Naim Odeh is the Chief Technology Officer at Kube Energy
Why do you personally work in renewable energy?
It has been my passion since childhood. I also believe that it is our responsibility to save the earth and develop a clean environment for future generations.
I was born and grew up in a small village in Palestine in the West Bank. We used to have electricity for 2 to 3 hours a day by running a small, shared diesel generator with the neighborhood. Diesel was and is still very expensive in Palestine, especially for farmers with low incomes. I was always thinking about this and creating a solution that would help my people get free, cheap electricity without the black smoke from the generator that always bothers me.
The solar cells found on calculators sparked the first hint for me about solar energy. I was 8 when I started my first experiment to power a light using a small solar cell that I removed from an old calculator. I continued my journey with electricity by searching, asking, and using any available resources to understand how these systems work.
I started my professional journey with solar as a trainee electrical engineer with Philadelphia Solar Company in Jordan in 2011.
How does your company engage with local communities?
We engage with local communities by hiring local contractors and laborers for the project’s locations, spreading the culture around renewable energy, and providing almost free electricity to the public service centers (e.g., schools and hospitals).
I usually get engaged with the projects at an early stage, starting with collecting and analyzing the necessary data and information to design the applicable system and continuing through operation and maintenance.
Tell us about a recent or upcoming project. What is most compelling about it?
Our Baidoa solar plant project (in Somalia) serves as the first of its kind in the region. It is a very challenging project, as it is a big project that uses the latest technologies in renewable energy that is being installed in an area that has a lake and complicated logistics services.
How can/do “Peace RECs” support your project development?
Peace RECs support project development by offering funding for the interconnection with local communities in areas where we install our systems, as well as facilitating connections with local organizations and authorities.
What impacts does renewable energy have in the communities where you work?
The biggest impacts of renewable energy include guaranteeing low and more affordable energy costs, providing environmentally friendly systems, and increasing awareness of renewable energy and climate solutions.