September 2026 brought two of the most important rooftop solar announcements in years: a per-unit incentive for battery-backed rooftop systems, and a US$123 million fund for renewable energy finance. Here is what was announced, what it means for factories, businesses and homes, and what we would do now.
1. The rooftop solar incentive package
At the start of September the Power Division issued a notification setting out a special incentive for consumers who install rooftop solar with battery storage. As reported:
- The benchmark generation cost of such a system is capped at Tk 8 per unit, battery included.
- Adding a 20% profit and an 11.25% premium, surplus electricity fed into the grid is paid at Tk 10.50 per unit.
- The incentive runs for three years. Systems must be installed by 28 February 2027, and the incentive period ends on 28 February 2030.
- If you build your system for less than the benchmark cost, the saving is yours.
- Payments go only to bank or mobile financial service accounts, not in cash. Distribution utilities keep the records and make the payments, and one-stop service centres at the Power Division and district and upazila utility offices will guide applicants.
- Equipment must meet BSTI and SREDA standards.
For comparison, The Daily Star put the current average retail price of grid electricity at about Tk 10.40 per unit.
2. A US$123 million fund for renewable energy finance
In mid-September the Finance Division launched a US$123 million fund, reallocated from this fiscal year's development budget. According to pv magazine:
- It will be channelled through IDCOL, BIFFL and PKSF.
- It covers residential, institutional and industrial users, including net-metered rooftop PV, solar home systems, industrial solar arrays and solar irrigation pumps, for new, expanded or upgraded installations.
- Detailed lending terms had not been published at the time of reporting.
Both moves sit inside the government's target of generating 20% of electricity from renewables by 2030 and 30% by 2040, set against power shortages that reached close to 4,000 MW in August.
3. What it means for you
Homes, shops and small businesses (5–50 kW)
This is where the incentive bites hardest. A hybrid system — solar plus battery — now gives you backup during load shedding and a guaranteed Tk 10.50 for every surplus unit you export for three years. The catch is the deadline: the system has to be in by 28 February 2027, roughly five months away.
Factories and large commercial users
For most factories, using solar on site is still worth more than exporting it. Under the June 2026 BERC retail tariff, an MT-3 industrial customer pays Tk 11.56 per unit off-peak (when solar generates) and Tk 12.85 flat — and every unit that replaces diesel saves even more. The incentive matters mainly for surplus on Fridays and holidays, and only if the system includes a battery.
It is still a meaningful signal. Under the Net Metering Guideline 2025, surplus left at the end of a quarter is settled at the BERC 33 kV bulk rate — for example Tk 10.0950 per unit for DPDC and DESCO customers and Tk 7.1530 for BREB customers under BERC Review Order 2026/01. Tk 10.50 is above all of these.
Open question: the notification, as reported, does not spell out how the incentive payment works alongside net-metering settlement. Check with your utility's one-stop service centre before sizing a system around it — we will update this newsletter as the details emerge.
Finance
The new fund should make it easier to borrow for solar through IDCOL, BIFFL and PKSF, which already finance renewable projects. Until the terms are published, compare it against your bank's green finance options and zero-investment models such as OpEx, ESCO, RESCO or BOO.
4. What we would do now
- Pull together your last 12 months of electricity bills and note your load-shedding hours and generator use.
- Get a roof and structure survey — the roof often limits system size more than the budget does.
- Decide whether a battery makes sense for you: it unlocks the incentive and gives you backup, but adds cost.
- Work back from 28 February 2027: design, equipment import, installation and utility paperwork all take time.
- Insist on BSTI- and SREDA-compliant modules, inverters and batteries.
We can do the bill review and site survey for free. Contact us or call +880 1521-207671.
Sources
- The Daily Star — Rooftop solar gets new incentive package
- Energy Bangla — Special incentive package announced for rooftop solar power
- pv magazine — Bangladesh launches $123 million rooftop solar fund
- Kuwait Times — Bangladesh rolls out rooftop solar sops to tackle energy crunch
- BERC Retail Tariff 2026 (3 June 2026) and BERC Review Order No. 2026/01 (4 June 2026)
- Net Metering Guideline 2025, Power Division / SREDA
This newsletter summarises public announcements and news reports for general information. It is not legal or financial advice; the official notifications and BERC orders prevail.