Bangladesh Solar Expo begins Tuesday to boost rooftop solar, attract investment

The expo will be held on November 3-4 at the Bangabandhu Bangladesh-China Friendship Exhibition Centre, jointly organised by the Power Division under the Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources and the Infrastructure Development Company Limited (IDCOL).

The Prime Minister is expected to attend the opening ceremony as the chief guest and visit different stalls and exhibitions, according to a press release.

The expo’s theme is ‘Make Every Inch of Rooftop Count, Increase Income through Solar Power’.

It aims to present the latest solar technologies and government initiatives, encourage investment and strengthen cooperation among stakeholders in the renewable energy sector.

Specialised exhibition stalls will feature solar panels, inverters, smart grid technologies, advanced battery storage systems and other modern solar equipment.

Leading financial institutions, project developers and service providers will also present their services, including project financing, loans on easier terms and technical assistance.

Four specialised seminars will be held during the expo under the overarching theme ‘Policy, People and Capital for Bangladesh’s Solar Revolution’.

The seminars will focus on pathways to a national solar revolution, expanding rooftop solar installations in the public sector, ensuring energy security and creating employment through domestic and industrial rooftop solar, and mobilising private capital and carbon revenue to finance solar projects.

Local and international experts, policymakers, financial institutions, technology suppliers, investors and industry representatives will take part in the discussions as key speakers.

A special orientation session will also be arranged for service providers.

The organisers said the third-party rooftop solar installation initiative would bring public and private institutions into a common framework, allowing them to generate solar electricity without investing their own capital.

They said the initiative would help establish links between government efforts, institutions and people across the country.

The expo is expected to contribute to energy security and sustainable development while supporting Bangladesh’s transition towards an environmentally friendly economy.

The government has recently taken several policy and fiscal measures to accelerate the expansion of solar power.

These include the issuance of the Special Solar Power Ordinance 2026 to simplify administrative procedures and speed up investment, and the adoption of the National Renewable Energy Development Strategy 2026-2030 to increase renewable energy generation and use.

A special package has also been announced under the net metering system to purchase surplus electricity generated by rooftop solar installations at Tk 10.50 per unit.

The government is encouraging the Operational Expenditure (OpEx) model, under which third-party companies can install solar panels on the rooftops of public and private institutions without requiring them to invest their own capital, reports BSS.

To reduce project costs and encourage investment, import duties on solar power and battery-related products have been reduced to 1 percent, while value-added tax (VAT) has been fully waived.