Thirteen years ago, Shariful Islam Bhuiyan Russel invested in a one-kilowatt solar panel with the hope of securing cost-effective electricity and potentially selling surplus power. However, to his disappointment, the panel has never been able to produce a full kilowatt of electricity.
The solar panel's battery stopped working within six months of installation. After the third or fourth round of fixing the same problem, Russel lost interest in fixing the solar panel and it has been lying in a state of disuse on his roof for many years.
Like Russel, many solar panel users in Dhaka have become disenchanted with the devices after facing regular issues with installation, maintenance, and connectivity. Where solar panels were once feted as a renewable energy solution, these users now see them as a hassle.
Dhaka TribuneIn 2010, the government made it mandatory for new domestic, industrial, and commercial electricity connections to include solar energy in order to increase renewable energy production. Households were required to generate at least 3% of their energy needs from solar power, while industrial and commercial establishments consuming over 50KW of electricity had a higher target of 10%.
Data from Dhaka's two electricity distribution companies - Dhaka Power Distribution Company Limited (DPDC) and Dhaka Electric Supply Company Limited (Desco) - show that there are currently 80,723 rooftop solar power generation systems in Dhaka, with a combined power generation capacity of approximately 60MW.
However, internal reports from these companies indicate that around 80% of the installed rooftop solar panels are inactive.
| Rooftop Solar Panels | Inactive/faulty panels | Functional panels | |
| DESCO | 34,000 | 29,750 | 4,250 |
| DPDC | 47,000 | 28,000 | 19,000 |
For many landlords, the expensive solar panels were seen as a way to expedite obtaining a new residential electric connection from the city's utility services. The panels then fell into disrepair and were not kept functional.
A housing committee at a Mirpur building confided that the solar panels it installed for Tk3 lakh 12 years ago have failed to produce a single kilowatt to this day, and it sold the entire system to a local scrap shop for only Tk200. The committee plans on renovating the rooftop as a family mosque instead.
Companies blame consumer negligence
A Desco employee, asking for anonymity, claimed that the ineffectiveness of the solar panels is due to consumer negligence.
They said: “Consumers prioritise connectivity over panel maintenance, leading to rapid deterioration shortly after installation. Additionally, the use of low-quality panels and neglecting proper functioning checks on inverters contribute to the problem.”
DPDC Managing Director Engineer Bikash Dewan said consumers were generating e-waste by installing panels and then neglecting them.
“A lack of customer awareness is a contributing factor and efforts are being made to raise awareness,” he added.
ATM Rasel Ahsan, executive engineer of the Monitoring Cell Division at Desco, said: “While a solar panel can produce electricity for 20 years, many panels in Bangladesh deteriorate within just five years due to the installation of low-quality panels.
“Customers prioritize connectivity over panel maintenance, resulting in rapid deterioration shortly after installation. Dust accumulating on the panel prevents solar energy absorption and electricity production. Because many owners are unaware of this, solar energy is not achieving the expected success.”
Numerous issues, not enough solutions
Shahriar Ahmed Chowdhury, Director of the Centre for Energy Research (CER) at United International University (UIU), criticised the mandatory installation of rooftop solar systems in urban areas, calling it an unwise decision.
He suggested withdrawing the directive and using solar panels directly by connecting them to the grid through an inverter, eliminating the need for batteries.
“This would significantly reduce the cost of solar panels,” he said.
The price of solar panels ranges from Tk3.5 lakh to over Tk36 lakh for systems ranging from two kilowatts to 50 kilowatts. With six hours of sunlight per day, these panels can provide electricity ranging from 4 units to 100 units.
He emphasised the potential of rooftop solar systems in providing satisfactory renewable energy in the country and warned against wasting their potential by abandoning them in landfills and scrap yards.
DPDC officials argued that the mandatory installation directive is still necessary to ensure that customers utilise solar panels effectively. They believe that customers will comply with the directive when they fully understand the benefits of solar panels.
Sustainable and Renewable Energy Development Authority (Sreda) Secretary Md Muzibur Rahman said he has requested the authorities to remove the policy requiring an electricity connection alongside solar panel installation.
“Rather, we need to popularise net metering systems among consumers,” he said.
One potential solution is the consolidation of low-power solar panels into a single system.
Dhaka Tribune“Since approximately 90% of the installed solar panels remain unused, the problem lies not only in inadequate power supply from the grid but also in the lack of awareness about the net metering system,” he added.
Net metering would allow solar panel owners to connect to the national energy grid and sell the surplus electricity generated. But a plethora of issues have prevented this facility, which is a success in India, China, and Vietnam, from taking root in Bangladesh.
Lily Haque, a flat owner in Dhaka, said when the net metering policy was floated in 2018, it lacked clarity and detail for prospective users to warm up to it. She noted that even solar panel sellers could not provide much information about it.
DPDC's Bikash Dewan noted that faulty metres in the utility services have played a part in the policy's lack of success.
Among energy experts, panel users, utility executives, the consensus is that solar panels are floundering because of five key reasons:
- Initial high investment
- Lack of available information and public awareness
- Lack of technical knowledge for regular maintenance
- Regulatory issues
- Low quality panel modules
