Bangladesh has moderate solar radiation and the use of solar energy continues to grow while the cost continues to decline. Net metering is one of the approaches designed to encourage renewable energy (RE) promotion by allowing utility customers to generate their electricity from solar or any other renewable sources and export the excess electricity after own consumption. Realizing its importance, the Government has published the Net Metering Guideline in July 2018 and amended in 2019 to cover all 3 phase consumers to adopt rooftop based solar energy to establish a mechanism for distributed RE integration to the grid.

A major success to ensure the rollout of solar rooftop programme is the readiness of clear implementation information for all parties involved in the implementation. The National Solar Help Desk (NSHD) at SREDA creates a common platform to support the successful implementation of rooftop solar projects under the net metering. It holds necessary information on the perspective of the private sector, financial sector, utilities, as well as from SREDA.

Scope Strategy is to structure the NSHD in a way that most of its services are enabled directly through its online web portal. This portal will be robust, user oriented and enriched with relevant contents where users can access the necessary information from A to Z to implement Rooftop Solar projects. Users are expected to receive all relevant information from the web portal of NSHD.

In case, if the required information is not available on the web portal or the user fails to understand it, user can take appointment through online appointment system using the link provided at the web portal of NSHD. Appointment with the help desk will be confirmed by SMS and/or email to the user. In addition, where the user cannot make an online appointment, help desk staff will be available to support the users over the hotline number and for physical visit to the helpdesk as the last option. However, online ticket creation will be considered as the primary mode of any query submission.

Service areas that will be covered by National Solar Helpdesk

1. Initial assessment of Rooftop Solar Project; b) Net Metering Application process; c) Technical information including BDS standards for Rooftop Solar Project; d) Financing information for Rooftop Solar; e) Relevant policies, acts and guidelines related information