Productive Use of Renewable Energy Technology:Evidence from Bangladesh

In Bangladesh, SHS becomes a popular electrification tool in rural off grid areas. This study was conducted to find the role of SHS uses for ME development in rural off grid areas, and to study the changes brought to rural ME by up taking SHS. Mixed method (both quantitative and qualitative methods) has been adopted for this study. This study has examined the role of SHS on trade and service related rural MEs in off grid area of Durgapur Upazila, Bangladesh. The data were gathered from primary and secondary sources. Primary data were collected through questionnaire survey, in-depth interviews and observations. From the study it has found that rural entrepreneurs are using SHS mostly for lighting, charging mobile phone and powering small DC fan. Those who have used SHS for business purpose (productive use of SHS), they observed high level of change in their enterprises. This study conclude that SHS can enhance the capability to bring change in the MEs by the entrepreneurs but due to the limitation of the SHS and lack of business aptitude of the entrepreneurs, the desired level of change is not happening for the MEs.