With a ray of hope, Bangladesh's solar energy industry's 5.8 million decentralized solar home systems have created around 137,400 jobs, said the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA).
"Although most Bangladeshi solar jobs are in sales, installation and maintenance, some 10,000 people are also employed in module assembly," said the global intergovernmental organization that supports countries in their transition to a sustainable energy future.
IRENA reported these findings in its "Renewable Energy and Jobs: Annual Review 2020" published yesterday. The report says that worldwide employment in renewable energy was estimated at 11.5 million in 2019, up from 11 million in 2018.
Bangladesh's current renewable energy capacity stands at 648.95 megawatt (MW). Of which solar technology accounts for 415.02 MW, according to Sustainable and Renewable Energy Development Authority (SREDA). Of this, about 327.14 megawatt comes from off-grid power sources while on-grid solar accounts for 87.88 megawatt.
"We have already installed more than 5.8 million home solar systems and this year another few lakh more will be installed in remote village areas with little access to electricity, as the government plans to provide electricity to every home," Mohammad Alauddin, chairman of SREDA told The Daily Star yesterday.
