TOWARDS A BRIGHT RENEWABLE ENERGY FUTURE

At this time in the history of the world, the need for energy is at its peak. With the diminishing non-renewable energy resources and the constantly increasing demand for energy, renewable energy is the solution. With that in mind, United International University (UIU) held the International Conference on Developments in Renewable Energy Technology (ICDRET) 2014 at the university campus in Dhanmondi, Dhaka from May 29 to 31, 2014. This was the third time that the university held this conference.

The inaugural ceremony of ICDRET 2014 was held on May 29. The Chief Guest for this occasion was Professor Dr. A.K. Azad Chowdhury, Chairman (State Minister), University Grants Commission of Bangladesh. Chair of the Organising Committee, Professor M. Rezwan Khan, Vice Chancellor of UIU presided over the programme. Professor A.K.M. Sadrul Islam and Professor Md. Fayyaz Khan were present alongside others. The inauguration was followed by presentation of invited papers in two plenary sessions.

The UGC chairman said that our nation needs more research on renewable energy to make it a viable option for all and that a conference of such international stature helps to promote local innovations. Expressing his gratitude to all parties involved in ICDRET, Professor M. Rezwan Khan, Vice Chancellor, UIU said, “The level of interest in renewable energy has been very clearly indicated by the participation of 12 national and international companies.” He believes that these conferences are a forum for exchanging ideas and research outcomes between nations, and allows practitioners of renewable energy at grassroots level to share their experiences with academicians and researchers.

Shahriar Ahmed Chowdhury, Director, Centre for Energy Research, UIU and  Co-Chair of Organising Committee of ICDRET 2014, who has first-hand experience in many renewable energy projects in Kaptai, Hatiya, etc., remarked, “In order for Bangladesh to attain its renewable energy target, the policy-makers, industry leaders and academia of the country must work together. We have started this bi-yearly conference to facilitate this coordinated effort.” He added that fall in prices of solar photovoltaic panels and other such technologies have rekindled hope for their widespread usage throughout the world.

He also informed that UIU has established the Center for Energy Research for researchers working on sustainable and renewable energy, and has also developed solar rickshaw and ferry boats, which were displayed at the university's entrance.

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Workshops

Two workshops led up to ICDRET '14 as side events. On May 27, a workshop, titled “Innovation in Technologies and Delivery Models for Solar Rural Electrification in Bangladesh”, was held by Centre for Energy Research (CER) of UIU in association with Micro Energy International. This side event addressed issues such as how to increase the development impact of rural solar electrification programmes; the business models that enable remote, poor areas with standard quality Solar Home Systems (SHS); and the challenges associated with the new delivery models. The second workshop, called “Green Mini-grid Development in South Asia”, was held on May 28, presented by OASYS South Asia and CER (UIU). Mini-grids are isolated, low voltage distribution grids that provide electricity to small communities. The objectives of this workshop were to examine the challenges in implementation of green mini-grids in rural areas, and to find solutions to those.

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