A PROJECT REPORT ON

Renewable Energy in Bangladesh:Status and

Prospects

4th year [Link]. ( Honours ) project

A dissertation submitted to the department of Applied
Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, University of
Chittagong for the degree of [Link]. (Honours)
SUPERVISED BY:
MD. Rashedul Azim
Assistant professor
Department of Applied Chemistry and Chemical Engineering University of
Chittagong.

SUBMITTED BY:
Hasan Mohammad Siam
ID: 19209024
Session: 2018-19
Department of Applied Chemistry and Chemical Engineering University of
Chittagong.
Date of submission:
Abstract:

Urgency of achieving sustainable development and tackling climate change has

put renewable energy into sharp focus globally. With the adoption of the United
Nation’s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and in particular
Sustainable Development Goal 7 (SDG 7) has led to a global consensus that the
share of renewable energy in the global energy mix need to be substantially
increased. Keeping global temperature rise below 2°C as per the Paris
Agreement also calls for increasing the share of renewable energy in the energy
mix as renewable energy emits no greenhouse gas on a net basis.

Globally the use of renewable energy has risen considerably in recent times.
Renewable Energy Policy of Bangladesh mandates the sourcing of 10 %
electricity from renewables by 2020. To date, total installed capacity of
renewable power in Bangladesh stands at around 631 MW comprising less than
3% share of total electricity generation, which falls far short of its target of 2000
MW. This paper takes stock of the renewable energy resources of Bangladesh
upon desk review of available literature. On an analysis of current renewable
energy scenario, it endeavours to identify the barriers in the deployment of
renewable energy and sheds light on the prospects of renewable energy in
Bangladesh. This paper recommends to extend more government support for
scalable power generation from renewables and build capacity of key
stakeholder both public and private sector.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT :

First of all I would like to my earnest gratitude to almighty Allah for giving me such an
opportunity with physical and mental health,power of patience ,the guidance and wisdom and
to successfully writing this project paper.

I am eagerly grateful to my department of Applied Chemistry and Chemical Engineering

University of Chittagong for giving me this kind of opportunity to work on this project.

I would express endless gratitude to my esteemed project supervisor, Md Rashedul Azim,

Assistant professor of Applied Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, who has been
continuously inspiring and passionately guiding me all through to accomplish this project

Last but not least heartfelt respect and appreciation to my parents ,my lovely family members
who have indirectly contributed to my studies by encouragement and support.

Thanks to everyone others who might help me indirectly as well.

Hasan Mohammad Siam

Department of Applied Chemistry and Chemical Engineering
University of Chittagong.
 INDEX

Serial No. Chapter Name Page no.

1 Introduction 1-2

2 Renewable Energy Scenario in Bangladesh 3-7

3 Global Scenario of Renewable Energy 8-9

4 Challenges of Renewable Energy in Bangladesh 10-12

5 Prospect of Renewable Energy in Bangladesh 13-17

6 Conclusion , Recommendations &Rreferance 18-21

1. Introduction: Diversification of modern technology would result in significant energy
security and economic benefits in Bangladesh. It creates a broad aspect for deploying
Renewable Energy. The use of renewable energy free from environmental pollution such as
wind, solar, bio-mass, geothermal, tidal, hydro energy have taken on a greater sense of
urgency, especially in developing countries. In this regard the government of Bangladesh has
planned to generate 20% of total generation by nuclear, renewable and cross border by 2030
out of 40,000 MW total expected generations. Renewable Energy (RE) technologies will
result in reducing dependency on fossil fuel to a sustainable level and it will ultimately
minimize load shed, further expansion of national grid at remote rural areas in Bangladesh. In
this regard the Government of Bangladesh has planned to generate 10% of generation (i.e.,
2000 MW) by 2020. The average cost of power generation in Bangladesh is approximately
Tk 6.02/kWh and diesel-based generation is Tk 15.80/kWh, the cost of renewable energy is
appears to be pricey with comparison to conventional energy but the difference between
conventional and RE is gradually decreasing due to availability of efficient RE technologies
(Power Division, 2013). Gradual expansion of RE in rural Bangladesh is getting popularity as
the natural resources e.g. gas is depleting with an approximate projection of declining time
around 2017 as indicated in Power System Master Plan 2010 (PSMP 2010). With a projection
to gradual depletion of fossil fuel resources the developed countries e.g., UK and USA also
started exploring alternate energies particularly RE for their sustainable development. The
UK has published UK2050 calculator and US State Department also started a program as
SE4ALL prior to depletion of their fossil fuel resources. The government of Bangladesh has
also created Sustainable and Renewable Energy Development Authority (SREDA) to
implement and disseminate the idea and efficient technology including utilization of RE at
rural and urban areas of Bangladesh through scores of programs. The power division has
published programs, action plans and subsequent master plan in this regard to promote the
adoption of RE and energy efficiency programs for demand side management. The
government, however, is committed to provide electricity to all citizens by 2021 at a
reasonable and affordable price. So, this program is placing as priority on developing RE
resources considering the development of off grid electrification program at all level as 40%
of the people of the country live in remote areas which are far away from existing grid line
and sometime isolated from the main land. Under the above circumstance, the government
has undertaken 500 MW Solar mission and prospects of wind and hydro which are also under
pipeline program. In addition, the government has planned to save 15% of energy by 2020
through implementation of action plan for energy efficiency and conservation and

1
subsequently 20% by 2030 at different sectors of power consumption. As solar is the most
dispersed form of energy offering wide range of applications using commercially available
technologies, the government has taken proper steps to include solar home system, solar
irrigation, solar mini grid, rooftop solar. Rooftop solar opens up opportunities for industrial as
well as residential consumer to utilize their idle roof spaces for sizable solar power generation
at ease with minimum maintenance. Floating Solar is also a burning issue for developing
country like Bangladesh. Introducing Renewable Energy draws attention of the foreign
investors, as they are more likely to invest on green energy.

2
 2. Renewable Energy Scenario in Bangladesh:

For generating electricity, Bangladesh is embracing both conventional and renewable source
of energy. Currently, the available renewable energy sources in Bangladesh are Solar, Wind,
Hydro, Biomass and Biogas. Keeping pace with the global trend, Bangladesh is now laying
emphasis on the development of Renewable Energy. Previously the renewable energy sources
in Bangladesh are only a Hydro Power Station in Kaptai, Rangamati and stand-alone Solar
Home System (SHS) in rural areas. But in the last few years, a number of projects to produce
electricity from renewable energy have been successfully completed and a lot of projects are
ongoing. The present renewable energy condition is shown in the following pie chart-

Renewable Energy Share in Bangladesh

Solar Wind Hydro Others

In this chapter, we will discuss the renewable energy scenario in Bangladesh.

2.1. Solar:

In Bangladesh, Solar energy is the major contributor of the renewable energy. The long-term
average sunshine data indicates that the period of bright sunshine persists in the coastal
regions of Bangladesh varies from 3 to 11 hours daily . Bangladesh receives an average daily
solar radiation in the range of 4-5 kWh/m 2. In Bangladesh, solar energy turned into electricity
using mainly from SHS, grid tied Solar PV power Plant, Solar Minigrid etc. The total

3
generated electricity from Solar energy is 397.03MW from which on Home Solar Home
System: Solar photovoltaic (PV) are gaining acceptance for providing electricity to
households and small businesses in rural areas. In 1988, Bangladesh Atomic Energy
Commission (BAEC) installed several pilot PV systems. The first significant PV-based rural
electrification program was the project in Narsingdi district initiated with financial support
from France. Three Battery charging stations with a total capacity of 29.4 kWp and a number
of stand-alone solar home systems (SHS) with a total capacity of 32.586 kWp were installed.
Rural electrification Board (REB) owned the systems and the users paid a monthly fee for the
services. Since 1996, penetration of SHSs increased rapidly which is now the biggest
renewable energy program in Bangladesh. So far installed 4.5 million units and ever
increasing its number due to an integrated program undertaken by the government
through its financial institution IDCOL. Several other NGOs such ASA, CMES and
BRAC are also engaged in promoting PV technology. PV modules are generally imported,
while there are a few private companies manufacturing PV accessories ([Link])

This Solar Home System (SHS) is a robust and reliable system and it owes much of its
success to a unique rural credit and ‘cost buy down’ system that it employs to improve access
by rural households .

More than 5.8 million SHSs have already been installed through BREB, IDCOL, GIZ,
MoDMR in the off-grid rural areas of Bangladesh and about 13 million beneficiaries are
getting solar electricity. SHS have aggregated capacity of about 248.29MW. The program
has been acclaimed as one of the largest and the fastest growing off-grid renewable energy in
Bangladesh.

Figure : Solar System

4
2.2. Grid Tied Solar PV plant:

For generating large scale electricity from solar energy, multiple solar panels are wired
together to form array. This array of a photovoltaic or PV system, produces direct current
(DC) power which fluctuates with the sunlight's intensity. For practical use this usually
requires conversion to certain desired voltages or alternating current (AC) through the use of
inverters. An inverter tied to this PV system, ensures supplying the power at desired voltage,
desired frequency and phase angle. The whole arrangement is commonly known as Solar PV
plant or Solar Park. At present there are 4 Grid tied Solar PV plant in operation and a couple.

The 3 MWp Grid Connected Solar PV Power Plant at Sharishabari, Jamalpur is the first grid
connected plant that went into commercial operation in August 2017.

The 2nd solar PV power plant is 20 MWp at Teknaf Upazilla of Cox’s Bazar has started its
operation on 1 November, 2018.

7.4 MWp Solar Park at Kaptai, Rangamati is another Solar Park which has started its
operation on September, 2019. The project, costing Tk 111.2 crore, was implemented with
the assistance of Asian Development Bank on a 22-acre plot of Bangladesh Power
Development Board. Works on the project started in October 2017. The EPC of this project
was Chinese firm ZTE which will provide technical assistance for the next two years after its
inauguration

The latest Solar Park that went into operation on 13 November, 2019 is an 8 MW Solar Park
at Tetulia, Panchagarh. The project was implemented by Sympa Solar Power Limited, a joint-
venture company of Thailand based solar PV developer, Symbior Solar, and leading agro
based firm in Bangladesh, Paragon Group.

2 Solar Mini grid:

A mini-grid is an off-grid electricity distribution network involving small-scale electricity
generation(wiki). Solar PV based mini-grid projects are installed in remote areas of Bangladesh where
possibility of grid expansion is less in near future. These projects provide grid quality electricity to
households and small commercial users and thereby encourage commercial activities in the project
areas. So far IDCOL financed installation of 27 solar mini-grids with umulative generation capacity of
5.656 MW. The mini-grid projects have successfully created access to low-emission electricity.

5
. Figure: Solar Mini grid

2.3. Rooftop Solar:

Bangladesh enjoys good amount of sunshine and the use of solar energy continues to grow
while the cost of solar technology continues to decline. Incentivizing grid-connected
customers is of utmost importance to promote RE-based distributed generation. Net metering
is one of the tools to popularize the RE based electricity generation in the country. Net
metering is a policy approach designed to encourage distributed renewable energy
development by allowing utility customers to generate their own electricity from solar or any
other renewable sources and use the electricity produced to offset the amount of energy they
draw from the utility grid (sometimes called the distribution grid) and any access generation
can feed into the grid. Customers are only billed for their “net” energy use and receive credit
usually in the form of kilowatt-hour (kWh) during a given period. A net balance in favor of
the customer is carried forward to the next month, while a balance in favor of the utility is
settled at the end of the month as usual. Net-metering system has gained popularity very
quickly because at present nearly 13 MW power has already been added to National Grid
through Net-metering Rooftop Solar system.

Figure : Rooftop Solar

6
2.6. Wind Power:

Wind Energy has also made some inroads but its potential is mainly in coastal areas, and
offshore islands with strong wind regimes. These coastal settings offer good opportunities
for wind-powered pumping and electricity generation. Until now, there are only three Wind
Farms in Bangladesh with an aggregated capacity of Of them Wind Parks in Sonagazi
Upazilla, Feni and in Kutubdia coastal area have been in operation for the last couple of years
while the 2 MW Wind Park in Sirajganj district went into commercial operation on 16
February, 2018.60MW wind power is the largest project in Bangladesh which has already
been installed by the government at Cox’sbazar.A total of 22 turbines will be installed to
generate 60 MW power from wind, of which each turbine will be generated.

Figure : Wind Turbine

2.7Hydro:

There is one hydro power plant at Kaptai established in the 1962s with present installed
capacity of 230 MW. Micro hydro and Mini hydro have limited potential in Bangladesh, with
the exception of Chittagong and the Chittagong Hill tracts. Hydropower assessments have
identified some possible sites from 10 kW to 5 MW but no appreciable capacity has yet been
installed.

7
 [Link] Scenario of Renewable Energy

3.1Increase in Dependence on Renewable Energy: Renewable energy saw a record-

breaking year in 2019 in terms of increase in installed capacity and capacity investment,
mainly by the developed nations all over the world. The world invested 282$ million in
new

renewable energy
capacity (excluding large
hydro), which is 1%
higher than the total for
the previous year. The
amount of new renewable
power added in 2019 was
the highest ever, at 184
GW, a full 20 GW more
than in 2018. As of total
installed capacity,
Figure#1: Renewable Energy Capacity Added per year as a percentage of Global Power
Generation & Capacity Added Per Year From 2010 to 2019 renewable energy holds
22.8% share of total global
generation capacity in
2019 (figure#1). Wind
energy and biomass
energy saw a rise in terms
of investment than the previous year, which is 6% and 9% respectively, whereas solar
energy saw a fall of 3% in capacity investment as a result of decreasing solar panel cost.
So, recent
energy trend focuses
mainly on solar, wind,
biomass energy. While
developed and developing
countries are focusing
mainly on renewable
energy over existing fossil

8
 fuel energy and investing
more and more towards
achieving year 2030 .

Developed economies tended to be the early adopters of renewable energy technologies such
as wind, solar and biomass – although this was not the case with biofuels, where Brazil was
one of the main centers of activity. Increasingly during the 2010s, however, and particularly
once costs fell toward parity with fossil fuel alternatives, developing economies picked up the
baton. They have usually been looking to
build additional generating capacity to meet
rising electricity demand, while for many
developed countries it has been more about
replacing existing coal, gas or nuclear
generation. (figure#3)

1.1. Cost of PU Renewable Energy

Continues to Decrease: The lifetime cost of
Figure#3: Net Power Generating capacity added in 2019
by main generation technology generating electricity from wind and solar
continued to decline. The levelized cost, which
includes just the expense of buying the

equipment and constructing the plant but also

developing it through permitting stage, financing it and operating and maintaining it, have
evolved as shown in figure 4.
The global benchmark
levelized cost of electricity,
Figure#4: Levelized Cost of Electricity by Main RE
Technology, from 2009 to 2019, $/MWh or LCOE, from onshore wind
was $47 per MWh in the
second half of last year,
according to Bloomberg
analysis. This was down 10%
on the same period in 2018,
and 49% lower than in the
second half of 2009. For

9
 offshore wind, the global

10
[Link] of Renewable Energy

The Renewable Energy Policy of Bangladesh mandates sourcing of 10 % electricity from

renewables by 2020. In reality, Bangladesh is heavily reliant on fossil fuel-based power
plants with a little contribution from renewable energy sources. Fossil fuels are going to
eventually end globally one day, but the solar energy, the wind energy, and the sea will
remain so long as Earth exists. The sunlight striking the earth's surface in just one hour
delivers enough energy to meet the global energy need for an entire year. Hence, solar energy
is by far the largest energy source on Earth. One-third of the earth is beset with water. At the
same time earth surface is surrounded by unlimited wind. So, the sources of renewable
energy are beyond the end. But unfortunately, deployment of renewable energy in
Bangladesh is being hampered due to geographical reasons and mind set of the people.

There is a misinterpretation from certain interest groups in Bangladesh that the electricity
from renewable energy is expensive. Some of the glaring reasons are discussed below in
solar, wind, hydro extents.

From the above picture, it is clear that solar, wind and hydro are three major sources of
renewable energy in Bangladesh.

11
4.1 Solar
Realistically, there are a number of reasons that are restricting expected growth of utility
scale power. One of the major challenges is the difficulty of acquiring land. As per the
government rule, no agricultural land can be used for solar power project. Bangladesh is a
densely populated fertile agricultural land and non-agricultural unused land is not easily
available. A 100MW solar park for example would require about 300 acres of land. It is
expected that the efficiency of the solar panel will increase in future through new
technological advances thus requiring lesser area for generating per unit of power. But until
that happens, acquiring land will be a major problem for rapid expansion of utility-scale
solar power in Bangladesh.

Another drawback in developing on utility-scale solar power in Bangladesh is the

insufficient governmental incentive. The companies which are engaged in negotiations and
implementation of solar park opine that solar industry in Bangladesh is still in an immature
and infant stage and requires incentives from the local authorities. A major point in this is
fixing the tariff of the produced power.

The organisations engaged in building solar power plants in Bangladesh opine that unless
incentive in solar power tariff is given, their effort to develop solar industry would not be
economically feasible. It appears that the companies consider 9 US cent per unit tariff
offered by the government too low a price to build a solar plant and make a profit. Ideally,
the government negotiators should be good at offering tariff which is biased towards the
people and not towards the companies. But solar power industry in Bangladesh is yet to
stand on its feet and at this initial stage it needs incentive to grow to a reasonable strength.
Tariff incentive is perhaps a vital area which makes a company decide its future in
Bangladesh.

Another problem regarding solar and wind is the intermittency problem, since the sun
doesn't shine at night and the wind doesn't blow all the time. So, it will be uphill to manage
the uninterrupted electricity.
4.2 Wind
Bangladesh belongs to moderate to low wind regime. So, scope of massive expansion of onshore
limited in Bangladesh. The Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB) implemented a pilot
project in 2005, for the first time in Bangladesh, to generate electricity from wind energy at
MuhuriDam area in Feni district with an installed capacity of 0.9 MW. However, any utility-scale
commercial wind power plat is yet to be installed in the country. Wind power must still compete with
conventional generation sources on a cost basis. Even though the cost of wind power has decreased
dramatically in the past several decades, wind projects must be able to compete economically with

12
 the lowest-cost source of electricity, and some locations may not be windy enough to be cost
competitive. Good land-based wind sites are often located in remote locations, far from cities where
the electricity is needed. Transmission lines must be built to bring the electricity from the wind farm
to the city. However, building just a few transmission lines could significantly reduce the costs of
expanding wind The development might not be the most profitable use of the land. Land suitable for
wind-turbine installation must compete with alternative uses for the land, which might be more
highly valued than electricity generation.

4.2 Hydro

Bangladesh is a riverine country but most of the rivers are low tidal, which is the glaring
issue in installing hydro power plant. The heaviest tidal river is karnaphuli. Bangladesh has
set up a hydro plant in Karnaphuli with an installed capacity of 230MW. The rest of the rivers
are out of consideration due to low tidal velocity. What is more interesting is that Bangladesh
proposed Nepal for setting up hydropower plant on their rivers by Bangladesh’s investment.
From the above discussion it appears that the rapid growth of renewable energy in power
generation will change the world for better in not so distant future. The use of traditional
fuels oil gas and coal will gradually decrease to be replaced by renewable solar winds etc till
a time when the formers will find their place in history book. Bangladesh does not have an
option to remain isolated when rest of the world embraces a future with smarter and cleaner
renewable energy for their power. The challenges in developing renewables may be high, but
it is the government which should extend its hand to help it grow in the initial stage
If the Government of Bangladesh takes a genuine initiative to lead and promote renewable energy in Bangladesh

[Link] of Renewable Energy in Bangladesh

Bangladesh is observing a sheer advancement towards development for which sustainable

power generation is becoming a mandatory thing. The profile of power demand and supply
has been broadly discussed in PSPM 2016. For energy security fuel mix plays a vital role.
Bangladesh is largely depended on natural gas for power generation of which reserve is
ceasing. Future power generation plan is based on coal and furnace oil. But for sustainability
and environment friendliness in the long run, use of renewable energy is nothing but a must.
The adoption of the United Nation’s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and in
particular Sustainable Development Goal 7 (SDG 7) has led to a global consensus that the
share of renewable energy in the global energy mix need to be substantially increased.
Keeping global temperature rise below 2°C as per the Paris Agreement also calls for

13
increasing the share of renewable energy in the energy mix as renewable energy emits no
greenhouse gas on a net basis. Achieving these goals have accelerated the implementation of
utilization of renewable energy to a great extent. Bangladesh is intending to produce at least
10% of total power generation from renewable energy as per the proclamation of PSMP
[Link] is producing only 2.85% of total electricity from renewable sources of
which hydro and solar occupies the major portion. SREDA targets to generate 10% of power
(that is about 2000 MW) from renewable sources within 2020 but in contrast to current
pandemic situation this claim seems now mere a dream according to the available data.
SREDA is looking forward to gradual increase in using renewable resources for which
government of Bangladesh has taken initiatives to ensure substantial use of renewable
technology. It is anticipated to accomplish around 2177 MW from renewable technology
within 2021 .

Fig: Current Generation Mix (2020) (source: [Link])

Current Renewable Power Generation:

Technolog On-grid Off-grid Total

y (MW) (MW) (MW)

14
 Solar 80.93 317.01 397.94
Hydro 230 0 230
Wind 0.9 2 2.9
Biomass 0 0.4 0.4
Biogas 0 0.63 0.63
Total 311.83 320.04 631.87

[Link]

solar home system gives a hope. Already 248 MW from Most prominent source of renewable
energy in Bangladesh solar energy as it receives 4.5 KW/m2 solar radiation on average. But the
challenge is the scarcity of land due to agricultural, industrial and habitual usage of land in this
densely populated country. The outline of 100% access to electricity for such instance comes at a
stake since many remote areas are inaccessible for grid expansion due to nature of land and cost
contradictions. In this circumstances, introduction of 5.8 Million solar home units have been set up all
over Bangladesh till date and people in remote areas are encouraged to take advantages of it as costs are
gradually reducing. Solar home systems are mostly financially supported by IDCOL and SREDA in rural
areas. Apart from solar home systems, initiatives and opportunities of solar energy usage are solar park,
solar rooftop PV panes with and without net metering, solar mini, micro and nano grids, solar water heating
system, solar irrigation pumps, solar water pumps.
Rooftops of commercial and residential buildings and the open spaces of industrial zones are asked to
install Solar rooftop PV panels can be also a triggering way to increase RE usage in the scarcity of land.
The PV panels to reduce their electricity expenses. It has been implemented as law to set up rooftop PV
panels comprising at least 20% of total sanctioned load during getting a new connection. Net metering has
been introduced in the recent years to facilitate this initiative. In this system, consumers can provide surplus
electricity from their solar rooftop panels to the grid and eventually paid for the export of generation at the
bulk rate of distribution utility which is settled at the year end. The net import is taken as usage of consumer
and net export is carried away in favour of consumes for the next month. Consumers are getting paid if there
is a net export of power at the end of fiscal year. This inceptive encourages the commercial and industrial
zones much more than before and as well as increases the possibility of more solar irradiation usage. Thus,
consumers are now considered as prosumers, the mix of consumer and producer. 109 units totalling 39.5
MW rooftop solar PV panels without net-metering and 878 units totalling 129 MW with net metering are
currently contributing to generation mix in the country.

15
. More implementation of this will aid to sustainable growth in this system. Solar rooftop systems
are effective in the municipal areas.
The theme of supplying electricity directly to the grid instead of using a battery backup from solar
panels is known as solar park. This initiative can be implied in the unused open sp aces of
governmental and non-governmental organizations which are inaccessible to agricultural usage.
This initiative will ensure the efficient use of land and contribute to green energy generation. At
present, 4 solar parks providing total 38.4 MW have been installed in the area of Cox’s Bazar,
Rangamati, Panchagarh and Jamalpur and more 11 units are under construction along with 14 units
under planning. Irrigation pumps draw a significant amount of electricity form grid and this
consumption is actually limited to seasonal use. As agriculture is the principal and most required
sector for our country, this consumption has to be guaranteed, but such seasonal consumption is a
burden to the grid. Moreover, remote areas are to be covered by grid for such access. Solar
irrigation pumps are ground-breaking alternatives to this. 43% of total expenses in agriculture are
due to diesel or electricity driven irrigation pumps. Installation of solar irrigation pumps will
reduce such expenses though onetime capital investment has to be considered. It will also
contribute to the reduction of CO 2 emission percentage. Moreover, it is anticipated the this will
reduce the burden of almost 150 MW demand from the grid. Solar irrigation pumps at present are
contributing 35 MW off-grid power from 1271 units all over the country. More upcoming projects
will contribute more in this initiative. These are mostly financially supported by IDCOL.

Solar mini-grids, micro-grids and nano-grids are new ideas to the utilization of solar irradiation.
These grids are different from solar park in the sense that there are isolated from the national grid
and installed to support access to electricity in remote areas where consumptions to national grid
construction cost will not be efficient. Small areas are selected under a specified mini or micro grid
and power is generated and distributed among the habitats in those areas. This establishment is
efficient and bringing significant changes in the lifestyle and development if remote regions. 21
solar mini-grids along with 2 nano-grids are contributing 4.5 MW energy currently. 650 kWp solar
mini-grid located at Shulllah, Sunamganj is the largest mini-grid installed in the south Asian
region. These grids are maintained by IDCOL. More 1.1 MW from 6 units are under implantations
in near future. These solar grids are seemed to be effective option in the tribal regions and islands.
Definitions of isolated solar grids by SREDA are:

16
 System
System Capacity Conditions
type
100 kW ≤ Capacity < 5
Mini-grid
MW
 Each system must consist of at
10 kW ≤ Capacity < 100
Micro-grid least 10 consumers
kW
 Isolated from national grid
Nano-grid 3 kW ≤ Capacity < 10 kW
 Commercial or contributory
Pico grid 500 W ≤ Capacity < 3 kW
operation among prosumers

Source by [Link]

Solar charging stations are used to charge the batteries used in the electric vehicles and other
battery-driven utilities. Currently 13 such units are operational throughout the country.
Government has already implemented 120 units of solar based drinking water system by SED
project in the southern region of Bangladesh where scarcity of pure drinking water is huge due
to salt contamination. These systems can both serve the drinking water to the people as well as
utilization of renewable (solar) energy. Telecom BTSs are encouraged to use solar powered system
to avoid interruption from grid supply and provide uninterrupted telecom service facility as well
cost minimization in the long run. 1933 units of such solar powered BTS are operation till the
date. Street lighting in the country is planned to bring under solar
energy utilization instead of grid-powered system so that a significant amount can be saved from
such consumption.

5.2Hydropower: Hydropower is the most naturally accessible renewable energy. Almost 26%
of global energy comes from hydro powerplant. But it is matter of regret that we have little
opportunity for this source. We have already installed 230 MW hydro power in Kaptai. The
suitable places for dam construction and water reserve are yet not founded, especially robust
survey has not yet been done and is also quite difficult in the tribal areas due to security
concerns and transportation. Bangladesh lacks in hilly rivers which dims the opportunity of
hydropower system. Some micro hydro plants may be considered to construct. Five sites along
Sango river have seemed feasible for tun-of-river hydro plants. But relocation of the inhabitants
are grid construction expenses make such options ineffective. There are chances to build up
collaboration with the countries like Nepal and Myanmar which have upstream river water
suitable for hydro plants to make mutual investment and import power from these countries. This

17
will require foreign policies and foreign bureaucrats to come in action as well as political wellness
and involvement.

5.3Wind Energy:

Till 2014, all studies conducted in Bangladesh concluded that we do not have good potential in
wind energy. But very recently this view has been changed by a study of National Renewable
Energy Laboratory (NREL) with the support of Power division, Bangladesh. Because earlier
studies have been conducted at average height of 20-30 meter from the sea level. But recent study
is done at 80 meter height. They found that, wind speed here increases with height.

Figure: Variation of Wind Speed with Height

Moreover, most important reason to think about wind energy is that the technology has
increasing day by day.

18
.

6.1Conclusion: In Bangladesh, the proven reserved of natural gas 34 TCF which will lead
the country next 20 years and currently82% natural gas consumed in the power sector for
power production. Whereas only 3% electricity produced from renewable energy sources.
However, Bangladesh government have already announced a master plan for future
electricity generation through the demand for power growing faster rate. Therefore, this
strategy emphasizes the countries natural resource exploration and discoveries for further
improvement of the power sector and reconstruct the renewables energy resource. However,
to meet the near future demand Bangladesh needs more sophisticated research facilities and
skilled manpower for exploration activities both inland and offshore areas. The government
must work with international advanced technology using human intellectuals of the country
for energy sustainability. Renewable energy can be considered as a potential alternative to
conventional energy that comes from fossil fuel. Currently, there is an immense interest in the
use of renewable energy like solar, biofuel, geothermal, wind due to environmental and
economic concern. The government of Bangladesh has put significant effort and target to
establish different projects on renewable energy which also subsidized by the government.
Following points are considered to conclude the findings:

•The high upfront cost is the main disadvantage of installing a solar energy system,
largely because of the high cost of the semi-conducting materials used in building it.
• The cost of solar energy is high compared to non-renewable utility supplied electricity.
As energy shortages are becoming more common, solar energy is becoming more price-
competitive.
• Solar panels require quite a large area for installation to achieve a good level
of efficiency.
• The efficiency of the system also relies on the location of the sun, although this problem
can be overcome with the installation of certain components.
• The production of solar energy is influenced by the presence of clouds or pollution in the
air.
• No solar energy will be produced during night-time although a battery backup
system will solve this problem.
• Low solar energy will be produced during rainy season. However, producing
electricity with solar system like other renewable energy sources has become a silent
revolution in Bangladesh. Solar PV energy is now being successfully used for home
lighting as a sustainable source of energy. Though it had started in Bangladesh in the

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offgrid area for

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 rural lighting, now urban applications are increasing day by day through hybrid system
either through grid. There is a huge possibility of solar energy business in Bangladesh.
The Bangladesh government should take necessary steps to motivate the business magnet
as well as the consumers.

6.2. Recommendations:

• Government should reduce VAT/taxes on solar accessories and raw materials especially
batteries and solar panel and strive to remove the gap between demand and supply.
• Government should provide very low interest loans to rural people for buying the solar
system.
• Energy storage should be a priority since solar energy is not available at night, rainy day,
and during winter.
• Government must subsidize initial installation costs.

• Government should give more licenses for solar energy business.

• Organization should improve monitoring system on solar system to maintain quality full
service.
• Government should set solar energy system in governmental organization to reduce
load shedding.
• Organization should give proper training facility to using this system.

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 6.3 References:

[1] BBS (Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics) Statistical Year Book 2011. Government of
Bangladesh, Sher-e-Banglanagor, Agargaon, Dhaka, Bangladesh; 2011.

[2] Bahauddin KM, Salahuddin TM. Prospect and trend of renewable energy and its
technology towards climate change mitigation and sustainable development in Bangladesh.
Int J Adv Renew Energy Res 2012;1:158.

[3] Barua DC. Grameen shakti: pioneering and expanding green energy revolution to rural
Bangladesh. In: Proceedings of greening the business and making environment a business
opportunity, Jun 5–7, 2007. Bangkok, Thailand; 2007. p2.

[4] Biswas WK. Empowering rural poor through renewable energy technologies in
bangladesh, (unpublished Ph.D. thesis). NSW, Sydney, Australia: University of Technology;
2002.

[5] Islam MR, Baksi BK, Momotaz SN. Prospects of renewable energy in Bangladeshfocus
on biomass plant. J Bus Res 2002;4:1–18.

[6] Chowdhury ATA, Zaman MH. Uses of alternative forms of sustainable energy: case of
solar photovoltaic system in the rural areas of Bangladesh. Int J Bus Manag Tomorrow
2012;2:1–10.

[7] Rasel MAI, Siraj S, Rahman KM. Prospect of renewable energy as the solution of the
existing energy crisis of Bangladesh. Int J Sci Eng Res 2012;3:3–5.

[8] Grameen Shakti. One million solar home systems by grameen shakti, solar energy
solution. Solar Energy at [Link]. Mirpur, Dhaka, Bangladesh; 2016.

[9] Uddin SN, Taplin R. Toward sustainable energy development in Bangladesh. J Environ
Dev 2008;17:297.

[10] Khan S. An energy saving program for Bangladesh. J Pet Technol Altern Fuels
2011;2(6):87–9. [11] Biswas MM, Das KK, Baqee IA, Sadi MAH, Hossain MSF. Prospects
of renewable energy and energy storage systems in Bangladesh and developing economics.
Glob J Res Eng: J Gen Eng 2011;11:24–7.

IDCOL biogas and biofertilizer program. Present situation of renewable energy in

Bangladesh

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Deb A, Bhuiyan MAM, Nasir A. Prospects of solar energy in [Link] J Electr

2013, [4, 47, 49, 54, 55].

[11] Bahauddi KM, Salahuddin TM. Impact of utilization of solar PV technology among
poor people in rural area of Bangladesh. In: Proceedings of International conference
onenvironmental aspects of Bangladesh (ICEAB 10); 2010. p. 104–5 .
[13] P. Halder, N. Paul, M. Joardder, M.J.R. Sarker, S.E. Reviews, Energy scarcity and
potential of renewable energy in Bangladesh, 51 (2015) 1636-1649.

[14] S. Groh, H.J.E.D. Taylor, Microfinance, The role of microfinance in energy access:
changing roles, changing paradigms, and future potential, 26 (2015) 307-324.

[15]M. Bazilian, S. Nakhooda, T.J.E.R. Van de Graaf, S. Science, Energy governance and
poverty, 1 (2014) 217-225.

[16] A. Islam, E.-S. Chan, Y.H. Taufiq-Yap, M.A.H. Mondal, M. Moniruzzaman,

M.J.R. Mridha, S.E. Reviews, Energy security in Bangladesh perspective—An assessment
and implication, 32 (2014) 154-171.

[17] P. Action, Poor People's Energy Outlook 2016: National Energy Access Planning
from the Bottom Up, Practical Action Publishing, 2016. [6] A.J.E.I.A. Sieminski,
International energy outlook, 18 (2014).

[18] B.J.C.S.f.P.o.I. Oil, F.R. Financing Plan for Gas Sector Development, Petrobangla,
Dhaka, Gas & Mineral Corporation (Petrobangla), 2012.

[19] S. Groh, S. Pachauri, R.J.E.f.S.D. Narasimha, What are we measuring? An empirical

analysis of household electricity access metrics in rural Bangladesh, 30 (2016) 21-31.

[20]. Habib, Use of digital marketing in brand building efforts, (2015).

[21] B.J.M.P.R. Oil, Gas and Mineral Corporation (Petrobangla), (2007).

[22] M.R. Islam, P.C. Sarker, S.K.J.R. Ghosh, S.E. Reviews, Prospect and advancement
of solar irrigation in Bangladesh: A review, 77 (2017) 406- 422.

[23] E.D. Vance, P.C. Brookes, D.S.J.S.b. Jenkinson, Biochemistry, An extracti

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