Renewable energy scenario of Bangladesh: Physical perspective

The looming energy crisis, heightened by the continuing depletion of fossil fuels, accentuates the need for deployment of renewable energy resources in Bangladesh, now more than ever before. Though hydrocarbon resources in the country are limited, the substantial availability of renewable energy sources in the form of solar, biomass, hydropower and wind energy offers opportunities of sustainable energy based development. Motivated by this auspice, the government of Bangladesh and different non-government organizations have been working towards the dissemination of renewable energy based technologies throughout the country. Though this diffusion of renewable energy sources is yet to assume extensive commercial dimensions and widespread implementations, the advancement has been significant in recent years. With the objective of reviewing this progress, this paper presents a comprehensive study of the contemporary renewable energy scenario in Bangladesh in terms of distribution, research and infrastructural development in the country. In addition to this, installed capacity has been calculated to assess the relative contributions of the five renewable energy sectors of Bangladesh.