30,000 solar home systems being installed monthly
BSS, Dhaka
Bangladesh has made significant headway in implementing a renewable energy expansion programme by installing the Solar Home System (SHS) that reduces greenhouse emissions and ensures sustainable development in the energy sector.
Every month more than 30,000 solar home systems are being installed in the country adding one and a half MW of electricity. One and a half years ago, about 12,000 systems were installed every month.
Bangladesh will project its achievement in implementing the renewable energy project at Delhi International Renewable Energy Conference to be held from October 26-30. A five-member delegation, led by adviser to the prime minister Dr Tawfiq-e- Elahi Choudhury will join the conference.
According to the power division, Bangladesh made a pledge at Washington International Renewable Energy Conference, 2008 that about five per cent of its total electricity generation will come from renewable sources by 2015.
“To ensure energy security and to reduce carbon emission, we have taken up a massive programme to implement a renewable energy, energy conservation plan,” Dr. Tawfiq said.
He said Bangladesh would present a paper in the conference highlighting the government plan to set up Sustainable Energy Development Authority (SEDA), a separate organization to oversee the renewable issues.
“We are moving very fast to achieve our target as the demand of solar home system is growing 70 percent yearly,” Islam Sharif, CEO of Infrastructure Development Company Limited (IDCOL), told on Saturday.
He claimed that if the present pace of expansion of solar home system continues, Bangladesh could add 2.5 MW of electricity every month from 2014.
IDCOL along with other NGOs are engaged in installing solar home systems. To promote installation of the system, IDCOL received EURO 2.2 million as grant from GTZ of Germany. Earlier, it got EURO 3.44 million grant from GTZ.
IDCOL will be able to finance installation of about 50,000 solar home systems. It has a target of financing 1 million systems by 2012. World Bank, ADB, KfW and Islamic Development Bank are also funding IDCOL’s renewable energy programmes.
To promote the RE programme in the country, the government lifted all sorts of tax and VAT from renewable equipment.
