DARES SFB Claim Submission Guide

DARES SFB Claim Submission Guide

SOLAR FOR BUSINESS | DEVELOPER PARTICIPATION GUIDE

The DARES Solar for Business (SFB) program uses the DARES Platform powered by Odyssey exclusively. Please read this guide thoroughly for instructions on how to submit your claims to the DARES program.

In addition to this guide, please review the complete Odyssey user guides and FAQs to troubleshoot any issues, or reach out to the Odyssey support team via the support chat box in the bottom right corner of the application.

On this page

  1. Integrate your Systems
  2. Create Claim
  3. Populate Connections Template
  4. Upload Connections Template
  5. Verify your Connections
  6. Submit your Connections
  7. Messaging Program Administrators

1. Integrate your Systems

Before you can verify and submit claims, your systems must be integrated with Odyssey. This program requires two separate integrations: a meter integration so consumption can be measured, and a payments integration so customer payment data is available on your reporting dashboard.

The two integrations

  • Meter integration. Supplies the consumption data for each connection, through the Meter Metrics dataset. Consumption is the basis for remote verification.
  • Payments integration. Supplies the customer payment data for each connection, through the Payments dataset. 

Both integrations are required.

  1. Meter Metrics documentation: https://platform.odysseyenergysolutions.com/#/standard-api/docs/meter
  2. Payments documentation: https://platform.odysseyenergysolutions.com/#/standard-api/docs/payments

Important: live GPS is mandatory for this program

The Standard API documentation lists latitude and longitude as optional fields. For the DARES SFB program they are mandatory. Location is one of the two verification criteria. Every connection you expose must include its coordinates. Connections without coordinates will fail verification.

How to set up your integrations

  1. Expose an endpoint that conforms to the Meter Metrics contract, returning consumption data for each of your connections.
  2. Expose an endpoint that conforms to the Payments contract, returning payment data for each of your connections.
  3. Validate both endpoints using the public Standard API validator.
  4. Once validation passes, create the API Integrations in Odyssey. Select Program-Level Integration as the target.
  5. Confirm that the identifiers you return from both integrations match the Serial Number recorded against each connection exactly. If they do not match, verification will fail even when your data is correct.

2. Create Claim

Once your pre-qualification application has been Selected, you may submit claims on a rolling basis.

  1. Click on Finance > Programs.
  2. Select the DARES Solar for Business (SFB) program to open it.
  3. Click on Claims from the top navigation bar and create a new claim.

Claims are submitted monthly, with no fixed deadline

You do not need to wait for a fixed date. As your meters come online and connections go live, submit a claim for the connections you have made that month. If you connect systems in June, submit the June claim; if you connect more in July, submit a separate claim for July.

Label each claim using the format Month_Year_Company Name. For example, a claim covering connections made in August 2026 would be labelled 08_2026_Company ABC.

Complete the claim information

Click each field to fill out the required information.

  • Asset Name: Enter your claim label using the Month_Year_Company Name format described above.
  • Notes: Not required, but you may enter claim information here.
  • Country: Select Nigeria from the dropdown menu.
  • State: Select the city of your headquarters or distribution center. This field is not essential but must be filled out to proceed.
  • Program: You must add the project to the corresponding program in the Programs field in order to submit your claims. You will not be able to complete your proposal if the project is not registered with the program.

Save your claim.

Note

If the Save button is grey, make sure all fields are completely filled out. Once all the required information is entered, the button will turn green.

3. Populate Connections Template

You must submit proof of customer connections for each system installed in order to receive the grant disbursement.

Download the connections template

  1. Navigate to the Connections module of the claim.
  2. Select the Download Template button to download an Excel template where you can import your proof of customer connections.

Enter 0 rather than leaving a required field blank

Every field marked Required must contain a value. Where a required numeric field does not apply to your connection, enter 0 rather than leaving it empty, or the connection will not be submittable. This applies in the following situations:

  • Total Cost of Deployment and Total Cost to End User, on all Energy as a Service connections, because the customer never buys the system.
  • Down Payment or Connection Fee Amount, where no deposit or connection fee is charged.

A description of the data you should include in each column is outlined below.

FieldInput methodInstructions
Serial Number
Required		Manual input
  • The serial number of the system installed. This is the integration ID Odyssey uses to match your consumption and payment data during remote verification, so it must be the same ID you expose through both Standard API integrations.
  • It must be unique for each row. The same ID cannot be used for more than one system.
Customer ID
Optional		Manual input
  • The unique customer identifier as recorded in your own CRM software.
Customer Name
Required		Manual input
  • Name of the customer or business owner receiving the system.
  • This is the contact person for verification by the IVA, so the phone number recorded below should reach this person.
Customer Gender
Required		Dropdown provided
  • Select Male or Female. Not editable. Content is fixed by the PMU.
Customer Category
Required		Dropdown provided
  • Select either Productive or Commercial. Not editable. Content is fixed by the PMU.
  • Commercial: systems serving MSMEs and commercial businesses and traders, including markets, plazas, and small businesses.
  • Productive: systems supporting productive economic activities, particularly agro-processing businesses and farms.
  • This is a fixed classification applied consistently across all DARES programs, which is what allows reporting across programs.
  • Your selection here determines which Customer Type options are available.
Customer Type
Required		Dropdown, depends on Customer Category
  • Complete Customer Category first, because the options here change based on it.
  • Selecting Commercial shows: MSME.
  • Selecting Productive shows: Agro Processing.
Customer Sub Type
Required		Dropdown, depends on Customer Category
  • Selecting Commercial shows: Market, Plaza, Small Business.
  • Selecting Productive shows: Farm.
Market/Plaza/Farm name
Required		Manual input
  • The name of the market, plaza or farm where the system is installed.
  • Where there is no formal market name, for example an unnamed stretch of roadside shops, use a descriptive name such as the street name, the LGA name, or a locally recognised name for the cluster.
Shop Number
Optional		Manual input
  • The shop, block, or unit number, where one exists.
  • Leave blank where shops are not numbered, which is common for roadside shops and some markets.
Phone Number
Required		Manual input
  • A valid phone number for the customer or beneficiary.
Location (Address)
Required		Manual input
  • House or shop number, where applicable.
  • If you have a standard, searchable address (a street name or similar), provide that, along with any house or shop number. No further detail is needed.
  • Only where no street name or standard address exists should you describe the location in detail: distinct building features, identifying features, and the nearest landmark.
  • Do not repeat the state or LGA in this field; they are captured separately below.
  • Entering only a road or area name with no further detail is not sufficient and will be rejected.
Location (State)
Required		Dropdown provided
  • Select an option from the dropdown. Not editable. Content is fixed by the PMU.
Location (LGA)
Required		Dropdown provided
  • Select an option from the dropdown. Not editable. Content is fixed by the PMU.
  • Please ensure accuracy in this field. Incorrectly located systems will not be funded, and the coordinates below are checked against the LGA during verification.
Latitude
Required		Manual input
  • GPS coordinate data, in decimal degrees. For example 7.47612383624022.
  • No map links. No extracts from a website.
  • Must be unique to each customer. Even within the same compound or building, two installation points cannot be identical.
  • Live GPS is mandatory for this program and is one of the two verification criteria.
Longitude
Required		Manual input
  • GPS coordinate data, in decimal degrees. For example 9.047715847834592.
  • No map links. No extracts from a website.
  • Must be unique to each customer. Even within the same compound or building, two installation points cannot be identical.
Previous Energy Source
Required		Dropdown provided
  • What the customer used before this system was installed.
  • Options: Petrol Generators, Diesel Generators, Torch Lights, Lanterns, National grid, Solar.
SFB System Brand Name (e.g. Deye)
Required		Manual input
  • The name or brand of the solar system installed, for example Deye, Felicity or Luminous.
Installed Solar PV capacity (kW)
Required		Manual input
  • Capacity of the solar PV array installed, in kilowatts.
  • PV capacity only. Do not include battery or inverter ratings.
Battery capacity (kWh)
Required		Manual input
  • Total usable battery storage installed with the system, in kilowatt hours.
Inverter Rating in kVA
Required		Manual input
  • Rating of the inverter installed with the system, in kVA.
Total hours of system power supply
Required		Manual input
  • The number of hours per day the system is expected to supply power.
Total Load to be Powered by System
Required		Manual input
  • The total connected load the system is sized to power, in Watts.
  • This should be consistent with the appliance wattages recorded further along the sheet.
Connected Date
Required		Manual input
  • The date the system was connected and commissioned for the customer.
  • Format the date as YYYY-MM-DD. For example, enter 2026-08-15 for a system connected on 15 August 2026.
Total Cost of Deployment (NGN)
Required		Manual input
  • Total cost of the system to you, including installation and logistics.
  • This applies under Installment. Enter 0 under Energy as a Service. See the worked examples below.
Total Cost to End User (NGN)
Required		Manual input
  • The total amount the customer will pay over the life of the agreement, at prices agreed with the end user.
  • Under Installment this is the downpayment plus all instalments.
  • Use fair market pricing and avoid predatory pricing.
  • Enter 0 under Energy as a Service, because the customer never buys the system and the total depends on how much they use. See the worked examples below.
Payment Mode
Required		Dropdown provided
  • Select the payment model for this connection. Not editable. Content is fixed by the PMU.
  • Lease-to-own/Installment: the customer pays towards owning the system over time.
  • Energy as a Service: you retain ownership and the customer pays for the energy they use, either metered or as a fixed recurring fee.
  • Your selection here determines which Collection Frequency options are available.
Collection Frequency
Required		Dropdown, depends on Payment Mode
  • Complete Payment Mode first, because the options here change based on it.
  • Installment shows: Monthly, Weekly, Daily, Quarterly.
  • Energy as a Service shows: Per Watt, Daily, Weekly, Monthly, Quarterly. Use Per Watt where consumption is metered, or one of the fixed periods where you charge a flat recurring fee instead.
Down Payment or Connection Fee Amount (NGN)
Required		Manual input
  • Under Installment, the deposit paid by the customer at the point of sale.
  • Under Energy as a Service, the one-off connection fee, where one is charged, for example to cover meter installation.
  • Enter 0 where no deposit or connection fee applies. See the worked examples below.
Installment Payment Amount (NGN)
Required		Manual input
  • The amount the customer pays per Collection Frequency period or unit. Read this field together with Collection Frequency, which supplies the unit.
  • For example, 16,700 with Monthly means 16,700 naira every month. 85 with Per Watt means 85 naira per watt consumed.
  • This field applies under both payment modes. Under Energy as a Service, enter whatever recurring amount you charge, whether metered or a fixed fee.
Appliance 1
Required		Manual input
  • Type the name of the main appliance powered by the system, for example Chest freezer, Sewing machine or Rice de-stoner.
  • This is a free text field. There is no dropdown, so enter the appliance as you would describe it.
Wattage 1
Required		Manual input
  • The wattage of that appliance, in Watts.
Hours of Usage per Day 1
Required		Manual input
  • The number of hours per day that appliance is used.
Appliances 2 to 5
Optional		Manual input
  • Four further sets of Appliance, Wattage and Hours of Usage per Day.
  • Complete as many as apply, in order. Leave the remaining sets blank.
  • Record one line per appliance type. There is no quantity field, because more than one of the same appliance in a single shop is not expected.
Installation Photos (link)
Required		Manual input
  • Provide a link to a folder (for example Google Drive) containing 2 to 3 photos of the completed installation.
  • Ensure sharing permissions allow the Program Administrator and IVA to view the folder without requesting access.
  • Must capture the serial numbers of the inverter and battery.

Examples: what to enter for each payment mode

Installment Payment Amount applies under both payment modes, but its meaning depends on Collection Frequency: a fixed recurring installment under Installment, or either a metered rate (Per Watt) or a flat recurring fee (Daily, Weekly, Monthly, Quarterly) under Energy as a Service.

Payment ModeCollection FrequencyTotal Cost of Deployment (NGN)Total Cost to End User (NGN)Down Payment / Connection Fee (NGN)Installment Payment Amount (NGN)
InstallmentMonthly620,000720,000120,00016,700 per month
InstallmentWeekly1,150,0001,380,000230,0007,400 per week
Energy as a ServicePer Watt0015,000 (connection fee)85 per watt
Energy as a ServiceMonthly00018,000 per month (fixed fee)
Energy as a ServiceDaily005,000 (connection fee)600 per day (fixed fee)

4. Upload Connections Template

When you have completed your Excel template, follow the instructions below to import the connections into Odyssey.

  1. Select the Import/Update Connections button.
  2. Upload the completed Excel template.
  3. Make any necessary edits directly in the software by clicking on a connection, or download the connections, make changes, and re-upload.
  4. Run a check for duplicates before submitting. This ensures you are not submitting a connection that has already been submitted. If you do not check for duplicates, the Submit button will be greyed out and unclickable.

Check the Submittable column to confirm that the required information has been provided and there are no duplicate connections.

  • If the Submittable column says Yes, you have provided the required information and can submit your connections.
  • If the Submittable column is red and says No, either data is missing or the connection has already been submitted. Filter by No to see which connections need additional information. Missing rows are highlighted in pink.

5. Verify your Connections

Once your meter integration is in place, as described in Section 1, you can remotely verify your connections.

Important

Ensure you select Program-Level Integration as the target when creating each integration.

Verification criteria

A connection is remotely verified at go-live when both of the following are true.

  • Consumption greater than zero. Recorded consumption for the connection must be above zero.
  • Location verified. Live GPS triangulation must place the longitude and latitude within the approved location.

Payment data from your payments integration is not part of this automated check. It is tracked separately on your reporting dashboard.

When verification happens

Verification triggers at go-live, not after a 30-day operational window. Once a connection is remotely verified it is released to the IVA for physical site verification.

How to verify

  1. Select the checkbox next to each connection you would like to submit. To select all connections at once, use the checkbox beside the Verify column.
  2. Select Verify.

The verification process will be initiated and the status of each connection will be displayed. The meaning of each status is below.

StatusWhat it means
Verification in progressThe request to verify the connection has been sent. Please wait a few minutes to see the results of the verification.
Data not foundConsumption data could not be found for the Serial Number of the connection.
Didn’t meet requirementsRecorded consumption is equal to or less than zero. Consumption must be greater than zero to be verified.
Location mismatchThe provided coordinates do not fall within the approved location.
Error during verificationAn unexpected error occurred. Please reach out to our support team via the chat in the lower right corner, or at support@odysseyenergysolutions.com.
VerifiedVerification was successful. The connection is released to the IVA for physical site verification.

Note

You can access the Remote Verification Dashboard in your account by navigating to Home > Analytics to investigate failed connections. If the dashboard is not available in your account, please contact the Odyssey support team to request it be added.

6. Submit your Connections

Once you have completed your verification process, follow the steps below to submit your connections to the Program Administrator.

  1. Select the checkbox next to the Verify field to select all connections.
  2. Select the Submit button.
  3. Choose Submit Selected Connections or Submit All (Filtered) Connections from the dropdown menu.
  4. Confirm that all connections were submitted in the summary panel at the top of the page.
  5. Filter the Submission Status to Not Submitted to see connections that were not submitted. Confirm that those connections are complete, then resubmit.

7. Messaging Program Administrators

You can communicate directly with the Program Administrators from within your claim.

  1. Navigate to the Messages module in your claim.
  2. Write your message.
  3. Click on Submit.

Need help?

Reach out to the Odyssey support team via the chat box in the bottom right corner of the application, or email support@odysseyenergysolutions.com.