The country, for the first time, is going to set up a photovoltaic (PV) testing laboratory aimed at improving the efficiency and performance of solar energy programs in Bangladesh.
The lab would be set up at the Bangladesh University of Engineering and technology (BUET).
A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between the Infrastructure Development Company Limited (IDCOL) and the BUET at the university’s conference room here yesterday, said a release.
Executive Director and CEO of IDCOL Mahmood Malik and Vice Chancellor of BUET Professor Dr SM Nazrul Islam inked the agreement on behalf of their respective sides. Zubair K M Sadeque, Senior Energy Finance Specialist, of the World Bank Dhaka Office, senior teachers of BUET and senior officials from IDCOL were present on the occasion.
Under this MOU, Infrastructure Development Company limited (IDCOL) will finance around USD 550,000 (USD five hundred and fifty thousand) for establishing the lab.
This finance will be sourced from International Development Association (IDA) of the World Bank under Rural Electrification and Renewable Energy Development II (RERED II) Project.
The PV testing lab will be implemented by the Electrical and Electronics Engineering (EEE) department of BUET.
Besides, IDCOL will also assist BUET to comply this laboratory as an ISO/IEC 17025 accredited Photovoltaic Testing Laboratory.
This laboratory will consist of testing equipments like Solar Simulator System, Outdoor PV I-V Curve Tracer, Integrating Sphere System, Load Bank etc.
Given the size and growth of Solar Home Systems (SHS) program of IDCOL and emergence of different solar based projects like solar lantern, solar irrigation pumping systems and solar mini- grid, it has now become imperative to build domestic capacity of the country for testing of key components and systems to verify continued compliance and to undertake performance testing of PV systems in laboratory and in the field.
