IDCOL funds country\\\'s first ever solar energy testing lab

Infrastructure Development Company Limited (IDCOL) has teamed up with Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) for establishing the county's first ever Photovoltaic Testing Laboratory.  
The state-linked infrastructure and renewable energy financier (IDCOL) will fund around $550,000 for establishing the country's first Photovoltaic Testing Laboratory.
Two organisations signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) last week to advance the project, IDCOl said in a statement.
This finance will be sourced from International Development Association (IDA) of the World Bank under Rural Electrification and Renewable Energy Development II (RERED II) Project. The PV testing lab will be implemented by the Electrical and Electronics Engineering (EEE) department of Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET).
Besides, IDCOL will also assist BUET to comply this laboratory as an ISO/IEC 17025 accredited Photovoltaic Testing Laboratory who will be able to give accreditation for major solar equipments in the future with a view to improving the efficiency and performance of solar energy programs in Bangladesh. This laboratory will consist of testing equipments like Solar Simulator System, Outdoor PV I-V Curve Tracer, Integrating Sphere System, Load Bank etc.  
Given the size and growth of Solar Home Systems (SHS) program of IDCOL and emergence of different solar based projects like solar lantern, solar irrigation pumping systems and solar mini-grid, it has now become imperative to build domestic capacity of the country for testing of key components and systems to verify continued compliance and to undertake performance testing of PV systems in laboratory and in the field.
Partner organisations (PO) of IDCOL under its Solar Home Systems (SHS) program along with manufacturers of different solar equipments and stakeholders of other solar based projects will surely get benefit from this laboratory and can avail the testing services in Bangladesh. This will ensure quality and performance of the solar equipments used by the rural people in the country.
Mahmood Malik, Executive Director & CEO of IDCOL and Professor Dr. S. M. Nazrul Islam, Vice Chancellor of BUET signed the MOU on behalf of their respective organistions.