SOLshare, the pioneer of the world's first peer-to-peer energy exchange network in Bangladesh, has expanded its operations to include electric vehicle (EV) batteries and is developing a network of smart distributed solar-powered storage assets.
The company successfully demonstrated its revolutionary smart Internet-of-Things (IoT) technology at its electric three-wheeler charging station in Dobadia, Uttar Khan, Dhaka, on Tuesday, reads a press release.
The event provided attendees with an exclusive opportunity to witness the groundbreaking capabilities of smart lithium-ion batteries in transforming the efficiency and sustainability of electric vehicles (EVs) in Bangladesh.
Bangladesh is home to three million electric three-wheelers, such as “mishuks” and easy bikes, with a virtual power plant (VPP) potential of 3GW, representing more than 20% of Bangladesh's peak load. SOLshare believes that incorporating IoT technology can turn these vehicles from a burden into a support system for the national grid, optimizing battery performance and enabling remote control to significantly improve energy efficiency.
The event was graced by esteemed guests, including Dr Tawfiq-e-Elahi Chowdhury, energy advisor to the prime minister, who served as chief guest, and Matt Cannell, acting British high commissioner To Bangladesh, as the special guest.
Tawfiq-e-Elahi Chowdhury said: "Congratulations to SOLshare for their innovative work that is driving positive change for the common good of the public. It brings me immense joy to see how you have embraced Bangladesh's EVs or 'Beslas' and empowered them with an innovative IoT application. May your impactful work continue to inspire and spread across the nation. I am very proud of the fact that this is a home-grown effort.
“I want you [SOLshare] to go forward, leapfrogging the experiences of the West. Sreda, IDCOL, and the EPRC are here, and they will help you finance this. The international development community should also come in addition."
Matt Cannell said: "In the longer run, reliance on fossil fuels can not continue, and the energy transformation behind the work SOLshare is doing here is the future of this country. Md Alamin, the owner of the charging station, is whom we could consider here to be one of the early adopters who will change the face of road transportation in Bangladesh."
During the event, attendees, including representatives from Power Cell, Sreda, EPRC, BPDB, A2I, IDCOL, UIU, the European Commission and bKash, among others, had the exclusive opportunity to tour the charging station and observe the transformative potential of smart IoT devices in optimizing battery performance.
The visit provided firsthand insights into the practical application of this technology and fostered discussions on sustainable financing for energy transformation.
Having pioneered the world's first peer-to-peer microgrid, SOLshare is determined to unlock even more potential from underutilized resources by turning millions of toxic lead-acid batteries into smart lithium-ion batteries, starting with Bangladesh's electric three-wheelers.
Once achieved, the country will reap the benefits in terms of energy efficiency while facilitating a more aggressive renewable energy pathway by offering storage solutions through a virtual power plant.
"Bangladesh has more EVs on its roads today than Tesla has sold globally to date. Let's make these EVs count," commented Dr Sebastian Groh, founder and managing director of SOLshare.
Isa Abrar Ahmed, director of product and business development, stated: "Those smart lithium batteries are already more economical than their lead-acid counterparts if sustainable financing is in place. In total, this will require $4.5 billion for the entire three million-strong fleet of EVs."
Aziza Sultana Mukti, director of Operations at SOLshare, said: “The import duties for the lithium cells, which then can be assembled locally into smart batteries, need to be waived to pave the path for a larger uptake.”