aaron/Dansturn Kick-off Pearl Marina and Kyaliwajala - Phase 1 - Aaron  Metering 2.0 - blog post - Aaron  Automated Billing with MBE and Customer App - Hillary  NFE Mid week checkin - June 11th Attendees Hillary Aaron  Agenda  Deploying OpenEMs Recording is here Hillary / Aaron - Tech Huddle - June 29th 2026   Meeting Transcription.txt Recording here NFE Checkin - July 4th 2026 Agenda  Storage 1.0 Nansana Battery Deployment: Ready to go live, waiting for review by Dansturn  Metering 2.0 OpenEMS - what is pending?  Billing 2.0 MBE monthly invoices automated  Ifris invoices still manual but API available: needs work  New customers Kyaliwajala - Not started Kyanja Quoted, pending meter payment  Client also troubleshooting 3 phase connection  Garuga Survey completed, pending quotation  Initial civil work pending: not yet quoted  Funding for next phases not available  May need to get backup locations to help us get to 100 customers.. Right now we only have Kyanja and  NFE annual tax returns Getting accounting help from Esther to file this. May need to switch to a better accounting system  Fundraising and publicity Digital Energy Challenge Submitted - No feedback yet  ERA Symposium postponed to Feb 2027  Power Africa - Need to apply for sponsorship: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSefYPSRGp7ur9f2-FIIYXo56T9WlCswwrue7_1_h6uc34TsDw/viewform IEEE Meet the Entreprenuer: https://ieee-powerafrica.org/meet-the-enterpreneur-competition/ EnAccess OSEA symposium in Rwanda: https://www.oseas.org/attend LF Energy Berlin: pending sponsorship application  Stanbic Bank Women's something?