The Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Co-operatives has allocated Tk370 crore for rooftop solar power projects at local government institutions across the country, targeting around 300 megawatts (MW) of electricity generation.
Local Government State Minister Mir Shahe Alam disclosed the plan while briefing journalists at the Secretariat on Wednesday morning, saying the initiative would cover city corporations, municipalities, upazila and district-level institutions, union parishads and other facilities under the local government system.
The electricity generated will initially be used to meet the institutions' own demand, while surplus power could be supplied to the national grid.
State Minister Shahe Alam said the investment in the solar power program is expected to be recovered within three to four years, primarily through savings on electricity costs.
As part of the initiative, rooftop solar systems will also be installed at 6,544 haat-bazars across the country.
The government is targeting around 150MW of electricity from the rooftops of these markets alone, according to the plan outlined by the minister.
The initiative aims to make use of existing rooftops rather than acquire additional land for solar installations. The approach is expected to help local government bodies generate renewable electricity while reducing their dependence on conventional power sources.
The remaining generation capacity under the overall 300MW target is expected to come from local government buildings and other eligible public facilities.
Of the total allocation, around Tk120 crore has been earmarked for union-level institutions, with an estimated average allocation of Tk350,000 per union.
The allocation also includes approximately Tk75 crore for city corporations, Tk99 crore for upazila-level institutions and Tk12 crore for district councils.
Funds have also been allocated for municipalities and other local government institutions, bringing the overall estimated allocation to Tk370 crore.
According to the preliminary estimate, installing a 5.5-kilowatt rooftop solar system will cost around Tk3.26 lakh.
The government expects the initiative to reduce electricity expenditure at local government institutions while increasing the use of renewable energy.
The scale of the program, however, will require detailed planning for installation, maintenance, system efficiency and grid connectivity.
Under the proposed model, solar-generated electricity will first meet the power requirements of the respective local government facilities.
Where generation exceeds consumption, the surplus electricity is expected to be supplied to the national grid, subject to the necessary technical and regulatory arrangements.
The initiative would allow public buildings and market facilities to become distributed sources of renewable energy without requiring large-scale land acquisition.
However, the effectiveness of the program will depend on factors including rooftop suitability, equipment quality, maintenance, actual generation capacity and arrangements for feeding surplus electricity into the grid.
The minister said the government expects the investment in rooftop solar systems to be recovered within three to four years.
The projected payback period will depend largely on electricity savings, actual solar generation and the extent to which surplus power can be utilised or supplied to the grid.
With thousands of installations planned across the country, proper procurement, installation standards and long-term maintenance will be important to achieving the projected savings.
Local government elections may begin next year
Meanwhile, the minister also spoke about the upcoming local government elections.
He said around Tk6,000 crore could be required to complete elections to the country's five tiers of local government.
Of this, approximately Tk2,700-2,800 crore could be required for union parishad elections alone.
The minister indicated that local government elections could begin next year, although no final decision has yet been made on the election schedule, cost breakdown or the order in which the elections will be held.
The matter will be coordinated with the Election Commission.
Asked whether the recent increase in fuel prices could affect the local government elections, the minister said its impact would be clearer when the elections are actually held.
