By Xinhua
Dhaka : Some Non-Governmental Organizations in Bangladesh are developing solar energy in some rural areas which have no access to electricity.
Grameen Sakti, Managing Director Dipal Chandra Barua, told Xinhua in an interview recently that his organization can produce 28 MW electricity a day through solar energy.
Barua said Grameen Sakti has set up 130,000 solar panels in 32,000 villages of the country since they started working in the field in 1997. The number of beneficiaries is about one million.
He said Grameen Sakti, one of the people who have no access to electricity, has planned to bring 75,000 more families under the network this year as growing number of rural people are taking interest to have solar power.
Barua said Grameen Sakti is selling around 4,000 solar panel every month.
Saidul Islam is the beneficiary from the solar energy system provided by Grameen Sakti.
Islam lives in a village of Gazipur district, about 30 km north of capital Dhaka. He has a small cloth shop which is lightened after sunset because of the solar energy.
Islam said that he used solar energy before and he usually closed the shop after sunset. Now the running hours are extended and his business is getting better than before.
“Solar energy has changed my life style as I shut my shop late in the evening,” he said, adding that after shutting the shop I go home and watch television till late at night.
“Before using solar energy about seven months ago, we used to go to bed after having supper, but now even my children also go to bed late after watching television,” he said.
Islam has taken two solar panels, one for his home and the other for his shop.
Solar panel is a bit costly for the rural people. A 40-watt solar panel cost 14,900 taka (about 211 U.S. dollars). Once the money is paid, the customers do not have the hassle like electricity consumer to pay monthly bill at least for 20 years as Grameen Sakti provides guarantee of 20 years for the solar panel.
Bangladesh has been facing serious power shortage. It only generates around 3500 MW electricity per day against the demand of 5000 MW. Even in capital Dhaka, the city dwellers are suffering several hours of load-shedding recently.