The target of installing six million solar home systems (SHSs) in the country and thus generating 220 megawatt (mw) electricity from renewable energy by 2017 can be fulfilled, sources said.
Some 3.5 million SHSs were set up across the country generating 135mw of electricity from 2003 to 2014 with the financial support from Infrastructure Development Company Limited (IDCOL).
As per IDCOL data, in the year 2013 there were 2.1 million SHSs that were generating 81mw of power.
Thanks to the SHS programme people in the remote off-grid zones, particularly in the coastal districts, are being benefited with remarkable change in their socio-economic status.
According to data available from the IDCOL, more than 15 million people are under the solar power grid network now and the number of SHSs is increasing at a faster rate than that of any Asian country.
The SHS programme started in 2003 to ensure access to clean electricity for the energy-starved off-grid rural areas of Bangladesh.
The programme supplements the government's vision of ensuring 'Access to Electricity for All' by 2021.
IDCOL initially received credit and grant support from the World Bank and GEF, a German donor agency, to start the programme.
Later, some other donor agencies along with Asian Development Bank (ADB), Islamic Development Bank (IDB), Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and Department For International Development (DFID) came forward with additional financial support for expansion of the SHS programme.
At present 47 partner organisations (POs) are implementing the programme with financial support from IDCOL at rates ranging from 6.0 to 9.0 per cent.
IDCOL is working as the refinancing authority for the POs also with grant support and necessary technical assistance so that the end-users may get solar power easily and by paying dues in small instalments.
The rural people of Barisal, Barguna, Patuakhali, Bhola, Khulna, Satkhira and other coastal districts are now getting solar power by which they can use cell phones, set alight homes and bazaars after dusk and enjoy television programmes.
According to the IDCOL, the POs are being provided with after-sale services.
With collective support from the government, donor agencies and private parties some 65,000 SHSs are being installed per month under the programme at an average growth rate of 60 per cent on year on year basis.
Thanks to the programme the use of kerosene is being greatly reduced in the rural areas.
According to IDCOL estimation, the SHS installation reduces 180,000 tonnes of kerosene worth US$ 225 million per year.
The programme has also employed around 70,000 people directly or indirectly.
Chief executive officer of a PO Abser Kamal said, "We are transforming people's lives in the remote off-grid zones."
He said people now use energy saving bulbs and this trend of using such bulbs would save hundreds of megawatts of electricity in the country.
He said at the existing installation rate it is possible to achieve the target of installing 6 million SHSs by 2017.
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