UNB, Dhaka :
A Bangladeshi-born American citizen and managing director of Solaric, Didar Islam, thinks his patented third generation solar home systems and nano-grid solar technology can be used to light up the entire ‘off-grid’ Bangladesh, apart from being installed as backup power solution in loadshedding-prone areas.
As of now, power generation and energy sector has been operated under the government or public-private partnerships because the sector is not profitable. But Mr. Islam is an exception who believes his nano-grid technology can be commercially viable without government or donor help.
In fact, Solaric has been successfully functioning 50 nano-grid systems across Bangladesh for over a year already.
Solaric, a US-Bangla joint venture, was founded in 2009. The company develops and manufactures solar home systems (SHS), backup systems, and nano-grid systems. Through Solaric technology, more than 3,50,000 people across more than 61,500 villages have gained access to renewable energy for the first time.
Solaric, short for Solar Intercontinental Limited, is 80 percent owned by Didar Islam and 20 percent by SEAF Bangladesh Ventures, an International Finance Corporation (IFC) fund that initially invested in the project in May 2011.
SEAF BV was an early believer and investor in Solaric in the very beginning of its production and business development activities. SEAF’ s exit investment was finalised in April 2015.
The company’s proprietary and patented micro-inverter technology optimizes energy efficiency and improves the useful life of the solar home systems and power backup systems, by facilitating the use of smaller batteries, solar panels and energy-saving appliances.
Didar Islam’s patented micro-inverter technology can convert 12 volts into 125 volts, the utility level voltage that enables the clients to use LED lights, TVs, laptops, fans, and charging mobile phones.
The existing SHSs, Mr Islam said, had limited load capacity that can only run a fan and light bulb. “But using the micro-inverter technology, people can use anything they want with solar power, in the same way that we use electricity in our homes.”
With nano, the cost per household per month is only Tk 500 that allows the clients to use 3-4 LED lights, a TV, fans and charging mobile phones. Prepaid metering allows Solaric to control the individual users to ensure ‘group payment functionality’.
As part of expanding the business, Solaric is exporting its products to India, Nepal and Tanzania. Infrastructure Finance Company (IDFC), a leading finance company in India, has installed Solaric’s 3G solar home systems and power backup systems in their 1,500 branches across India. IDFC is using Solaric’s products as loadshedding is still a big problem in rural India.
A Bangladeshi-born American citizen and managing director of Solaric, Didar Islam, thinks his patented third generation solar home systems and nano-grid solar technology can be used to light up the entire ‘off-grid’ Bangladesh, apart from being installed as backup power solution in loadshedding-prone areas.
As of now, power generation and energy sector has been operated under the government or public-private partnerships because the sector is not profitable. But Mr. Islam is an exception who believes his nano-grid technology can be commercially viable without government or donor help.
In fact, Solaric has been successfully functioning 50 nano-grid systems across Bangladesh for over a year already.
Solaric, a US-Bangla joint venture, was founded in 2009. The company develops and manufactures solar home systems (SHS), backup systems, and nano-grid systems. Through Solaric technology, more than 3,50,000 people across more than 61,500 villages have gained access to renewable energy for the first time.
Solaric, short for Solar Intercontinental Limited, is 80 percent owned by Didar Islam and 20 percent by SEAF Bangladesh Ventures, an International Finance Corporation (IFC) fund that initially invested in the project in May 2011.
SEAF BV was an early believer and investor in Solaric in the very beginning of its production and business development activities. SEAF’ s exit investment was finalised in April 2015.
The company’s proprietary and patented micro-inverter technology optimizes energy efficiency and improves the useful life of the solar home systems and power backup systems, by facilitating the use of smaller batteries, solar panels and energy-saving appliances.
Didar Islam’s patented micro-inverter technology can convert 12 volts into 125 volts, the utility level voltage that enables the clients to use LED lights, TVs, laptops, fans, and charging mobile phones.
The existing SHSs, Mr Islam said, had limited load capacity that can only run a fan and light bulb. “But using the micro-inverter technology, people can use anything they want with solar power, in the same way that we use electricity in our homes.”
With nano, the cost per household per month is only Tk 500 that allows the clients to use 3-4 LED lights, a TV, fans and charging mobile phones. Prepaid metering allows Solaric to control the individual users to ensure ‘group payment functionality’.
As part of expanding the business, Solaric is exporting its products to India, Nepal and Tanzania. Infrastructure Finance Company (IDFC), a leading finance company in India, has installed Solaric’s 3G solar home systems and power backup systems in their 1,500 branches across India. IDFC is using Solaric’s products as loadshedding is still a big problem in rural India.
