in rural bangladesh, solar power dents poverty

Bangladesh-Kachin bimir
Ali is a 33-year-
Living in old Mason in Kachin bimir, it is only a few hours drive from Dhaka, capital of Bangladesh.
He lives with his wife, son, parents and five brothers in a large brick house on a dirt road.
This semi-Ural area is out of the main grid, so residents rely on kerosene lamps and wires, from the electrical wires in the village to noisy private diesel generators.
Run for about five hours every night. But Mr.
Ali has a new source of electricity that he can turn to: solar panels on his corrugated metal roof.
In his home, he turned on the light switch and there was a bare light bulb on the ceiling. Mr.
Ali proudly turned on a fan that stirred the summer air.
He said he would like to have a TV one day, but he is waiting for an led TV that consumes less energy than the current model.
In the long run, solar energy is reliable, clean and cheaper than kerosene and generators in the village.
About 3,000 taka ($38)
Diesel generator lights up for three months-room house.
But for solar devices
Ali paid 1,355 taka ($17)
Monthly installment payment after down payment of 6,500 taka ($83)
He hopes to pay off the loan within two years.
In rural Bangladesh, especially off the southwest coast, tiny solar panels are often seen even in humble thatched houses --roofed huts.
This is mainly the work of Infrastructure Development Co. , Ltd (Idcol), a government-
Support Bangladesh energy and infrastructure group, which claims to have more than 90% of the country\'s booming household solar market.
Idcol has been in 3 since 2003. 95 million off-
The grid home has reached 18 million people.
In terms of the individual units served (
Not the total wattage)
Bangladesh has become one of the world\'s largest markets for household solar systems.
By contrast, Selco, a leading solar company in neighboring India, has installed about 350,000 home systems in one country since 1995.
There are 2 billion people.
In the United States, even after an exponential rise in solar energy in recent years, there were only 784,000 households and commercial solar installations in 2015.
One of the factors in these comparisons is that solar energy has become the lifeline of low energy.
The income of the Bengali people, many people do not have income.
Although big cities look bright and prosperous, only 25% of the 0. 16 billion people have reliable electricity.
Because electricity
Even in small doses.
The provision of electric lights, mobile phones, fans, water pumps, clinics and equipment to businesses is critical to improving the lives of the poor.
Mahmood Malik, chief executive of Dhaka Idcol, said the arrival of Idcol was \"a silent revolution for the rural poor, and you can\'t feel it sitting in the city.
Solar energy is also safer and cleaner than conventional fuels.
Idcol estimates that the company\'s solar installations will replace 242 tons of kerosene worth $0. 3 billion a year, or the poor will spend the money on lighting.
The key to Idcol\'s expansion in Bangladesh is to meet financing plans for low-income people
Income groups and partnerships with 56 grasslands
Grassroots organizations like Grameen, a microfinance institution. These well-
Zubair K said that some of the established community partners who have been working in Bangladesh for decades \"have the trust and confidence of rural people \". M.
Sadeque, senior energy expert at the World Bank in Dhaka.
Formanul Islam, Idcol\'s deputy chief executive, explained: \"They also have huge customers, so they have already carried out outreach activities in rural areas in order to distribute the technology quickly (
He is now chief executive of Bangladesh\'s infrastructure finance fund. .
In fact, Bangladesh is considered the birthplace of microfinance.
It is the most densely populated country in the world, relatively small, easier and more effective access to people on the ground.
About 88% of customers paid off the cost of solar equipment on time.
Idcol helps partners train technicians, maintenance personnel and consumers.
It also deals with financing, payment plans and quality control of equipment from international development partners.
More than 150 Idcol staff conducted random spot checks nationwide to ensure the correct installation of the solar system.
Partners make money from solar installation loan interest, responsible for marketing, sales and collection. High-
Quality standards and strict inspection and monitoring processes are critical, he said.
Sadeque of the World Bank praised Idcol\'s \"market-
Foundation and performance-
Linked to professional staff.
Idcol also offers low
Income that people want and can afford.
60% of solar customers buy the smallest solar panel with a power generation of 20 watts.
Enough to power two to three LED lights and one phone charger.
Some customers with larger families, such
Ali, buy more solar panels.
After Idcol\'s international development partners funded a $20 subsidy, customers paid approximately $5 a month in installments, including interest of between 12 and 15% per year.
Idcol is a profitable private company, but its renewable energy sector is supported by the World Bank, the Islamic Development Bank, the Global Environment Fund and aid agencies in the United States, Germany, the United Kingdom and Japan.
For years, solar subsidies have fallen from $90 in 2003 to $20 now.
Solar panels have been used for 20 years and batteries have been used for 3 to 5 years. Seventy-
5% of the panels are made in China and the rest are made by Bangladeshi suppliers;
Almost all the batteries are made locally.
In contrast, growth in the home solar market in neighboring India slowed due to scattered financing plans, uneven after-sales service and technical flaws in battery and lamps lights.
From language to geography, the Indian market is also facing different situations in different states. Mr.
The local non-profit organization TMSS facilitates the installation of solar energy in Ali, which cooperates with microfinance, health and small businesses such as agriculture and handicrafts.
Abu Sayed, TMSS manager, remembers that in the early days it was difficult to convince customers that solar panels were effective.
But the history of non-profit organizations working in the region, as well as Idcol on quality and after
Sales maintenance has won people\'s trust.
TMSS has six loan officers in charge of six loans
The radius of cycling is kilometers.
The unit manager visits customers by motorcycle.
The ability to connect closely with and contact customers has been rewarded.
As of the summer of 2015, TMSS had installed more than 600 solar installations in the village.
Loan repayment rates in the region were 98%.
However, Idcol had some trouble.
Solar installations fell from 90,000 units per month a few years ago to 55,000 units per month last year because of fake and shoddy products
High-quality solar products enter the market.
To protect the reputation of its brand and solar, the company has started advertising campaigns to warn customers of plagiarism and poor quality
Malik of Idcol said.
In this troubled country, political unrest can also make monthly installments difficult.
Another threat is the natural disaster caused by the hurricane.
Coastal areas of Bangladesh.
However, many small solar panels are removable and can be placed indoors in bad weather.
Idcol has also set up a disaster management fund to help clients affected by the hurricane.
With rapid growth, shortage of technicians, grass-
As technicians move to other organizations with higher salaries, roots partners.
Nevertheless, the challenges did not dampen Bangladesh\'s demand for solar energy.
Threw a stone at Mr. Ali’s solar-
Jahanhiger Alam Joy is located in his small shop made of wood and corrugated metal.
In the hot summer, sweat flowed down his face. Mr.
Joey looked at the roof of his neighbor with envy.
He said he also wanted a solar panel so he could run a fan.