People were literally queuing out of the door (see photo above) to see the new technology at three of our SmartSIP+ demo sites which officially opened across Bangladesh last week!
What a whirlwind it was – workshops with Bangladesh and UK government representatives, UN organisations and NGOs, mixed in with site visits and further workshops with farmers and their families.
The challenge
The Bangladesh government wants to replace the 1.2m diesel irrigation pumps that cause around 5% of the country’s pollution. Fuel is a significant cost to the farmers, and around 100 million people in Bangladesh rely on farming for their income. Solar power is clean sustainable energy, and Bangladesh has an abundance of sunlight, whereas it imports all its fule. However, solar powered systems need way more capital outlay than the vast majority of farmers can manage, so government subsidy is necessary. But is it a wise investment?
Continue reading “Exciting progress on SmartSIP+ in Bangladesh”