Making Solar Work for Every Home
In briefAI summary — tap to read
Meghan Wood of Raya Power presents an innovative solar and battery solution designed to make renewable energy accessible to renters, apartment dwellers, and homeowners who can't install traditional rooftop solar. Their modular, plug-and-play pods integrate solar panels with battery storage and can be placed in any sunny outdoor space, connecting directly to appliances without requiring home modifications or utility permits.
Key takeaways
- Raya Power's integrated solar-battery appliances solve major barriers to residential solar adoption by eliminating the need for roof access, home ownership, expensive permits, and large upfront costs.
- The system works by connecting directly to individual appliances rather than the home's electrical panel, allowing it to operate legally everywhere and automatically provide backup power during grid outages.
- Their business model prioritizes partnerships with communities, utilities, and nonprofits like the Environmental Defense Fund to scale impact, including pilot programs in Puerto Rico where grid reliability is critical.
- Early customers report transformative quality-of-life improvements, from the ability to keep food fresh during frequent outages to no longer needing dangerous gas generators.
- The technology integrates proven components in a novel way—the innovation is in making solar accessible through better business models and product design rather than through fundamental technological breakthroughs.
About Meghan WoodMeghan Wood is CEO and co-founder of Raya Power. She previously worked as a management consultant at Bain and with the Nature Conservancy, and holds an MBA and Master's of Science in Sustainable Energy from Stanford University.
AI-generated from the meeting recording — AI can make mistakes, so check the recording for anything important.
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Program: Making Solar Work for Every Home
Speaker: Meghan Wood
We bring you a new program every week on innovation, entrepreneurship, and education and how they contribute to service to others.
Meghan Wood, co-founder of Raya Power, explains how solar power, despite its substantial promise, is still out of reach for many families. In the U.S., even small plug-in solar systems can trigger complex utility rules, shutting out renters and middle-income households. In Puerto Rico, residents face some of the highest electricity rates in the country and hundreds of power outages each year. And in parts of California, high energy costs and an unstable grid leave families vulnerable to blackouts.
Raya Power addresses these challenges with a compact, plug-and-play solar-battery system that can be installed in a backyard in just a couple of hours. It powers critical appliances during storms, helps reduce monthly energy bills, and works for households that can't install traditional rooftop solar. Meghan shares how this approach could democratize access to clean, resilient energy, making it as normal and essential as wifi, while giving communities a reliable solution when the grid fails.
Meghan Wood founded Raya Power to help fill a huge market often ignored by residential solar companies: working class families who rent an apartment and might want to add "balcony solar." Wood aims to address that market by turning home solar into a product or appliance -- modular, plug-and-play, no permits required, and installed in a few hours. Raya Power has raised over $1.2 million and launched three pilots from New York City to Puerto Rico with more on the way.
Members and guests, please welcome Meghan Wood!
To learn more, go to:
https://rayapower.com/
https://www.instagram.com/rayapower_official/
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