Dr Sajed Kamal ardently believes that Bangladesh is an ‘untapped energy mine’ for exploring the opportunities for renewable energy.
The sustainable energy expert was addressing an in-house dialogue at the CPD office on Tuesday, 20 August 2013.
Dr Kamal demonstrated how renewable energy in the forms of light, heat, wind, water and photosynthesis can be taken advantage of to ensure energy diversity and energy security in Bangladesh.
His presentation The Untapped Energy Mine elaborating on 30 years of experience into setting up solar units across different parts of the world gave the discussants room for debate as to the cost-effectiveness, prospects and feasibility of employing solar energy as an alternative to non-renewable energy in Bangladesh.
“Non-renewable energy comes from nature; it is the environment that pays for it. There is also the issue of cost and price for buying energy,” says Dr Kamal. He argued that despite the higher initial cost in setting up a renewable energy source, it actually costs less if the multiplier effects and broad perspectives are considered.
“Besides there are medical, social, environmental and political costs involved,” he explains, referring to the cost of warfare for acquiring oil and the damages to environment due to coal mining.
Professor Rehman Sobhan, Chairman, CPD and the discussants raised a number of issues despite the immense potentiality of renewable energy in Bangladesh. Whilst recognising the desirability of having greater share of energy coming from renewable sources, they noted that renewable energy is still costlier.
Dr Kamal mentioned that the cost of solar power has come down by 70 per cent over the years and with effective inputs from policymakers, academics, green activists and scientists, it can one day become a feasible alternative in countries such as Bangladesh.
Professor Mustafizur Rahman, Executive Director, CPD expressed his deep appreciation for the contribution Dr Kamal was making towards the widespread use of renewable energy in Bangladesh, in a cost-effective and environment-friendly manner.
Professor Dr M Rezwan Khan, Vice Chancellor of United International University; Dr Ijaz Hossain, Professor of Chemical Engineering at Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET); Professor Dr Saiful Huque, Secretary at Bangladesh Solar Energy Society (BSES); and Mr Md Ahsan Ullah Bhuiyan, Assistant General Manager of Grameen Shakti addressed the event among others.
Download the presentation: The Untapped Energy Mine [pdf ~15 MB]
View Dr Kamal’s paper on The Untapped Energy Mine: The Revolutionary Scope of Renewable Energy to Fight Climate Change, Revitalize the Economy, and Gain Energy Independence for Bangladesh
A brief interview with Dr Kamal at the CPD office: