Team About the Library History of the Library The Library started when NFE was a company of just 3 people to make sharing information efficient and easy. We knew that future NFE team-members wouldn’t be able to see emails about process changes that were being sent before they joined and that most of the people who would eventually join NFE likely hadn’t even heard of us yet. This Library was our way of ensuring that all of our company information was accessible to everyone regardless of when they became part of the team. Advantages At NFE our Library is extensive and keeping it relevant is an important part of everyone’s job. It is a vital part of who we are and how we communicate. We established these processes because we saw these benefits: Reading is much faster than listening. Reading is async, you don’t have to interrupt someone or wait for them to become available. Talent Acquisition is easier if people can see what we stand for and how we operate. Retention is better if people know what they are getting into before they join. On-boarding is easier if you can find all relevant information spelled out. Teamwork is easier if you can read how other parts of the company work. Discussing changes is easier if you can read what the current process is. Communicating change is easier if you can just point to the page history. Everyone can contribute to it by directly editing a page. One common concern newcomers to the Library express is that the strict documentation makes the company more rigid. In fact, writing down our current process in the handbook has the effect of empowering contributors to propose change. As a result, this Library is far from rigid. You only need to look at the Library home page to see the evidence. Every attempt is made to document guidelines and processes in the Library. However, it is not possible to document every possible situation or scenario that could potentially occur. Just because something is not yet in the Library does not mean that it is allowed. Aaron Tushabe is the primary custodian of the Library, please talk to him in the #general channel on Matrix if you're unsure about something concerning this Library.  Library Interpretation The Library is subject to interpretation. We do our best to be as clear as possible to minimize confusion and/or misinterpretation. We also recognize that we have a global audience and that may bring different interpretations. If you have any questions or need further clarification please check with the content owner of any given page. When in doubt please reach out and ask. Remember that everything is in draft at NFE and subject to change, this includes our Library.  We rarely mark any content or proposals as drafts. Everything is always in draft and subject to change. When everything is in draft, contributions from team members as well as the wider community are welcomed. By having everything in draft and assuming others have low context, confusion can be reduced as people have shared access to information. 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 Culture, Vision and Values What you can expect from our culture and distributed work environment. Vision, Strategy, Key Results Vision Thriving Communities  Strategy  Advancing Sustainable, Reliable, Affordable Energy through resilient Community Owned Microgrids. We build and operate these microgrids and teach others how to do the same.  Key Results  Completed Find Partners and advisors and cofounders Dansturn - Grid Operations  Hillary - Metering Technology  Michael Goldbach - Advisor  Attend Microgrid Conference in Dallas, April 2025 and connect with the community Register NFE as a Utility Company in Uganda  Set up collaboration tools for NFE team Email and Calendar  Wiki / Documentation Time tracking  Website  Group chat  Video calling   Meeting Scheduling   Version Source Control   Customer Help desk  Customer Relationship Management (CRM)   Project Management  Evaluations and sourcing for Metering Partner  Payment Processing Provider  Now Pilot microgrid in a small community of 8 to 10 homes Bulk (discounted billing) through UEDCL  Test smart metering hardware  Test monitoring and steering software for meters  Test customer post paid billing  Connect with Linux Foundation energy community for collaboration on Microgrid software  Find hardware partners in China  Connect with 2 potential customers  Bugolobi flats  ?  Publish one or two knowledge base articles  Share about Smart metering (finding a vendor and deciding on communication protocols)  Payment/Vending systems: Evaluating uganda's online payment ecosystem Financial Transparency - Publish our finances on open collective  Next Bellavista microgrid  1st customer onboarding (sign MOU)  Enable smart metering  Enable customer post paid billing  Introduce BESS for Pilot customer  Test power backup offering  Later Enable BESS for Bellavista  Enable Solar PVs for Pilot  Start using open source software for running the microgrid  Collaboration Tools Overview This page contains useful tips for working at NFE and for various tools we use. These tools can be found at dashboard.NearlyFreeEnergy.com Email and Celandar with NextCloud  Email and Calendar  Documentation with Bookstack  Wiki / Documentation   Kimai for Time tracking  Time tracking  Company Website with Wordpress  Website  Group Chat with Matrix and Element  Group chat  Code Repository with Gitea  Version Source Control   Customer Help desk with Freescout  Customer Help desk  CRM with Espo  Customer Relationship Management (CRM)   Project Management with Plane You can access plane here and their documentation .  Video Calls with Jitsi Jitsi is an important part of GitLab’s strategy for communication between team members. As such, extra care needs to be given to ensure the safety and integrity of data. For how to use Jitsi, refer to their official documentation Scheduling Meetings with Calcom Most of our work is asynchronous but we'll occassionally need to meet with each other and with external stakeholders. This is what Calcom is for. It's Free Software like most of our tools so you can search online for more information on how to use it. Here's how you can set up your NFE account.  In Nextcloud Calendar, hover over the link icon to the right of the calendar in question, e.g. Personal, and you see an edit icon. Click the edit icon: You'll see a pop-up like the following. You will want to click the + for "Share link" and then clck the resulting clipboard icon that copies the link to the clipboard: Then, you'll want to go to your Cal.com pop-up for configuring CalDav and paste the link: Then continue the process of connecting to your Nextcloud calendar via CalDav, confirming event creation: Complete the remaining steps. You can leave video settings for later. Confirm your availability times. Add a profile photo / avatar. Values Collaboration We are better Together: If you want to go quickly, go alone but if you want to go far, go together Curiosity Always learning, frequently questioning and listening.  Community  Default to Openness. We want to learn and build in public so that others who care about what we are working on can also learn and consider contributing to our mission. They'll be a few things that need to be private like our customers contact information but we aim to be open about how and what we are working on. So when in doubt, just share it. People first Relationships count most, invest in them. We want to give reach other room to center our lives around family and friends, not our jobs.  Managers of One People need to be reminded more often than they need to be instructed. What it means to be a manager of one .  Culture - how we work Most of our work is asynchronous, this is the best way for people in different timezones, schedules and places to effectively collaborate. The people at Gitlab wrote a good guide on asynchronous work , please go read it.  Here's some tips from Aaron Lean on element/matrix to start conversations about something you are inclined to "have a meeting or call" about. You'll be surprised by how much progress you can make on something without scheduling a meeting. Expect that progress might feel slower than having everyone in the same room at the same time.  You need to get better at writing your thoughts and ideas out. We really very heavily on written communication to collaborate  If you have an idea or suggestion, make use of our bookstack library and create a page for it as we discuss it.  NFE is a Social Venture! Our Identity We, Nearly Free Energy (NFE) , operate as a social enterprise — a mission-driven business committed to providing affordable, sustainable energy solutions while generating profit in a responsible and inclusive manner. Our Purpose Nearly Free Energy exists to: Advance access to sustainable, reliable, affordable electricity for every community; Support energy independence and resilience through microgrid innovation; Create local economic opportunities by empowering households, cooperatives, and small businesses to manage their energy needs Our Core Principles We are guided by the following values: People-Centered Impact We prioritize the needs, dignity, and aspirations of the communities we serve. Our solutions are co-designed with our users, and we strive to create long-term value and inclusion. Environmental Stewardship We commit to environmental sustainability in our products, services, and operations — advancing renewable energy efficiency solutions to reduce reliance on fossil fuels. Financial Sustainability We operate for profit to ensure our longer-term viability. We reinvest earnings in innovation, infrastructure, and impact — balancing financial returns with social outcomes. Transparency and Accountability We share our goals, progress, and challenges openly with our stakeholders. We maintain integrity in our dealings with customers, employees, partners, and investors. Community Partnership We build local capacity and respect local knowledge. We collaborate with community organizations, public agencies, and other enterprises to maximize shared value. Governance and Decision-Making Our leadership team is accountable for balancing financial, environmental, and social performance in all major decisions. Impact and profit are both KPIs in our internal planning and reviews. We welcome regular feedback from our customers, partners, and employees to help shape our direction. Reporting and Learning We will publish a Social Impact Report at least once a year to document progress toward our mission. We will share lessons learned, challenges faced, and areas for improvement in line with our commitment to transparency. Our Long-Term Vision We envision a world where energy is: Sustainable — powered by renewable resources Affordable — enabling families and businesses to thrive; Community-owned — unlocking local prosperity and autonomy. Till every community can sustain their energy needs. Co-op Resources from Startup.coop We also encourage you to check out our  free Lean Co-op course  if you haven’t already and see if there are local resources within the  Cooperation Works  network who can continue to help you refine your vision!  We have also listed advocacy, technical assistance, financing and general startup resources on the  build  and  resource  pages of our website.  And have provided a list of additional resources below: Network for Developing Conscious Communities DC and Baltimore CoopNomics Academy Solidarity as a Business Model: a Multi-Stakeholder Cooperative Manual Webinar on Worker Self Directed Nonprofits: Workplace Democracy in Nonprofit Organizations Co-op Law: Resources for Worker Cooperatives Establishing a Worker Cooperative for Business Succession Planning Becoming Employee Owned: a Small Business Toolkit Think Outside the Boss: How to Create a Worker-Owned Business The FCI Guide to Starting a Food Co-op A Technology Freelancer's Guide to Starting a Worker Cooperative Glossary PDU - Power Distribution Unit  DCU - Data Concentrator Unit  LV - Low Voltage  IPC - Insulation Piercing Connector  CT - Current Transformer  ByLaws Welcome This work, "NFE Bylaws", works as the operating agreement for Watt Works Foundation Limited and is a derivative of "Ampled ByLaws and East Bay Permanent Real Estate Cooperative Bylaws" by theselc.org, used under CC BY-SA 4.0. Our Bylaws This is the guidebook for NFE. This document explains how shared ownership model works, how decisions are made, and how profit is shared. These Bylaws provide guidance for Watt Works Foundation Limited (dba NFE), our desire is to empower each other to steward NFE's vision well and go beyond simply following the letter of the bylaws.  We think having the ByLaws in place can be a helpful safety net when conflict inevitably arises but we expect and encourage 1:1 conversational deliberations rooted in our values to be the first tool we reach for to resolve conflicts peacefully.  Mission and Values Mission We are here to advance energy resilience using community owned sustainable energy microgrids.  Values  Collaboration We are better Together: If you want to go quickly, go alone but if you want to go far, go together Curiosity Always learning, frequently questioning and listening.  Community  Default to Openness. We want to learn and build in public so that others who care about what we are working on can also learn and consider contributing to our mission. They'll be a few things that need to be private like our customers contact information but we aim to be open about how and what we are working on. So when in doubt, just share it. People first Relationships count most, invest in them. We want to give each other room to center our lives around family and friends, not our jobs.  Managers of One People need to be reminded more often than they need to be instructed. What it means to be  a manager of one .  Five dysfunctions Our values also help us to prevent the five dysfunctions : Fear of conflict Seeking artificial harmony over constructive passionate debate => prevented by transparency, specifically Managers of One   and Collaboration.  Absence of trust Unwilling to be vulnerable within the group => prevented by Collaboration, specifically People first.  Avoidance of accountability Ducking the responsibility to call peers on counterproductive behavior which sets low standards => prevented by Community.  Inattention to results Focusing on personal success, status, and ego before team success => prevented by Managers of One Lack of commitment Feigning buy-in for group decisions creates ambiguity throughout the organization => prevented by Community and Managers of One Some dysfunctions are not addressed directly by our values; for example, trust is not one of our values. Similar to happiness, trust is something that is an outcome, not something you can strive for directly. We hope that the way we work and our values will instill trust, instead of mandating it from people; trust is earned, not given Ownership NFE is owned by the community of people contributing to NFE's mission.  Owners or Members Owner-member is the term we use to refer to people NFE recognizes as owners or members of the NFE co-operative. Each ownership category elects at least 1 and a maximum of 2 representatives on the NFE board. Each board member serves a 2 year term, they serve for a maximum of 2 terms.  Owner-members take on 3 main categories. Some members can be recognized within more than one category.  Workers Workers contribute by investing time and skills to NFE activities they are hired to complete. They make most decisions about the day to day operations of NFE but their board representatives vote on the major decisions Becoming a Worker-Owner requires 3 things  Work and report at least 240 hours or 6 months, whichever comes first. This work needs to be regular ie at least 5 hours per month.  Agreement to the NFE ByLaws Approval of at least 2/3 our current worker-owners  Funders  Funders contribute money to an NFE microgrid project.  Their board representatives vote on major decisions  Becoming a Funder-Owner requires 3 things Fund at least 10% of the cost Phase 1 of a given microgrid Agreement to the NFE ByLaws Approval of at least 2/3 our current funder-owners  Customers Customers contribute by using and paying for energy via NFE's microgrids  Their board representatives vote on major decisions  Becoming a Customer-Owner requires 3 things Contributing for at least 12 consecutive months  Agreement to the NFE ByLaws Approval of at least 2/3 our current customer-owners  Please note that NFE membership voluntary. Individuals or organizations can be funders, workers or customers and chose not to apply for member/ownership.  Responsibilities of Owner-Members Active participation in NFE activities as prescribed by their membership category Voting on admission of new members  Benefits of Owner-Members  Influencing Major NFE and NFE microgrid decision Annual Surplus sharing Workers -  equal share of NFE's surplus (NFE is a worker-member of every microgrid we operate) Customers - proportional share of respective microgrid's surplus, proportional to their contribution Funders - proportional share of funded entity's surplus, proportional to their contribution.  Existing owners get right of refusal to opportunities for new membership as workers, customers or funders.  Suspending Membership  Ownership is suspended if an owner-member stops contributing and is given at least one warning.  Ownership is suspended if an owner-member dies or is dissolved or closed in the case of an organization owner.  The Board otherwise expels an Owner on grounds of actions contrary to the mission and values, as long as the Board uses a consistent, fair, and reasonable procedure for expulsion (provided in writing to the Owners) that gives an Owner a reasonable period of time in which to explain or correct a problem.  Non Owner Community Members  Not all our stakeholders are currently eligible for becoming members but are still part of the community so theoretically could be owners in the future.  Suppliers - NFE partners with organizations like UEDCL (Macrogrid operator in Uganda), Calinmeter Co a metering supplier and Linux and EnAccess foundations are key software partners. We would like to include them as members but are get to craft a model to that effect.  Regulators - Electricity Regulatory Authority (ERA) and Uganda National Beurou of Standards (UNBS) are also key stakeholders and part of our community but are currently not eligible for membership. Advisors - We have a board of advisors who provide guidance on our business, technology and people model. We may compensate these advisors for their time but they are currently not eligible for membership.  Donors - These have gifted the co-op resources in cash for in-kind. eg Energy IoT Board of Directors This group are the guardians of the NFE mission. They help steer and make all major decisions.  Board Members  All board members except the CEO are elected by the owner-members  The Board generally stewards the process by which work is carried out, as opposed to directing the substance of the work.  CEO is hired by NFE workers and approved by the board  Responsibilities  Regularly reviewing financials and financial decisions, changes to employee compensation, and periodic budget review. Monitoring compliance with the law. Reviewing internal policies adopted by Workers. Providing feedback and guidance to workers and Making reasonable inquiry into any concerning activities or decisions by workers. Intervening when the NFE's members engage in overly risky or illegal activity Board Elections Happen every time a board position is open.  Board terms are a minimum of 1 year and a maximum of 2 years.  Members will serve for at most 2 consecutive terms.  Board member removal  A board member may be removed by the members that elected that particular board member  A board member may be removed if they die or the organization is closed or dissolved.  CEO may be removed by a simple majority of the board members.  Binding NFE The Secretary or Chairperson or CEO may sign a document or make a binding commitment on behalf of NFE. The Board may designate other people through a board resolution, to do the same. Directly Responsible Individuals NFE is a community owned organization but we rely very little on consensus to make most decisions. Directly Responsible Individuals (DRIs) at NFE own particular projects, initiatives, or activity and make most decisions concerning those areas.  What is a directly responsible individual? Apple coined the term “directly responsible individual” (DRI). The idea is that every project is assigned a DRI who is ultimately held accountable for the success (or failure) of that project. They likely won’t be the only person working on their assigned project, but it’s “up to that person to get it done or find the resources needed.” DRIs may be a lead or senior or associate worker. The selection of a DRI and their specific role will vary based on their own skillset and the requirements of their assigned task. What’s most important is that they’re empowered. While the DRI is the individual who is ultimately held accountable for the success or failure of any given project, they are not necessarily the individual that does the tactical project work. The DRI should consult and collaborate with all teams and stakeholders involved to ensure they have all relevant context, to gather input/feedback from others, and to divide action items and tasks amongst those involved. Empowering DRIs It is important to understand that DRIs do not owe anyone an explanation for their decisions. If you force a DRI to explain too much, you’ll create incentives to ship projects under the radar. The fear of falling into a perpetual loop of explaining can derail a DRI , and cause people to defer rather than working with a bias for action. We would much rather foster a culture where DRIs are willing to put their ideas in the open. This enables feedback from a broad range of diverse perspectives, which the DRI can take into account and choose how (if at all) it shapes their thinking. Communication and feedback A DRI should be able to articulate the objectives, check progress and give and receive feedback. This will ensure the DRI can change direction or plan ahead to avoid any setbacks. At NFE we communicate and work asynchronously , you can read more about it on this page . One thing to consider when a DRI needs to give or receive feedback is that they may not be the actual manager of the other members of the team. DRI, Consulted, Informed (DCI) Different organizations use different methods of assigning responsibility; one of the most popular is the RACI Matrix , which outlines who the Responsible-Accountable-Consulted-Informed people should be on a decision or project. GitLab’s implementation of a DRI for decision-making means that we have evolved the RACI matrix to DCI (DRI, Consulted, Informed). The Responsible and Accountable person is the DRI , the Consulted people are those whose opinions are sought, typically subject-matter experts; and with whom there is two-way communication. and Informed people are those who are kept up-to-date on progress, often only on completion of the task or deliverable; and with whom there is just one-way communication.  Circumstances Requiring the Rare Need for Approvals Decisions that impact more than a single project  Could have large financial impact  Could present significant risk to the business Have business reputation considerations Decisions regarding approval or removal of NFE members, NFE project members and their respective board members as Surplus Sharing What and why After the end of every fiscal year, NFE shall do the following:  Determine available surpluses for each project for reallocation. Allocate some or all surpluses to members, following the procedures described under “How Surplus Is distributed”. If, instead of surpluses, there are losses, the losses will be allocated in any manner that the Board determines to be fair and equitable, in consideration of the circumstances leading to the loss. How Surplus is Distributed Books are balanced for each project under NFE as well as NFE itself.  NFE will propose to the board on how to invest the surplus in any of 3 ways in order of priority Every project will first pay back the principal contribution from all it's funders.  The project will then consider how much to reinvest back in the project expansion  Remaining surplus per project is distributed to it's members equally (workers) or proportionally to contributions for funders and customers.  Will & Testament How NFE will close  Any proposal to sell, dissolve, or liquidate NFE or it's projects must be approved by 2/3 of the board. In such an event, after paying or adequately providing for all debts, liabilities, and repayment to contributors, NFE shall make payments in following the procedures described under “Surplus Sharing” Defending and Compensating members NFE shall have the power to indemnify its Workers, Customers, Funders and their agents to the fullest extent permitted by law. NFE shall compensate a Worker, Customer or Funder for any expenses incurred from lawsuits, penalties, fines, and costs of defense if the person incurred these expenses in connection with fulfilling their duties as a Worker, Customer or Funder. This is also called “indemnification.” However, NFE is not obligated to “indemnify” a person if such expenses arose from a situation where the person stole funds, knowingly received funds they were not entitled to, intentionally committed a crime, or recklessly or intentionally harmed NFE or its members. Changing Bylaws Prior to the first Board election, these Bylaws may be changed by approval of a majority of Initial Worker-Owners. Once a Board has been elected, with exceptions listed below or on a specific Bylaws page, these Bylaws may be changed by approval of 2/3 of Board at a duly called Owner meeting, or by 2/3 of those voting by electronic ballot duly submitted to Owners, so long as a quorum participates. All elections should provide at least 15 days prior notice.  Exceptions include: Changes to the Bylaws (including formatting changes) not affecting the decision-making power or financial rights of Members may be made by approval of 2/3 of the Board. Each time a page in the Bylaws is amended, the Board Secretary will email a copy of the new Bylaws to all Owners, and will put the Bylaws on the NFE Library. The Library will include an archive of all old Bylaws. NFE's Library software (bookstack) will be used to maintain revision history and comments for more context on why each change was made.  Ownership (Membership) This project is community owned as per the model described  here .  This the membership for NFE co-operative.  Funders  Tushabes -  12,027.86 USD Arindas - 1,000 USD Kimbowas - 1,000 USD Workers  Dansturn Kimbowa - L3 Hillary Arinda - L3 Aaron Tushabe - L3 Customers  Non eligible yet  Membership Workers  Founding Team Dansturn Kimbowa  Hillary Arinda  Aaron Tushabe  Funders  Danturn and Ethol Kimbowa  Martha and Aaron Tushabe  Hillary Arinda  Customers  Sezibwa Homes Samuel Kisakye  Juliet N. Sezibwa  Peter Ntale  Wataba Samuel Jackie Nabisere Chicken Masters - Office  Robert Irumba Stephen Nganda Derrick Katwesigye Ronald Babalanda Advisors  Sumaya Alba Joel Elaine Roadmap Now  Optimize Phase 1 Operations for Sezibwa Rentals Billing 2.0: Improve invoicing with MBE - Aaron/Hillary Metering 2.1: Improve metering with Realtime Monitoring - Hillary  meter reading cron job  Customer App for user monitoring Business As Usual - operations: Customer Support, Billing, Taxes - Aaron Phase 2 for Sezibwa Rentals  Fundraising for Batteries - Aaron  Storage 1.0:  Locally source LFP battery and inverters - Dansturn Energy consumption and outage profiling - Samson Scaling from 10 households to 100 households  New Product: Submetering  Interconnection process: Code 2.0 applications Interconnection application for 2 sites Kyanja - Not yet started  Pearl Marina - In-progress Kyaliwajala - Not yet started  Next  Fundraising for NFE growth for the next 2 to 3 years - Equity Investors: Break down here .  Metering 2.2 OpenEMS integration  Billing 2.1 CRM and billing with MPM  Storage 2.0: Using OpenEMS for Battery and inverter monitoring - Aaron Later  NFE Platform (metering, storage, solar) for other energy developers (similar to weEMS ) NFE partners (NFE platform as a service)  New Product: Single Home Backup version 1.0  NFE Pilot in the US (we see here and we have NFE community members based in the US) Discovery: Water Outage Backup for Communities Unlimited Drinking water - Using reverse osmosis systems for homes Community wide Wifi networks  Released Sezibwa Rental Homes; Phase 1 Metering version 1.0 (based on Calinmeter and CalinAMI)  Billing version 1.0 (based on custom spreadsheets tariff calculations, Whatsapp for communication and URA's EFRIS for invoicing) Metering 2.0 Locally sourced meters from Chint   Access to data from Chint meters is also open (they are programmable)  Financial Model Game plan - Q2 🎯 The 3 Goals Microgrid unit economics model Fundraising narrative Stress test your monetization models (Owned vs Partner) 🧭 Phase 1 (Week 1–2): Build Financial Clarity (Foundation) 1) Microgrid Unit Economics Model What you’re building A per-site financial model that answers: “If we deploy one microgrid, does it make money?” Step 1: Define core inputs Start simple (don’t overcomplicate): Costs (CapEx) Battery (e.g., 10kWh setup) Inverter Installation (+20%) Metering hardware Any fixed setup costs Revenue Avg monthly revenue per household Number of households (e.g., 10 → 100 → 360) Tariff (or effective price per kWh) Operating costs (OpEx) Maintenance Staff/ops allocation Platform/software (NFE OS) Losses / non-payment buffer Step 2: Build outputs You want 5 key metrics: Monthly revenue per site Monthly profit Payback period (months) Gross margin (%) Cash flow over time Step 3: Answer key questions How long to recover CapEx? What happens if:   Usage drops 20%? Costs increase 15%?   What is your minimum viable scale per site ? Deliverable 👉 A simple Google Sheet model (I can help you structure this next) 🧭 Phase 2 (Week 2–3): Stress Test Your Two Models Now apply the model to your two strategies: Model A: NFE-Owned Microgrid What to evaluate Total capital required per site Revenue collected directly Payback period Cash constraints (how many sites you can deploy) Key insight you want: “How fast can we scale before we run out of cash?” Model B: Partner-Owned Microgrid What to evaluate Your revenue:   Flat fee per customer +5% of electricity sales   Your costs:   Ops + maintenance   Key insight: “Is this a high-margin, low-capex business?” Compare side-by-side Metric NFE-Owned Partner Model Capital required High Low Margin High (long-term) Lower but steady Risk Higher Lower Speed of scale Slower Faster Strategic output You should be able to say: “We lead with Partner model to scale fast” or “We prioritize Owned model for long-term value” 👉 This becomes core to your pitch 🧭 Phase 3 (Week 3–4): Build Your Fundraising Narrative Now turn your numbers into a story investors understand 1) Problem (you already do this well) Unreliable grids Diesel backup risks Growing urban demand 2) Solution (tighten this) “Community microgrids that turn backup power into primary infrastructure” 3) Business Model (now backed by numbers) Use your model to clearly show: Revenue per site Margin Payback 4) Traction Pilot (10 homes) Phase 2 (100 homes) Pipeline (360 apartments) 5) Scaling Strategy (THIS is key) From your analysis: Example: Phase 1: Pilot + validate Phase 2: Scale via partner model Phase 3: Selectively own high-value sites 6) Use of funds Your model should let you say: “$300K deploys X sites” “Each site generates $Y/month” “Break-even in Z months” Deliverable 👉 A clean 8–10 slide pitch (or 1–2 page memo) 🧭 Phase 4 (Week 4–6): Add Financial Discipline This replaces what a CFO would start doing. 1) Monthly financial tracking Track: Revenue per site Cost per site Collection rates Downtime 2) Define 5 core KPIs For NFE, I’d suggest: Revenue per customer Cost per customer Payback period per site System uptime (%) Collection efficiency (%) 3) Cash planning (critical) Build a simple view: Cash today Monthly burn Months of runway ⚠️ Critical mindset shift You’re moving from: “We are building microgrids” to: “We are deploying capital into energy assets that must return money” That shift is what investors care about. 🧩 How this all connects Unit economics → proves viability Model comparison → defines strategy Narrative → unlocks capital Tracking → sustains growth