Grameen Shakti is a renewable energy company in Bangladesh that aims to provide rural communities access to clean energy. It has installed over 320,000 solar home systems, 9,500 biogas plants, and 49,000 improved cook stoves. The company faces challenges of increasing costs and needs to expand training programs and financing to achieve its goal of installing one million solar home systems and 50,000 biogas plants by 2012. Grameen Shakti blends social and market forces by providing financing and training to increase adoption of renewable technologies and generate income in rural areas.

1. GRAMEEN SHAKTI
Journey Towards
Green Energy Revolution
Presented by: Tamim Islam, Director, Development, Grameen Trust
On behalf of:
Mr. Abser Kamal, Acting Managing Director, Grameen Shakti
Email: g_shakti@grameen.com
Africa and the Middle East Regional Microcredit Summit, April
25, 2010, Nairobi, Kenya

2. Bangladesh is an Energy Starved Country
Only 40% of the 160 million are
connected to the grid Energy Scenario
 Most of the rural people do
not have access to electricity
 Majority rural people depend 40%
on kerosene lamps for light 60%
 80% of the rural people cook
with biomass
 This causes economic,
health, environmental Non Electrified Area
problems Electrified Area
Development Needs Energy. Renewable Energy can be a
source of cost effective and pollution free energy

3. Poor People & women are the victim of Energy shortage
 Bangladesh is severely affected by Energy Shortages
unstable supply of electricity & extensive load shedding
impose a high cost on the economy
 Total Electricity Production is about 4500MW & the real
need is more than double only in the grid connected area
 Most of the power plants are old and working for more than
20 years
 85% of the power plants are operated by natural gas
 The total gas reserve is not sufficient to continue the
supply after 2016
 Electricity is required for reducing poverty and uplifting life
standards

4. Journey Towards Green Energy Revolution
 Set up in 1996 by Professor
Yunus, Founder of Grameen
Bank.
 Our Mission is to empower
the rural people with access
to Green & Clean Energy
and Income
 Now, operating all over
Bangladesh with about 850
field offices and over 5000
staff
 We envisage a future where
rural households of
Bangladesh, would have
access to environment
friendly and pollution free
energy at affordable cost

5. Reaching the Rural People
The Need For Innovation
Main Hurdles were
 High Up-front Costs
 Lack of Consumer financing
 Very limited investments in this sector due to perceived
risks and uncertainty
 Knowledge and Awareness gap
 Lack of efficient, cost–effective after sales service
 Lack of policy support

6. Impact of GS activities in Carbon Emission Reduction
Activities Yearly Yearly Total savings of
Biomass/Fuel Total money
cost ( per Unite) Biomass/Fuel ( in million US$)
Ton/Liter cost Ton/Liter
Installed Solar 180 liter 5,40,00,000 Liter 38.5
Home System
300,000
Biogas Plants 2.0 ton 16000 ton 0.9
8000
Improved 1.8 ton 75600 ton 4.3
Cooking Stove
42000
Total 43.7
Total Carbon Emission Reduction 232000 ton, worth to 2.32 million US$

7. Grameen Shakti has successfully blended Technology
with Social, Market Forces to develop a Market Based
Approach to reach the rural people -
Innovative use of micro-credit
Coupled with :
• Focus on income generation
• Local Technology Transfer
• Community participation &
awareness development
• Dedicated and Committed
Staff
• Flexible Management
• A Listening Culture
• Strong Internal Audit System

8. Now, Grameen Shakti is one of the largest rural
based Renewable Energy Company in the world
 Over 3,20,000 Solar Home
Systems installed with 13,000
plus systems installed per month
 More than 3000 women
technicians & entrepreneurs
trained through GTCs
 Over 9500 biogas plants
constructed
 49,000 Improved Cook Stoves
made
 Growing organic fertilizer and
Tree Plantation programs

9. Covers BANGLADESH
Activities Area of
Grameen Shakti
all over
Bangladesh
GRAMEEN SHAKTI UPDATE
Total Office 893
Branch Office 726
Regional Office 110
Divisional Office 12
Technology Center 45
District Covered 64
Upazila Covered 450
Village Covered 32,000
Island Covered 16

10. Blending Market Forces with Adaptive technology
 Micro-utility Model - Sharing
a Solar Home System to
reduce cost and increase
income
Polli Phone : Mobile Phone
centers with Solar powered
mobile phones
 Small Solar Home Systems :
Popular among low income
household helping to replace
kerosene and generate income
Micro-Utility Model has become
very popular in Market places

11. Financial Mechanism
Option Down Installments Service Charge
payment (Flat rate)
Option-1 15% 36 months 6%
Option-2 25% 24 months 4%
Option-3 100% cash payment with 4% discount
SSHS Min 15% 24- 36 months 6%
People can own a SHS at the same
cost of Kerosene

12. Yearwise Installation of SHS and Planning of 2010
220000
Plan 2010
113736
75887
48339
27991
13791 18634
7800
228 370 1240 1745 3170 4660
Upto 19971998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010

13. Grameen Shakti’s Biogas Program
 A program design Sustainable waste management &
responsive to decentralized power system
client needs :
 Soft loans
 On the spot
trouble shooting
 Adaptive research
 Mason & User
training

14. Initially started as a pilot project in 2005 GS has
Constructed more
than 9000 biogas
plants, around 300
large sized biogas
plants
Promoted Organic
Fertilizer business and
linkage between
Poultry/Live-
stock, Agriculture &
biogas technology Slurry Processing at a biogas plant

15. Over 4 million BIOGAS PLANTS can be constructed :
Gas, Light , Electricity & Organic Fertilizers
 Gas , light & organic fertilizer for small farmers with few livestock
 Burden of women is reduced, their heath protected
 Poultry Owners can get rid of the poultry wastes, give connection to
neighbors, save firewood, get fertilizers, produce electricity
 Cost-effective rented gas for small businesses & households

16. Year wise Biogas Plant Construction Growth and
Planning of 2010
16,000
Plan 2010
4605
2548
1590
453
30
Upto'05 2006 2007 2008 2009 P-2010

17. IMPROVED COOKING STOVES
Cost effective technology for pollution free healthy
Rural Environment & Green Jobs
 2000 ICS technicians cum
entrepreneurs have been
created
 Nearly 45 manufacturing
units set up through seed
capital and technical
assistance for smooth supply d
of grates, chimneys etc.
 Households and businesses
save 50% fuel cost
 Women can cook in smoke
free kitchens

18. Year wise ICS Growth and Planning of 2010
276,000
Plan 2010
29565
4588 11404
410
Upto’06
1 2007
2 3
2008 4
2009 5
P-2010

19. Grameen Technology Centers
Creating Green Jobs For Women
• Over 3000 women trained in
sustainable energy
technologies
• Some trainees set up their
own energy businesses
• 45 GTC now set up to carry
out training & manufacturing
in rural areas to strengthen
GS services
• Moving beyond Solar PV Mrs. Ambia, woman technician
working at her home

20. Grameen Shakti
Telecommunication
New Initiative
• Grameen Shakti participates with Grameen
Phone to install 6.5 KW solar plants for 4
BTS
• Grameen Shakti received more offer from
other mobile phone companies to install
solar panel for BTS after the successful
installation of Grameen Phone BTS.
• Compared to diesel, solar electricity offers
a sustainable, cost-effective and
environment-friendly electricity supply for
Bangladesh’s growing telecommunication
industry.

21. The Challenges Ahead
 Financial and legal frame work needs upgrading
 Lack of involvement of financial institutions
 Higher price of Solar PV system ( Price of Battery
& other accessories increasing)
 Increasing power efficiency of Solar PV system
 Creation of new & skill manpower

22. Road Map to 2012
Solar program
 Set up 1000 Branch Offices in the next 2
years to install one million SHSs by 2012
 Setting up 100 GTCs in the next 2 years
Biogas plants
 Install of 50,000 biogas plant within 2012.
 Scale up linkages between biogas
technology, live stock, agriculture and
income generation to create a sustainable
program
Improved Cooking Stoves
 10 million stoves by 2015 through local
entrepreneurs

23. National and International Awards
Received by Grameen Shakti
1. Energy Globe Award (Austria) 2002
2. European Solar Prize (Germany) 2003
3. USAID Best Theme Award 2003
4. Solar Prize 2004
5. IDCOL Award 2005
6. Ashden Award (UK) 2006
7. European Solar Prize (Germany) 2006
8. Tech Museum Award (USA) 2007
9. Right Livelihood Award (Sweden) 2007
10. Energy Globe Award (Brussels) 2008
11. National Environment Award (Bangladesh) 2008
12. Ashden Outstanding Achievement Award (UK) 2008
Grameen Shakti

24. Thank you for your
Kind Attention