Solar power and tortoise rewilding in Bangladesh, Rwandan e-bikes, ants for agriculture, vaquita hope, new Swiss inventions, the Green New Deal takes a bow, the once & future mammoth steppe, and more!
> The new post-revolution Bangladeshi government just launched plans to build ten new 50 MW grid-scale solar farms across the country, for a total of 500 MW. Superb!
The Bangladesh solar market has been on a rollercoaster ride over the past few months, with significant policy shifts creating both setbacks and opportunities for the industry.
As readers of this newsletter might recall from our previous coverage, Bangladesh had made headlines in late 2023 with an ambitious tender for 2-3GW of solar projects. However, in a surprising turn of events, these projects were cancelled by the new post-revolution government, marking one of their first major policy decisions in the energy sector.
Now, the same government has announced plans for a fresh tender, albeit at a notably reduced scale. While any progress toward solar adoption is positive, this scaled-back approach falls short of the solar energy victory many industry observers had been hoping for. The sentiment among solar installers has been particularly negative, with many expressing frustration over the cancellation of the original projects. This widespread disappointment may well result in tepid participation in the upcoming tender.
However, there's a silver lining in recent policy developments. A significant deregulation initiative might prove more transformative than the tender process itself. Historically, Bangladesh's electricity generation projects were controlled by a single central government body, creating a bottleneck for development. The new legislative framework aims to decentralize this authority, enabling city-level distribution companies and large businesses to enter into their own private power purchase agreements.
While this regulatory shift shows promise, we're still awaiting final rules for this merchant-centric approach. The devil will be in the details of these implementing regulations, which will determine how effectively the private sector can participate in Bangladesh's solar energy market.
For now, we'll keep watching these developments closely. The success of Bangladesh's solar energy transition may depend less on government-led mega-projects and more on creating the right regulatory environment for distributed, private-sector-driven development.
They put together a great ESRI ArcGIS Story Map for the Lithium-Boron lake deposits mine. These Story Maps are a great way to convey information. Love the "french" connection.
> Solar-powered irrigation pumps are taking off across the fast-growing South Asian nation of Bangladesh, presenting a win-win-win for small farmers by reducing dependence on expensive imported diesel for diesel pumps, reducing labor requirements due to lack of refueling needs, and avoiding air pollution. Another awesome example of the multifaceted benefits brought by the Solar Age!
Solar-powered irrigation isn't the silver bullet you might think it is. While the concept seems compelling at first glance, a deeper analysis reveals some fundamental economic challenges that make it less attractive than alternative solutions.
At first glance, the idea appears brilliant: Using solar power in rural areas eliminates the need for expensive transmission infrastructure while replacing costly diesel power. The premise is particularly appealing given the growing push for renewable energy solutions in agriculture.
However, the critical flaw lies in utilization rates. Most irrigation systems are only used for approximately three months out of the year. This creates a significant economic inefficiency that's often overlooked in initial assessments.
To understand why this matters, we need to look at the cost structure of solar power. Solar electricity costs are predominantly upfront – you're paying for the panels themselves, with minimal ongoing operational costs. When your utilization rate is low, as it is with irrigation, the effective cost per unit of electricity skyrockets.
Contrast this with diesel generators. While they're often maligned for their environmental impact, their economics tell a different story. Diesel generators have low upfront costs but high operating costs due to fuel expenses. This cost structure actually makes them well-suited for systems with low utilization rates, like irrigation.
This economic reality explains why solar irrigation systems have struggled to achieve viability without massive government subsidies in most jurisdictions.
For policymakers concerned about reducing oil imports, there are more cost-effective alternatives to consider:
* Subsidizing EV charging infrastructure
* Implementing strategic fuel taxation
* Legalizing CNG for automobiles in regions with abundant natural gas resources
These alternatives typically deliver better returns on investment and more significant impacts on oil consumption than subsidizing solar irrigation systems.
The lesson here isn't that solar power is bad – it's that we need to be strategic about where and how we deploy it. Sometimes, the seemingly obvious green solution isn't the most effective one.
> The new post-revolution Bangladeshi government just launched plans to build ten new 50 MW grid-scale solar farms across the country, for a total of 500 MW. Superb!
The Bangladesh solar market has been on a rollercoaster ride over the past few months, with significant policy shifts creating both setbacks and opportunities for the industry.
As readers of this newsletter might recall from our previous coverage, Bangladesh had made headlines in late 2023 with an ambitious tender for 2-3GW of solar projects. However, in a surprising turn of events, these projects were cancelled by the new post-revolution government, marking one of their first major policy decisions in the energy sector.
Now, the same government has announced plans for a fresh tender, albeit at a notably reduced scale. While any progress toward solar adoption is positive, this scaled-back approach falls short of the solar energy victory many industry observers had been hoping for. The sentiment among solar installers has been particularly negative, with many expressing frustration over the cancellation of the original projects. This widespread disappointment may well result in tepid participation in the upcoming tender.
However, there's a silver lining in recent policy developments. A significant deregulation initiative might prove more transformative than the tender process itself. Historically, Bangladesh's electricity generation projects were controlled by a single central government body, creating a bottleneck for development. The new legislative framework aims to decentralize this authority, enabling city-level distribution companies and large businesses to enter into their own private power purchase agreements.
While this regulatory shift shows promise, we're still awaiting final rules for this merchant-centric approach. The devil will be in the details of these implementing regulations, which will determine how effectively the private sector can participate in Bangladesh's solar energy market.
For now, we'll keep watching these developments closely. The success of Bangladesh's solar energy transition may depend less on government-led mega-projects and more on creating the right regulatory environment for distributed, private-sector-driven development.
A melange of wonderful things to read more about this morning. Thank you!
Thank you!
Long live the vaquita!
E-bikes could save the world!
Great read!
Thank you!
They put together a great ESRI ArcGIS Story Map for the Lithium-Boron lake deposits mine. These Story Maps are a great way to convey information. Love the "french" connection.
https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/cac7ce498e6749e5a713daa5b6eba2fd
> Solar-powered irrigation pumps are taking off across the fast-growing South Asian nation of Bangladesh, presenting a win-win-win for small farmers by reducing dependence on expensive imported diesel for diesel pumps, reducing labor requirements due to lack of refueling needs, and avoiding air pollution. Another awesome example of the multifaceted benefits brought by the Solar Age!
Solar-powered irrigation isn't the silver bullet you might think it is. While the concept seems compelling at first glance, a deeper analysis reveals some fundamental economic challenges that make it less attractive than alternative solutions.
At first glance, the idea appears brilliant: Using solar power in rural areas eliminates the need for expensive transmission infrastructure while replacing costly diesel power. The premise is particularly appealing given the growing push for renewable energy solutions in agriculture.
However, the critical flaw lies in utilization rates. Most irrigation systems are only used for approximately three months out of the year. This creates a significant economic inefficiency that's often overlooked in initial assessments.
To understand why this matters, we need to look at the cost structure of solar power. Solar electricity costs are predominantly upfront – you're paying for the panels themselves, with minimal ongoing operational costs. When your utilization rate is low, as it is with irrigation, the effective cost per unit of electricity skyrockets.
Contrast this with diesel generators. While they're often maligned for their environmental impact, their economics tell a different story. Diesel generators have low upfront costs but high operating costs due to fuel expenses. This cost structure actually makes them well-suited for systems with low utilization rates, like irrigation.
This economic reality explains why solar irrigation systems have struggled to achieve viability without massive government subsidies in most jurisdictions.
For policymakers concerned about reducing oil imports, there are more cost-effective alternatives to consider:
* Subsidizing EV charging infrastructure
* Implementing strategic fuel taxation
* Legalizing CNG for automobiles in regions with abundant natural gas resources
These alternatives typically deliver better returns on investment and more significant impacts on oil consumption than subsidizing solar irrigation systems.
The lesson here isn't that solar power is bad – it's that we need to be strategic about where and how we deploy it. Sometimes, the seemingly obvious green solution isn't the most effective one.