Rooftop solar homes to get ‘green’ status, tax benefits: Minister

Households installing rooftop solar systems will be recognised as ‘green homes’ and offered special tax incentives to encourage wider adoption of renewable energy, Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Iqbal Hassan Mahmood Tuku has said.

The government also plans to pass legislation in parliament soon to facilitate rooftop solar installations and ensure households can easily access the proposed benefits, he said.

Speaking as the chief guest at a roundtable discussion at the BISS auditorium in Eskaton, Dhaka, today (31 October), the minister said the government was prioritising renewable energy to address the ongoing energy crisis and reduce dependence on imported fuels for electricity generation.

He said the proposed incentives were designed to encourage ordinary consumers to install solar panels on their rooftops, enabling households to contribute directly to the country’s transition towards renewable energy.

The minister also announced a target of generating 5,000 megawatts of electricity from renewable sources, particularly solar power, within the next six months.

The roundtable, titled “Rooftop Solar at Household Level: Prospects, Challenges and Way Forward”, brought together energy experts and industry stakeholders to discuss the potential of rooftop solar, barriers to its expansion and measures needed to accelerate adoption.

Tuku said the proposed legal framework and tax benefits would make rooftop solar more attractive to households while supporting the government’s broader efforts to diversify the country’s energy mix.

Bangladesh has been seeking to expand renewable energy generation as growing dependence on imported gas, coal and petroleum products leaves the power sector exposed to international fuel price volatility and supply disruptions.