Bangladesh could generate 3,000 to 4,000 megawatts of solar power before next summer as installations expand and public interest in the technology grows, State Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Anindya Islam Amit said on Wednesday.
Speaking to reporters after inaugurating a 6-kilowatt solar system at the Jashore district BNP office, Amit said the government was providing policy support to meet growing demand and encourage wider use of solar power.
He said the expansion of solar installations was also creating small entrepreneurs and new jobs.
The Jashore installation, financed entirely by the BNP office, will meet part of its own electricity demand while allowing surplus power to be supplied to the national grid, according to a government press release.
Amit said the investment could be recovered within three to three and a half years.
The panel was installed in line with the prime minister’s solar-power policy, he said.
To his knowledge, it was the first solar installation at a political party office in Bangladesh. He said he expected the initiative to encourage other political parties to install solar systems at their own offices.
The government also plans to gradually convert irrigation pumps to solar power.
Amit said the shift would reduce pressure on diesel and grid electricity while lowering production costs for farmers.
The broader push comes as the government seeks to expand distributed solar generation by encouraging households, businesses and other users to produce electricity for their own needs and feed surplus power into the grid.
