The New Nation - Internet Edition

The two-day energy exhibition coinciding with the launching of nationwide campaign for energy conservation and efficiency ended on Friday opening up new avenues for power-saving devices and renewable energy.

"We are very excited at huge response of people to the exhibition," Engineer BD Rahmatullah, coordinator of the exhibition, said.

He said despite crucial necessity, the issues of renewable energy and energy conservation and efficiency could not be promoted due to "vested interests".

"This time the government has successfully launched the nationwide campaign for their promotion defying the odds with the help of UNDP and others," said Rahmatullah, who is also a member of Rural Electrification Board (REB).

Heritage Foundation in cooperation with the energy and mineral resources ministry, UNDP and GTZ arranged the exhibition at Dhaka Sheraton Hotel.

Chief Adviser Dr Fakhruddin Ahmed inaugurated the workshop and exhibition on 'Energy Conservation and Renewable Energy Programmes' on Thursday.

The campaign was kicked off as the public and private power plants now can supply as high as 3,500 megawatt (mw) electricity to the national grid against the officially estimated peak-time demand for 4,500 mw, a scenario that forces power officials to ration the distribution.

But officials and experts said the country could largely address the deficit of about 1,000 megawatts alone with the use of energy-saving devices like compact florescent lamps (CFLs) and intelligent motors.

They said promoting renewable energy sources like solar and wind power, municipal waste and poultry litters, remnants in husking mills and cogeneration in sugar mills could help the country face the rising demand for next several years.

"Under a comprehensive campaign, we are expecting to get an extra 1500 mw adopting conservation mechanisms and exploring alternative or renewable energy sources in six months' time," Engineer Rahmatullah said.

Official sources said about 2.50 lakh solar home systems have been installed so far across the country and the government has vision of providing one million solar home systems by 2012.

Bangladesh Power Development Board (PDB) has already set up 1.9-mw wind turbines near Feni and Kutubdia and installed a 250- kw rice-husk-based power plant in Gazipur through IDCOL (Infrastructure Development Company Limited), the sources said.

The government is also implementing a National Domestic Bio- Gas and Manure Programme through IDCOL and its partner organizations and a total of 60,000 domestic biogas plants would be installed under this programme.

Thirty stalls were set up at the exhibition where solar home system, biogas plant, biomass, energy-saving bulbs, lamps and ballasts, solar water-heater and mobile charger and energy-saving gas burner and dual-fuel 'hajack' light were put on display.