JUST Leads Rooftop Solar Power Supply to National Grid in Energy Innovation Milestone

Amid Bangladesh’s ongoing energy crisis, Jashore University of Science and Technology (JUST) has taken a groundbreaking initiative. As the first university in the country, it is supplying electricity to the national grid through a rooftop solar system.

Under an agreement with Superstar Renewable Energy Limited, the university is generating 1 megawatt of electricity, part of which is used for its own consumption while the remaining portion is fed into the national grid.

From December to February of the last year, approximately 57 thousand units of electricity were supplied to the national grid from this solar system after meeting internal consumption. As a result, the university has achieved around 26 percent savings in electricity costs. Currently, about 80 percent of the solar panels are operational, and Vice-Chancellor Professor Dr. Md. Abdul Majid stated that this will be increased to 100 percent next month.

Spread over approximately 1.5 lakh square feet of space, the solar installation is also generating rental income for the university. As a result, this initiative is not only contributing to power generation but also serving as an effective measure for cost savings and revenue generation.

The university’s current electricity demand is approximately 2 megawatts. Once the full solar system becomes operational, dependence on the national grid will be reduced by 1 megawatt. This will reduce electricity expenditure and increase the use of renewable energy.

Vice-Chancellor Professor Dr. Md. Abdul Majid said that during the energy crisis, this initiative is contributing electricity to the national grid. He added that 70–80 percent of the solar system is already operational, and once fully functional next month, production will increase further. He also opined that if the university had a larger area, solar power generation could have been implemented across the entire campus.

This initiative is being seen as a beacon of hope in increasing the use of renewable energy as well as addressing the country’s energy crisis. Stakeholders believe that if other universities in the country follow JUST’s example in generating and utilizing renewable energy, it would mark a landmark step toward sustainable development.

DBTech/MNA/MUIM/OR