Tapping solar power in Bangladesh
Electricity has a great impact on development of a society. In Bangladesh only 30-35 percent of total population can use electricity from national grid. Energy consumption per capita is extremely low compared to neighbouring countries. It is half of Nepal and one fourth of India. In Bangladesh average demand of electricity is 5,200 MW, but average generation is 3,200-3,300 MW. Low consumption of electricity is affecting the entire development of the country. Due to power shortage education, business, health service, agriculture and other productive works have been constantly hampered. We cannot expect that in near future it will be possible to extend the grid system up to the remote villages in the country.
The total power generation in Bangladesh mostly depends of fossil fuels. Though use of fossil fuels enhances green house emission but for electricity generation natural gas is the major energy source (90%) and Bangladesh will not be able to arrange electricity from fusion reactors in near future. So it is required to search alternative sources of electric power.
Electricity can play a vital role in poverty alleviation in this country. Government programmes and messages play strong role in development of society in under developed countries like Bangladesh. Government programmes and messages can be reached to the extreme remote areas of the country through electronic media. In this country success up to a considerable extent of anti-smoking campaign, controlling of AIDS, eradication of dowry system and immunisation programme are direct effect of electronic media.
Cellular telephone has done a revolution in communication. Mass people of Bangladesh use cell phone. To recharge the battery of this phone electricity is a must.
Bangladesh government has declared its mission to provide electricity for all by the year 2020. REB has no good impression among rural people due to its high commercial attitude, corruption and excessive and regular load shedding at peak hour. REB cost is very high in constructing electric line in rural areas. At present for 1 km electric line it is Tk 8 to 10 lac. REB has no sufficient fund to expand its distribution capacity within a short time as per demand of the local people. So, to fulfil the GOB's objective of electrification utilisation of renewable energy technologies must play a vital role. The findings of Solar and Wind Energy Resource Assessment (SWERA) -- Bangladesh shows that solar radiation availability is excellent in all locations of the country.
More than fifteen NGOs are working to provide solar power to the rural people of Bangladesh. Grameen Shakti is quite ahead in introducing solar power system in rural areas. Grameen Shakti already installed 1,10,000 solar home systems (SHS) (up to August 2007). Another big provider of SHS is BRAC Foundation and it has already installed 22,115 (up to 21 January 2007). There is a great demand of SHS in rural areas specially in the islands like Sandwip, Hatia, Kutubdia etc. Use of solar power extensively increased in Mymensingh, Khulna, Kushtia and other districts. Generally solar power is used for four hours daily from evening.
* Solar power system can be used for lighting homes, business spaces, education centers, market places.
* It is used to operate black & white TVs, cassette players, radios, small electric fans, computers and other small electric and electronic components.
* It is used to charge batteries of cellular phones.
* It is usable in irrigation solar energy can be used in operation of normal diesel pump machine by using invertor/converter which is locally available.
* Solar dryer is used for drying fish as it is hygienic and prompt. It also can be used for seasoning of food.
* Solar power can be used in Micro Hydro Generator.
* Solar power is usable in LED lamps.
Advantages
* There is ownership of the user on electricity power generating and supply system. Life span of solar power system is over 20 years. * There is no government or other institutional cost. * It is cheap. There is no monthly bills and no fuel consumption. * There is no load shedding. * Solar cooker reduces time and labour of the rural women. * It helps study. It enhanced children's study period and recreation of rural people. * It is safe, reliable, pollution free and easy to maintain. * It creates employment opportunity in the rural areas. * It is portable and can be used anywhere. There are many advantages to use solar energy but still use of solar energy is not high because there are some barriers to greater utilisation of this renewable energy. Local people, policy makers and donors are not fully aware of possibility and benefits of renewable energy in the context of Bangladesh. They have no sufficient technical and economic information in this regard. This situation has been changing day by day. Country Report of Solar and Wind Energy Resource Assessment-Bangladesh by Renewable Energy Research Centre, University of Dhaka (February-2007) is a remarkable effort in this regard. Also donor organisation Japan Bank of International Cooperation completed a study on November 2006 on Power Development Project Utilising Renewable Energy in rural areas of Bangladesh. Sufficient information on renewable energy is available from Infrastructure Development Company Ltd., Dhaka. Few components are locally produced for manufacturing and assembling of solar energy gear. These are not always available in local market and the components are costly. Therefore, government should take necessary steps so that local entrepreneurs come forward to manufacture solar energy components. When national grid lines or REB lines enter any area, local people stop using solar power (because it is for only 4 hours in a day). To face this problem SHS provider should be more careful to select site for installation of solar energy. Motivational work is required in this regard so that consumers of solar energy can find out multiple use of their solar power system. The NGOs which are providing solar energy get 10 per cent subsidy from the World Bank. Grameen Shakti provides solar power in four systems and they have 12 package rates which are from Tk. 18,000 to Tk 65,000. Grameen Shakti provides a 30 Watt capacity system with 1 No 30 Watt Panel, 1 No 47 Ah Deep discharge Battery, 1 No Charge Controller, 2 Nos 6 Watt lights, 1 No structure and other required appliances in Tk. 18,000. Three 6 Watt lights and a 14" Black and White TV can be operated by this system. Grameen Shakti installs an 85 Watt capacity system with 1 No. 30 Watt Panel, 1 No 130 Ah Deep discharge Battery, 1 No Charge Controller, 8 Nos. 6 Watt lights, 1 No. structure and other required appliances in Tk. 42,000 and 8 numbers 6 Watt lights and a 17" Black and White TV can be operated by this system. System 1: Provided on 25 per cent down payment. The rest 75 per cent shall have to be paid in 24 monthly installments with 4 per cent (flat rate) service charge. System 2: Provided on 15 per cent down payment. The rest 85 per cent shall have to be paid in 36 monthly installments with 6 per cent (flat rate) service charge. System 3: Provided on 15 per cent down payment. The rest 85 per cent shall have to be paid in 36 monthly installments with 5 per cent (flat rate) service charge. In this case 36 account payee bank cheques have to be submitted in advance. System 4: There is 4 per cent discount on cash payment. Grameen Shakti provides three years maintenance services for the solar power system. After three years it enters into yearly maintenance contracts at an affordable cost of Tk. 300. BRAC Foundation installs solar power systems both on cash payment and in installments. Minimum 15 per cent down payment is required to get it and the rest is payable in 12, 24 and 36 monthly installments with 12.5 per cent service charge. BRAC Foundation installs and supplies all required appliances for the system. It provides a 50 watt system capacity at Tk 23,500 where three lights and a black & white TV can be operated and a 40 watt system capacity at Tk 40,700 where 6 lights and a black & white TV can operate. From evening it is deep dark in the rural areas. Then in most of the villages students do not study, no shops remain open, message of development never reach there and all development works stop abruptly. When the national grid system will reach to these extreme remote areas only God knows. So people of these areas go to bed very early. Solar energy can keep these people awake and productive. So let there be light with solar energy. Md Abdul Gafur is a local consultant (sociologist) of JBIC Pilot Study for Small Scale Rural Infrastructure Project.
* There is ownership of the user on electricity power generating and supply system. Life span of solar power system is over 20 years. * There is no government or other institutional cost. * It is cheap. There is no monthly bills and no fuel consumption. * There is no load shedding. * Solar cooker reduces time and labour of the rural women. * It helps study. It enhanced children's study period and recreation of rural people. * It is safe, reliable, pollution free and easy to maintain. * It creates employment opportunity in the rural areas. * It is portable and can be used anywhere. There are many advantages to use solar energy but still use of solar energy is not high because there are some barriers to greater utilisation of this renewable energy. Local people, policy makers and donors are not fully aware of possibility and benefits of renewable energy in the context of Bangladesh. They have no sufficient technical and economic information in this regard. This situation has been changing day by day. Country Report of Solar and Wind Energy Resource Assessment-Bangladesh by Renewable Energy Research Centre, University of Dhaka (February-2007) is a remarkable effort in this regard. Also donor organisation Japan Bank of International Cooperation completed a study on November 2006 on Power Development Project Utilising Renewable Energy in rural areas of Bangladesh. Sufficient information on renewable energy is available from Infrastructure Development Company Ltd., Dhaka. Few components are locally produced for manufacturing and assembling of solar energy gear. These are not always available in local market and the components are costly. Therefore, government should take necessary steps so that local entrepreneurs come forward to manufacture solar energy components. When national grid lines or REB lines enter any area, local people stop using solar power (because it is for only 4 hours in a day). To face this problem SHS provider should be more careful to select site for installation of solar energy. Motivational work is required in this regard so that consumers of solar energy can find out multiple use of their solar power system. The NGOs which are providing solar energy get 10 per cent subsidy from the World Bank. Grameen Shakti provides solar power in four systems and they have 12 package rates which are from Tk. 18,000 to Tk 65,000. Grameen Shakti provides a 30 Watt capacity system with 1 No 30 Watt Panel, 1 No 47 Ah Deep discharge Battery, 1 No Charge Controller, 2 Nos 6 Watt lights, 1 No structure and other required appliances in Tk. 18,000. Three 6 Watt lights and a 14" Black and White TV can be operated by this system. Grameen Shakti installs an 85 Watt capacity system with 1 No. 30 Watt Panel, 1 No 130 Ah Deep discharge Battery, 1 No Charge Controller, 8 Nos. 6 Watt lights, 1 No. structure and other required appliances in Tk. 42,000 and 8 numbers 6 Watt lights and a 17" Black and White TV can be operated by this system. System 1: Provided on 25 per cent down payment. The rest 75 per cent shall have to be paid in 24 monthly installments with 4 per cent (flat rate) service charge. System 2: Provided on 15 per cent down payment. The rest 85 per cent shall have to be paid in 36 monthly installments with 6 per cent (flat rate) service charge. System 3: Provided on 15 per cent down payment. The rest 85 per cent shall have to be paid in 36 monthly installments with 5 per cent (flat rate) service charge. In this case 36 account payee bank cheques have to be submitted in advance. System 4: There is 4 per cent discount on cash payment. Grameen Shakti provides three years maintenance services for the solar power system. After three years it enters into yearly maintenance contracts at an affordable cost of Tk. 300. BRAC Foundation installs solar power systems both on cash payment and in installments. Minimum 15 per cent down payment is required to get it and the rest is payable in 12, 24 and 36 monthly installments with 12.5 per cent service charge. BRAC Foundation installs and supplies all required appliances for the system. It provides a 50 watt system capacity at Tk 23,500 where three lights and a black & white TV can be operated and a 40 watt system capacity at Tk 40,700 where 6 lights and a black & white TV can operate. From evening it is deep dark in the rural areas. Then in most of the villages students do not study, no shops remain open, message of development never reach there and all development works stop abruptly. When the national grid system will reach to these extreme remote areas only God knows. So people of these areas go to bed very early. Solar energy can keep these people awake and productive. So let there be light with solar energy. Md Abdul Gafur is a local consultant (sociologist) of JBIC Pilot Study for Small Scale Rural Infrastructure Project.
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