Solar power sales to grid growing fast

The sale of solar power from consumers' end to the national grid under the Net Metering System (NMS) is growing fast as its volume has already reached 8.213 MW across the country, reports UNB.
According to official statistics, now all the six government distribution utilities are purchasing solar power from 359 consumers in May which was 179 in February last.
The six utilities are Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB), Dhaka Electric Supply Company (Desco), Dhaka Power Distribution Company (DPDC), Bangladesh Rural Electrification Board (BREB), West Zone Power Distribution Company Ltd (WZPDC), and Northern Electricity Supply Company Ltd (Nesco).
The sale, which started in the last quarter of 2018, reached 4.243 in February and now it stood at 8.213 MW in May, Power Division statistics reveal.
On July 28, in 2018, the Power Division unveiled the Net Metering Guideline to buy rooftop solar power from the consumers.
Under the system, any consumer can set up a rooftop solar panel system, covering up to 70 per cent capacity of the sanctioned load and sell the additional or unconsumed solar power through a special metre under an exchange arrangement.
Consumers can use their own solar power alongside that of the national grid. However, on holidays, when solar power is not used, they can sell power to the national grid.
On working days, they can preserve their solar power at the grid, and sell it to their power supply company, or take it back for consumption.
At the end of the month, bills are adjusted based on consumption and sale of solar power to the utilities. Consumers are paid by the distribution company at a bulk rate if the sale exceeds the consumption.
The statistics show that the BREB is leading the chart by buying 6.260 MW of unconsumed solar electricity from its 65 consumers across the country.
The BREB is followed by DPDC with its purchase of 862.5 kilowatt of solar power from 94 consumers while Nesco holds the third position with its buy of 368 kilowatt from a single consumer.
WZPDC is buying 328.86 kilowatt from 33 consumers while BPDB is purchasing 259.85 kilowatt from 75 consumers and Desco 138.26 kilowatt from 91 consumers.
Official sources said a meeting, held on May 19 at the Power Division with power secretary Dr Ahmad Kaikaus in the chair, reviewed the progress of the unconsumed solar power purchase from consumers under NMS.
The committee instructed the utilities to move motivate the industrial consumers to set up rooftop solar power plants on their industries and take its benefit by selling their unconsumed power to the national grid.