• Energy Research

World's fossil fuels are disappearing rapidly due to multidimensional uses, mainly for electricity generation. Nevertheless, Bangladesh has also a very limited source of natural gas and coal for electricity production. Hence, the major goal of this review is to outlines the present status of installed renewable generations in the country and predict the future prospect. Despite the existence of literature's abundance on Bangladesh's potential for renewable energy (RE), and their prospects, nothing is covered about the phases of renewable energy projects like projects already completed and running, projects implementation ongoing, and projects under planning. Therefore, an endeavor has been made for the first time to expose Bangladesh's three phases of renewable energy, including projects that are currently operational, those that are still being implemented, and projects that are still in the planning stages. Data was collected from Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB), Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS), Infrastructure Development Company Limited (IDCOL), International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), Renewable Energy Policy Network for the 21st Century (REN21), International Hydropower Association (IHA), Sustainable and Renewable Energy Development Authority (SREDA), Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief (MODMR), and Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources (MOPMER). Based on these data, this research suggests that Bangladesh is generating 723.26 Megawatt (MW) electricity from renewable sources including 67.61% from solar, 31.80% from hydro, 0.58% from others including wind, biogas and biomass, where 489 MW electricity makes from over 6 million (63, 25, 278) of installed solar Photovoltaic (PV) systems till mid of April 2021 and a total of 6,408,721 numbers of RE plants are completed and running. Bangladesh is a prospective area for harvesting solar, wind, and bioenergy with limited hydropower, despite the fact that over 42% of rural societies still lack access to electricity. This review will help investors, shareholders, researchers and decision makers of both public and private sector to realize the latest renewable energy situation of Bangladesh, and for future planning and management in a sustainable way.

An enormous amount of power is required in a rising nation like Bangladesh, where achieving economic growth without endangering the environment is a burning issue. The majority of people who live in coastal areas of Bangladesh do not have sufficient access to electricity. There are almost 40 million people living along Bangladesh's 724-km shoreline. Furthermore, it is remarkable that coastal regions have year-round winds, strong enough to generate enormous amounts of power. The viability and promise of wind energy in Bangladesh's southern regions are highlighted in this study. The places demonstrate the possibility for cheaper power production at 30 m-40 m altitudes. The rate of electricity does, however, rise with height. The main objective of this study is to analyze the prospect of wind energy in Sandwip and Kalapara coastal areas of Bangladesh. The data from 1990 to 2020 was taken from the database from the Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD) and NASA's NREL (National Renewable Energy Laboratory). These data sources were used to determine the wind power density, wind power output, energy yield, and finally estimate the CO2 emission reduction. In this paper, a novel approach to the wind energy on selected coastal area is presented and realistic calculation of energy output is carried out of the planned wind system. Finally calculated the realistic CO2 emission reduction by using this approach for a sustainable future. Estimation reveals that about 162.43 GWh of electricity can be generated annually by installing 684 wind towers on southern Kalapara (Khepupara) area and about 257.25 GWh of electricity can be generated annually by installing 1024 wind tower on the periphery of Sandwip area. So, if 1,768 wind turbines are installed on the Sandwip and Kalapara coastal region instead of burning fossil fuels, about 1,11,373.29 tons of CO2 will be prevented from being emitted annually.

Global fossil fuel reserves are declining due to differential uses, especially for power generation. Everybody can help to do their bit for the environment by using solar energy. Geographically, Bangladesh is a potential zone for harnessing solar energy. In March 2021, the renewable generation capacity in Bangladesh amounted to 722.592 MW, including 67.6% from solar, 31.84% from hydro, and 0.55% from other energy sources, including wind, biogas, and biomass, where 488.662 MW of power originated from over 6 million installed solar power systems. Concurrently, over 42% of rural people still suffer from a lack of electricity, where solar energy can play a vital role. This paper highlights the present status of various forms of solar energy progress in Bangladesh, such as solar parks, solar rooftops, solar irrigation, solar charging stations, solar home systems, solar-powered telecoms, solar street lights, and solar drinking water, which can be viable alternative sources of energy. This review will help decision-makers and investors realize Bangladesh’s up-to-date solar energy scenario and plan better for the development of a sustainable society.

In Bangladesh, there are roughly 31 marine passenger ships that are in operation. These ships might be a good location for solar photovoltaic (PV) plants since solar energy is the best renewable energy to replace the fossil fuel used in the ships. A “tower rounded flower-shaped solar PV” system of PV panel arrangement—just looks like a “sunflower,” is proposed in this research. To harness maximum power, solar towers are designed in such a way that they may be freely rotated on their vertical axes and that the tilt angles of their solar panels can be adjusted from 0° to 50° on their horizontal axes freely. The “tower rounded flower-shaped solar PV” architecture of the PV array atop a maritime vessel is presented in this research along with a unique method for calculating the PV system's anticipated energy production. Finally calculated the realistic CO2 emission reduction by using this approach for a sustainable future. Applying globalsolaratlas (for horizon and sun's path estimation); PVsyst 7.2, HOMER Pro, and NREL's PVWatt calculator (for solar radiation calculation); vesselfinder (for the number of vessels analysis); shiptraffic (for vessels path analysis), this research suggests that marine passenger vessels are one of the best places to construct a proposed “tower rounded flower-shaped solar PV” power plant. According to estimates, 17 passenger ships can produce roughly 1240 MW of electricity per year and may save approximately 325.56 tons of CO2 gas emissions annually to the environment per year as compared to using fossil fuel-based power plants to produce electricity.