Publication: Living in the Light: The Bangladesh Solar Home Systems Story
Loading...
Published
2021-03-24
ISSN
Date
2021-03-25
Author(s)
Editor(s)
Abstract
The Bangladesh Solar Home Systems (SHS) Program is the largest national program in the world for off-grid electrification. Begun in 2003, SHS installations under the Program ended in 2018. It is the longest, continuously operating off-grid electrification program in the world. The SHS Program was led and implemented by the Infrastructure Development Company Ltd (IDCOL). Over a 15-year period beginning in 2003, over 4.1 million SHS were sold and supported using a competitive business model that offered consumers a choice of quality SHS, made affordable with financing. About 14 percent of the Bangladesh population (2011 Census), about 20 million people, obtained electricity services through the SHS Program. The SHS Program enabled one-quarter of the unelectrified rural population in 2003 to obtain electricity services far sooner than would have been possible with grid electricity. SHS were mainly used in rural homes for lighting, mobile phone charging, and powering TVs and radios. They were also used in about 200,000 rural businesses and religious facilities. The program led to SHS becoming a credible electricity source in Bangladesh and, more broadly, to the acceptance of solar photovoltaics (PV) as an electricity generation technology. Building on the credibility gained, SHS distribution to the poorest households under other government programs and commercial SHS sales picked up in later years along with IDCOL-financed sales. While the Bangladesh SHS Program will continue to 2021, this report covers the program from 2003 to 2018, describes its benefits and costs, and discusses how the program adapted to inevitable changes and risks over the 15-year period. It draws lessons that can help guide the development and implementation of other sustainable off-grid electrification programs.
Link to Data Set
Citation
“Cabraal, Anil; Ward, William A.; Bogach, V. Susan; Jain, Amit. 2021. Living in the Light: The Bangladesh Solar Home Systems Story. © World Bank. http://hdl.handle.net/10986/35311 License: CC BY 3.0 IGO.”
Digital Object Identifier
Associated URLs
Associated content
Other publications in this report series
Journal
Journal Volume
Journal Issue
Collections
Related items
Showing items related by metadata.
Publication Vietnam : Renewable Energy Action Plan(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2002-03-31)The Renewable Energy Action Plan (REAP) was prepared in a participatory workshop with stakeholders, to discuss renewable energy potential, problems, and solutions, and synthesize study results into a draft action report. The objective of the REAP is to provide cost-effective, and reliable electricity to rural populations, by supplying isolated households, and communities with renewable sources of energy, and augmenting grid supply in remote areas. The capacity-building phase will build on the renewable energy policy, and institutional development, support individual household and institutional renewable energy systems, through the provision of mini-grids based on hydro-hybrid plants. To this end technical assistance, and investment support will be provided to encourage small power producers of renewable electricity for grid supply, from small hydro, bagasse, or rice husk cogeneration, while other technologies will also be supported, such as wind power. Lessons learned from the REAP experience address the need to ensure a policy, and legal framework to guide private sector involvement, by first building capacity, and a strong institutional support, to understand market characteristics, and support development of commercial renewable energy businesses, to include financial intermediation, and micro-finance.Publication Assessing Markets for Renewable Energy in Rural Areas of Northwestern China(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2000-08)The main objective of this study was to determine the market potential for photo-voltaic systems in the remote areas of China, particularly in villages without access to grid electricity. A number of photo-voltaic systems have been sold in the remote provinces, but the size and nature of this market was not well understood. The study produced data that addresses several needs: it yielded an estimate of the size of the potential market for photo-voltaic systems in four Chinese provinces; provided important information on the characteristics, ability to pay, and preferences of potential customers; detailed positive, and negative experiences with existing photo-voltaic systems; and, developed recommendations to increase the penetration of photo-voltaic systems in rural China, as part of the upcoming China Renewable Energy Development Project. The main conclusion of the report is that there is significant desire by households in remote areas, for electricity, and that there is significant potential market demand for photo-voltaic systems.Publication Scaling Up Access to Electricity : The Case of Lighting Africa(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2014-06-13)This knowledge note is the first of three case studies that concerns scaling up access to electricity in Africa, Bangladesh, and Rwanda. Lighting Africa, a joint IFC and World Bank program launched in 2007, was the first private-sector-oriented effort to leverage new LED lighting technologies to build sustainable markets that provide safe, affordable, and modern off-grid lighting to communities in Africa that lack access to electricity. By 2030 the program aims to enable the private sector to reach 250 million people who now depend on fuel-based lighting. The case study for Africa is important, because the continent faces a huge rural electricity deficit. Global electrification in 2010 was estimated to be about 83 percent. The deficit of 17 percent encompasses some 1.2 billion people. Achieving universal access to modern energy services is one of the three complementary objectives of the Sustainable Energy for All (SE4ALL) initiative. Lighting Africa succeeded as a catalyst for the off-grid lighting market in Sub-Saharan Africa. Another success is apparent in the spectacular trajectory of solar lantern sales in Kenya. On the climate front, the program has avoided 274,000 tons of greenhouse gas emissions, the equivalent of taking 35,000 cars off the road. Important lessons were learned during the first phase of the program. Some interventions were very successful; others could have been done differently. Going forward, the Lighting Africa program will support the geographic expansion of ongoing activities to enable market-based solutions for affordable, modern off-grid lighting. The following challenges will be addressed: solar home systems, consumer awareness, and impact evaluation.Publication Energy Efficient Lighting Options for Afghanistan(Washington, DC, 2009-06)This study examines the potential options for implementing an energy efficient lighting program in Afghanistan. It analyzes the range of energy efficient options available in the region and identifies the best choices for specific market segments in off-grid and grid connected areas. Based on this analysis, it is recommended that in rural areas, where grid (local or from main network) is neither available nor likely to be available soon, lead emitting diode (LED) lights coupled with solar (photovoltaic) PV panels offer the least cost solution for expansion of energy access. In grid-connected areas, compact and tube fluorescent lamps are recommended for existing household connections, as well as community and street lighting. The analysis also shows there are numerous barriers and potential problems with implementing an energy efficiency program in Afghanistan. Therefore a phased implementation program is suggested, with careful oversight of the quality of products entering the market.Publication Peru Opportunities and Challenges of Small Hydropower Development(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2011-03)Peru is favored by a stable and growing economy and the availability of indigenous sources of energy for electricity generation, including hydro and natural gas. The Peruvian electricity sector is among the few in Latin America and Caribbean (LAC) that has not confronted a crisis in recent years. The power sector in Peru was reformed and restructured between 1991 and 1993, followed by a privatization and concession process. A modern legal and regulatory framework was established in the electricity concessions law of 1992-93. This report contains the following chapters: (1) introduction; (2) resource potential and technical capacity for development of small hydropower in Peru; (3) economic and financial viability of small hydro development in Peru; (4) institutional and regulatory environment; (5) identification of barriers to small hydropower development and mitigation measures; (6) international experience with small hydropower development; and finally (7) conclusions and recommendations.
Users also downloaded
Showing related downloaded files
Publication World Development Report 2006(Washington, DC, 2005)This year’s Word Development Report (WDR), the twenty-eighth, looks at the role of equity in the development process. It defines equity in terms of two basic principles. The first is equal opportunities: that a person’s chances in life should be determined by his or her talents and efforts, rather than by pre-determined circumstances such as race, gender, social or family background. The second principle is the avoidance of extreme deprivation in outcomes, particularly in health, education and consumption levels. This principle thus includes the objective of poverty reduction. The report’s main message is that, in the long run, the pursuit of equity and the pursuit of economic prosperity are complementary. In addition to detailed chapters exploring these and related issues, the Report contains selected data from the World Development Indicators 2005‹an appendix of economic and social data for over 200 countries. This Report offers practical insights for policymakers, executives, scholars, and all those with an interest in economic development.Publication Argentina Country Climate and Development Report(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2022-11)The Argentina Country Climate and Development Report (CCDR) explores opportunities and identifies trade-offs for aligning Argentina’s growth and poverty reduction policies with its commitments on, and its ability to withstand, climate change. It assesses how the country can: reduce its vulnerability to climate shocks through targeted public and private investments and adequation of social protection. The report also shows how Argentina can seize the benefits of a global decarbonization path to sustain a more robust economic growth through further development of Argentina’s potential for renewable energy, energy efficiency actions, the lithium value chain, as well as climate-smart agriculture (and land use) options. Given Argentina’s context, this CCDR focuses on win-win policies and investments, which have large co-benefits or can contribute to raising the country’s growth while helping to adapt the economy, also considering how human capital actions can accompany a just transition.Publication Classroom Assessment to Support Foundational Literacy(Washington, DC: World Bank, 2025-03-21)This document focuses primarily on how classroom assessment activities can measure students’ literacy skills as they progress along a learning trajectory towards reading fluently and with comprehension by the end of primary school grades. The document addresses considerations regarding the design and implementation of early grade reading classroom assessment, provides examples of assessment activities from a variety of countries and contexts, and discusses the importance of incorporating classroom assessment practices into teacher training and professional development opportunities for teachers. The structure of the document is as follows. The first section presents definitions and addresses basic questions on classroom assessment. Section 2 covers the intersection between assessment and early grade reading by discussing how learning assessment can measure early grade reading skills following the reading learning trajectory. Section 3 compares some of the most common early grade literacy assessment tools with respect to the early grade reading skills and developmental phases. Section 4 of the document addresses teacher training considerations in developing, scoring, and using early grade reading assessment. Additional issues in assessing reading skills in the classroom and using assessment results to improve teaching and learning are reviewed in section 5. Throughout the document, country cases are presented to demonstrate how assessment activities can be implemented in the classroom in different contexts.Publication Morocco Economic Update, Winter 2025(Washington, DC: World Bank, 2025-04-03)Despite the drought causing a modest deceleration of overall GDP growth to 3.2 percent, the Moroccan economy has exhibited some encouraging trends in 2024. Non-agricultural growth has accelerated to an estimated 3.8 percent, driven by a revitalized industrial sector and a rebound in gross capital formation. Inflation has dropped below 1 percent, allowing Bank al-Maghrib to begin easing its monetary policy. While rural labor markets remain depressed, the economy has added close to 162,000 jobs in urban areas. Morocco’s external position remains strong overall, with a moderate current account deficit largely financed by growing foreign direct investment inflows, underpinned by solid investor confidence indicators. Despite significant spending pressures, the debt-to-GDP ratio is slowly declining.Publication Europe and Central Asia Economic Update, Spring 2025: Accelerating Growth through Entrepreneurship, Technology Adoption, and Innovation(Washington, DC: World Bank, 2025-04-23)Business dynamism and economic growth in Europe and Central Asia have weakened since the late 2000s, with productivity growth driven largely by resource reallocation between firms and sectors rather than innovation. To move up the value chain, countries need to facilitate technology adoption, stronger domestic competition, and firm-level innovation to build a more dynamic private sector. Governments should move beyond broad support for small- and medium-sized enterprises and focus on enabling the most productive firms to expand and compete globally. Strengthening competition policies, reducing the presence of state-owned enterprises, and ensuring fair market access are crucial. Limited availability of long-term financing and risk capital hinders firm growth and innovation. Economic disruptions are a shock in the short term, but they provide an opportunity for implementing enterprise and structural reforms, all of which are essential for creating better-paying jobs and helping countries in the region to achieve high-income status.