Kabir Uddin:
Bangladesh has sustained an impressive track record for growth and development and has shown tremendous growth in recent years. In the past decade, the economy has grown at nearly 6 percent per annum despite frequent natural disasters and the fuel, food price and global financial crises. A booming economic growth, urbanization and rapid industrialization and development has increased the country’s demand for electricity. Considering regular amplified demand present government has prioritized of electricity. In June 2014 Bangladesh power development board (BPDB) has increased power generation to 10416 MW. The government aims to generate an additional 15,000 MW electricity, within 2016. But comparing overall power generation and population, presently 62% of the total population (including renewable energy) has access to electricity and per capita generation is 321 kWH, which is very low compared to other developing countries. It is observed that in Bangladesh more power cut during the day time and that is caused by all the office and industry running during the day time. It is known that solar energy replacing conventional non-renewable energy has been widely implemented around the world.
In this situation Bangladesh can solved immediate power crisis installing incredible solar panel by villagers. Idea would be give and take of electricity. Buying power night time and selling it back when produce more than people use in day time. If we see the very recent reports Bangladesh has 32,067,700 households and per capita income is $1,190. Considering the country’s present demand and future energy security, the government would give due importance on renewable energy establishing solar panels on the private house. Before installing solar panels, assessing where solar panels should be placed can significantly benefit panel performance. Considering 32,067,700 households roof space, orientation, shading, roof structure and budget if 50% house/ school and office of Bangladesh may establish solar panels with help of government and villagers. Study shown that normal sunlight time 2500 square feet house can produced 4kw electricity. It good news that solar panels feasibility can be done using GIS and remote sensing based analysis. All the house’s solar panels would be connected to national grid with meter systems. That meter systems should work power receiving and supplying time for both direction. The meter will run backwards when generating more power than needed and forwards when is imported from the grid. Normally day time house solar panels would be supplying power to industry and office and night time would be receiving normal power from the national grid. In this way solar power systems would be balanced by home-based solar panels, and villagers would earn some money by power generation using solar panels.
-Kabir Uddin, GIS and remote sensing Analyst, International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development, Kathmandu, Nepal. Email: [email protected], [email protected]