Prof Rezaul Karim, principal investigator of the project, demonstrated the solar photovoltaic system at a ceremony at Mokarram Bhaban auditorium of the Dhaka University.

The project titled 'Rooftop Grid-Connected Solar Photovoltaic System' was undertaken in 2005 by this department with the financial support of the Ministry of Science, Information and Communication Technology.

The traditional solar power system can be used only to supply power to a particular household in isolation while this system is connected to grid and when the system produces more power than the household needs, the surplus power is supplied to the grid in daytime.

Similarly, if the power that is produced through the system is less than the household demands, the system will get electricity from the grid, said Prof Karim.

Producing per watt power through this system costs Tk 17 whether the government sells power for household usage at between Tk 3 and 4 only. That is why this model is still not feasible, the organisers said in the seminar.

“The government also spend around Tk 17 for producing per watt power but the fact is it provides Tk 11-12 subsidies for every unit. So our model is still not feasible ", said a person involved with this project. Mass-scale production through this system will also halve the production costs,' he added.

This system is used in many countries of the world, including Germany and Japan, but this the first time the project is successfully done in Bangladesh.

'In the prevailing energy crisis this system could be an eco-friendly and fuel-free alternative power source for the country to minimise the power shortage,' Rezaul said while demonstrating his system.

Speaking as the chief guest, DU Vice-chancellor Prof SMA Faiz said the conventional energy stored in the world would finish by 2050. So the time has come to search for alternative energy sources.

'The solar energy is an important source of alternative energy,' he added.

Prof AFM Yusuf Haider, pro vice-chancellor of DU, told the seminar that the conventional energy of the country will end in the near future so the country should install nuclear power generation systems for ensuring energy security.

He also urged the government to implement Rooppur Nuclear Power project, undertaken by the country after the Independence.

Other associate partners of the project were Prof Saiful Haque and Prof Subrata Kumar of the department and some other research associates.