Spread solar power tech availability

Solar energy should be low-priced, poor friendly and government-subsidised, and its consumption should be expanded on large scale, experts told a seminar at Dhaka University on Wednesday.

Institute of Disaster Management and Vulnerability Studies (IDMVS) of DU, Bangladesh Open University (BOU) and University of Helsinki in Finland jointly organised the seminar titled "Solar energy in the context of sustainable market" at Nabab Nawab Ali Chowdhury Senate Building of DU.

At present, the daily average generation of non-renewable energy in Bangladesh is 7,500MW, while the renewable energy accounts for only 405MW, said Prof Khandaker Mokaddam Hossain, BOU pro-vice chancellor.

"A huge imbalance between renewable and non-renewable sources is prevailing, as only 5-7 percent of the total power is produced from renewable sources. So the amount should be increased to 30-40 percent...," he added.

Mokaddam further mentioned that apart from the household consumption, solar energy should be used in automobiles, transportation, small industries, primary health care units and construction work as well.

Md Khalid Hasan, associate professor at IDMVS, said, "We have to ensure low-cost solar energy facilities for the poor, farmers and small manufacturing businesses. So storage facility and cost-effectiveness of solar energy need to be developed, and the government should continue subsidising this sector."

As 99 percent of solar power comes from sunlight, it is less polluted and environmentally friendly. So we have to expand it on large scale…, said Dr Mahbuba Nasreen, IDMVS director, while talking about the importance of solar energy in the country.

Md Abdul Hai, scientific researcher of New Energy Academy Project at University of Helsinki, talked about handling of the challenges of solar community concept in Finland.

The speakers at the programme congratulated Prof Nasreen on winning the Mary Fran Myers Award - 2016.

She has a long and distinguished career as a researcher and consultant in the fields of gender and development, gender and disaster, food security, reproductive health, violence against women and climate change.