Is Solar Irrigation A Groundbreaking Success For Bangladesh?
This article was published in the Climate Tribune on 12 October 2017. A new way of extracting groundwater using solar energy, regular peak irrigation, continuous government and donor support, and least requirements of diesel imports have opened up a new door in the agriculture sector of Bangladesh, as farmers can boost their farming yields through irrigation round the year. The use of solar energy in irrigation is popular now owing to cost-effective financing and innovative business model. In a bid to promote alternative energy, perhaps, Bangladesh has sped up installing solar-powered irrigation pumps in 2012. However, it started first in 2010 and the implementing agency, Infrastructure Development Company Limited (IDCOL), a non-bank financial institution, bankrolls renewable energy projects in Bangladesh. Earlier, reliance on expensive diesel irrigation pumps consumed 1 million tons of diesel worth $900 million every year. Farmers are often...