Off-grid solar power supply

A reporter's despatch on the subject was published in a local daily recently. It was about a proposal of the government. This deserves national priority and needs to be taken up at the earliest. This will be a cheaper option, requiring negligible fuel for some small standby generators. The back up batteries for the solar power, when there is no sun during rainy season and cloudy sky, generators are needed to charge the batteries.

In this writer's opinion, along with this proposal, we should take up projects to generate methane from human solid waste. This will not only provide improved sanitation in remote villages, but also a source for valuable methane gas that can power the battery charging generators making the whole system run without any imported fuel. The government should go for such a self-sustaining combination, and not just solar power only. This combined proposal can provide cheap electricity to remote villages that are normally difficult to access. For them it will be a dream come true situation.

Engr.S.A.Mansoor

Dhaka.

sam@dhakacom.com