Why agrivoltaics should be part of Bangladesh’s renewable energy strategy

Bangladesh's electricity demand is rising alongside its economy, while the country must feed about 175.7 million people (World Bank, 2025) with scarce land. Per capita electricity consumption is only about 680 kWh, despite near-universal access, indicating considerable scope for demand growth.

The Renewable Energy Policy 2025 targets 20% renewable electricity by 2030 and 30% by 2040.

Solar power is central to this transition, but it raises a critical question: Where will the land come from? Energy and agriculture are increasingly interconnected. Boro rice, which is predominantly irrigated, accounts for about 55% of annual rice production, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).

Agrivoltaics involves installing solar panels at a suitable height above crops to explore whether electricity generation and farming can share the same land.

A foundation in decentralised solar

Bangladesh has extensive experience adapting solar technology to local conditions. In 1996, Dipal C Barua, then Founding Managing Director of Grameen Shakti, helped introduce the Solar Home System with instalment-based financing. About 6.5 million systems have since been installed nationwide.

Bright Green Energy Foundation (BGEF), an Infrastructure Development Company Limited (IDCOL) partner since 2010, has installed more than 325,000 systems through over 300 rural branch offices.

Solar irrigation followed. Bangladesh now has 3,454 solar irrigation pumps with a combined capacity of about 59.22 MWp. BGEF began installing the pumps in 2015 and has installed 23. Each pump delivers roughly 1.6–2.2 million litres of water daily, covering 120–150 bighas.

Rooftop solar installations have reached about 463 MWp across more than 5,550 units, including 5,087 net-metered systems with a combined capacity of about 367.8 MWp. BGEF has installed roughly 3,000 small rooftop systems.

Under the Net Metering Guidelines 2025, single-phase consumers can participate, and system capacity can reach 100% of the sanctioned load, up from 70%.

The tax rate on eligible solar equipment has fallen to 1% from 17%. A scheme announced in September 2026 will pay Tk10.5 per kWh for surplus electricity from qualifying battery-backed rooftop systems installed by 28 February 2027. The scheme will remain valid until 28 February 2030.

Barua's philosophy, "I will produce my own electricity", runs through this progression from household systems to farms, rooftops and the grid. Agrivoltaics is the next step.

The Manikganj agrivoltaics project

In Ghior, Manikganj, BGEF is implementing an agrivoltaics (AgriPV) project with the BRAC Institute of Governance and Development (BIGD), supported by the H&M Foundation.

The solar panels are mounted 8 feet above the ground, with sufficient gaps between them to allow sunlight to reach the crops below.

The first phase comprised 37.5 kWp of AgriPV and 9.375 kWp of conventional solar photovoltaic (PV) capacity. The second phase added 41.25 kWp of AgriPV, bringing the installed capacity to 88.125 kWp. A further 9.375 kWp, including a new training facility, is scheduled for completion by November 2026, taking the total capacity to about 97.5 kWp.

The system already powers two 18.5 kW irrigation pumps serving local farmers, as well as the project office. The Rural Electrification Board is involved in grid integration.

The project brings together electricity generation, irrigation, farming, research, local facilities and potential grid connectivity in a single system. Surplus electricity could also support cold storage, food processing, electric cooking and other rural uses, helping reduce post-harvest losses and increase farmers' incomes.

Research and farmer participation

The crops best suited to Bangladesh's climate under solar panels must be identified through local research. At Manikganj, a team led by Dr Rohini Kamal grows crops in two settings: beneath the solar structures and in nearby open plots. Comparing the two helps establish the effects of shade on crop growth.

Trials so far have included red spinach, coriander and BRRI dhan96 rice. The team is also growing 11K, a rice variety developed with the help of Dr Abed Chowdhury.

Dr Imran Matin of BIGD visited the site and offered valuable advice that has helped refine the research.

Early results are encouraging, but several growing seasons will be needed before firm conclusions can be drawn about yields, water requirements, crop quality and economic viability.

System design must be tailored to the crop, climate and farming practices, with adjustments to panel height, spacing, orientation and shading. Farmers must be central to the design process and share in the returns.

The project has organised, and will continue to organise, workshops and training sessions on cultivating rice varieties and other crops beneath solar arrays.

Success should be measured not by installed capacity alone, but also by crop yields, farmer participation, economic viability and local impact.

Scaling up

A roughly 1 MWp AgriPV project is planned at the Manikganj site, with the initiative being pursued by Japan's Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES), TERRA Japan, BRAC University and BGEF.

A key innovation is the use of screw-pile mounting, which can reduce concrete use and ground disturbance while allowing easier installation, removal and modification.

The design will also test higher-mounted panels and optimised spacing to allow more sunlight to reach the crops while maintaining efficient electricity generation.

Scaling up should be guided by evidence, taking into account agricultural productivity, crop suitability, water availability, farmer participation, grid capacity and financial sustainability.

The potential of agrivoltaics in Bangladesh

According to the Ministry of Agriculture, Bangladesh has about 41.25 lakh hectares of land that produces two crops a year and about 21.10 lakh hectares that produces one crop a year.

Assuming a land requirement of 1.5 hectares per MW, using 1% of the land that produces two crops annually—about 41,250 hectares—could support roughly 27,500 MW (27.5 GW) of agrivoltaic capacity. Using 1.5% of this land, or about 61,875 hectares, could support approximately 41,250 MW (41.25 GW).

Similarly, using 1% of the land that produces one crop annually—about 21,100 hectares—could support roughly 14,070 MW (14.07 GW).

These figures are indicative estimates based on the stated land-use and capacity assumptions. Actual potential would depend on crop suitability, panel spacing, shading requirements, land availability, grid infrastructure and project economics.

Agrivoltaics therefore deserves consideration as part of Bangladesh's broader renewable energy strategy. It offers a pathway towards more efficient land use, stronger links between clean energy and agriculture, better support for irrigation and rural development, and a more integrated approach to meeting the country's growing demand for both food and electricity.

Agrivoltaics could also contribute to Bangladesh's nationally determined contributions (NDCs) under the Paris Agreement.

Sketch: TBS

Dipal C Barua is the founder and chairman of Bright Green Energy Foundation (BGEF).

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of The Business Standard.