Mar 8, 2024
| Famiha Suhrawardy | The Dhaka Tribune
Agrovoltaics systems would allow larger employment opportunities for women and low and middle-skill level workers. This is a crucial consideration for just transitions. Agrovoltaics, a practice combining agricultural activities with solar energy generation, could help Bangladesh achieve its renewable energy targets while addressing land scarcity challenges. The potential of agrivoltaics to address Bangladesh's energy needs was the focal point of a research workshop arranged by Brac Institute of Governance and Development (BIGD), Brac University in partnership with Dhaka Tribune at Lakeshore Hotel Gulshan on Thursday, March 7.
The research conducted by BIGD sheds light on the environmental and economic impacts of integrating solar panels with agricultural land. It was led by Dr Rohini Kamal, research fellow at BIGD, along with research fellow Mohammad Tofail Bin Azam. The research assessed the direct and upstream effects of agrivoltaics on various factors, including employment, land usage, water resources, greenhouse gas emissions, and co-pollutants. Policy implications include revisiting land usage policies to accommodate agrivoltaics systems on less productive agricultural lands.
The research showed that agrivoltaics systems would allow larger employment opportunities for women and for low and middle skill level workers. This is a crucial consideration for just transitions. Moreover, when looking at upstream land use, solar and agrivoltaic systems are less land intensive than fossil fuel. The research encapsulates key considerations within the food–energy–environment nexus showing the implications of different energy choices. Based on the findings, the researchers advocate for tailored incentives and land sharing agreements to encourage farmers and solar producers to participate in agrivoltaic projects.
Dr Imran Matin, executive director of BIGD, set the tone for the discussion by pointing out the critical importance of renewable energy amidst the global climate crisis. He stressed that Bangladesh, despite its strides towards becoming a middle-income country, faces energy challenges compounded by low per capita energy consumption and employment rates. “We are in the midst of a climate change crisis. The cross-cutting challenge of climate change is energy and avoiding fossil fuels. It is not only a global issue, but also a national challenge for us. Solar energy is the most promising renewable energy. There are many challenges within this renewable energy sector,” he said.
Member of Parliament MA Mannan, chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on the Ministry of Planning, commended the collaboration between BIGD and government agencies, highlighting the importance of utilizing government data for research purposes. He said: “Thank you, BIGD, for this kind of research. There is a need for such research. It is a matter of happiness that where I have been working and worked, there is a section called GED which has provided data for this research work. I am very happy that government data is useful to you.” Bangladesh's energy landscape presents a unique opportunity for agrivoltaics to thrive. Dr Rohini Kamal pointed out the country's low per capita energy consumption compared to developed nations, emphasizing the need for innovative solutions. With solar energy emerging as a viable renewable option, the integration of solar panels with agricultural land offers a promising avenue to meet energy demands sustainably.
“We are poised to become a middle-income country with a need for reliable energy. Despite having massive growth, we have very low per capita energy consumption. Our usage per capita is 477, while the USA has 4437. Currently, we have 4% of renewable energy per capita, lagging behind the 10% target by 2020. Solar energy is the most feasible renewable energy, but it is land-intensive. It requires more land. We are combining land and solar panels to propose a potential solution,” she said. Mohaimenul Islam, lecturer at EEE, Brac University presented his research on the technical aspects of agrivoltaics on rice crops. His research showed the potential of growing rice under solar panels, in addition to shade-tolerant crops. He discussed the optimization of land usage for both agriculture and solar energy generation, emphasizing the benefits of utilizing low-yield, less fertile lands for agrivoltaics.
Mohaimenul Islam said: “Bangladesh faces land scarcity, which is a significant issue. The dual use of land for both farming and solar energy generation is a win-win situation from our perspective. We have positioned the solar panels at a latitude angle to achieve optimum results. Calculations show that per square meter area accumulates 2.6 megawatts of incident energy.” Md Abdul Gaffar, Energy Advisor Policy Advisor for Promoting Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (PAP) GIZ Bangladesh, highlighted ongoing collaborations between GIZ and the government on solar energy projects, underscoring the significance of policy frameworks in driving renewable energy initiatives. Dr Munshi Sulaiman, Research Director at the Brac Institute of Governance and Development (BIGD), Brac University; Dr. Sebastian Groh, Professor at Brac Business School, Brac University; CEO and Co-founder of SOL Share Ltd, Israt Hossain; Senior Research Associate at the South Asian Network on Economic Modeling (SANEM), Dr. Md Mosaddequr Rahman, Professor and Chairperson of the Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Brac University; Dr. Dipal Chandra Barua, Co-founder of the Grameen Bank, Founding Managing Director of Grameen Shakti, Founder and Chairman of the Bright Green Energy Foundation; Sakib Chowdhury, Trade Adviser at the Embassy of Denmark; Md. Rashedul Alam, Assistant Director (Solar) at SREDA; Mohaimenul Islam, Lecturer at EEE, Brac University; Mohammad Tofail Bin Azam, Research Associate at the Brac Institute of Governance and Development (BIGD), Brac University; Foqoruddin Al Kabir, Research Associate at the Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD); and Saida Hossain Ara, Research Associate at the Centre for Climate Change and Environmental Research (C3ER) were present at the discussion.
News Link: https://www.dhakatribune.com/bangladesh/341324/is-agrivoltaics-the-solution-to-bangladesh%E2%80%99s