Introduction

Energy is one of the basic components upon which the development and progress of the modern civilization depend. The Centre for Energy Studies (CES) of Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) was established by a resolution of the 199th meeting of BUET Syndicate held on 4 November 1984. The CES aims at promoting education and research, organizing seminars, symposia, training workshops, short courses and outreach programs, and publishing journal, monographs, and books on energy related interdisciplinary matters. These include among others identification of the conventional (e.g. gas, coal), non-conventional (e.g. biomass, biogas) and renewable (e.g. solar, wind, hydro) resources of energy in Bangladesh, and addressing the contemporary policy, socio-economic, environmental and engineering concerns in relation to efficient conversion of the identified resources into end-usable forms (i.e. thermal/mechanical and electrical energy) and efficient supply, utilization and conservation of energy.

The statute for the Centre for Energy Studies was approved in the 326th meeting of BUET Syndicate held on 24 February 1998. The Director of the Centre for Energy Studies, appointed by the BUET Syndicate, is responsible for leading all the administrative and technical activities of CES, and accountable to the Vice Chancellor of BUET.

Past and Present Directors

1. Prof. Anwar Hossain                                             30/06/1985-24/11/1986

2. Prof. A. M. Aziz-Ul Huq                                       24/11/1986-01/03/1989

3. Prof. K. Ikhtyar Omar                                           01/03/1989-06/11/1991

4. Prof. Md. Abdul Matin                                          06/11/1991-01/09/1993

5. Prof. Aminul Hoque                                               01/09/1993-05/10/1995

6. Prof. S. M. Nazrul Islam                                        05/11/1995-04/09/1997

7. Prof. Md. Abdur Rashid Sarkar                             04/09/1997-13/02/2001

8. Dr. N. M. Anisur Rahman                                     13/02/2001-02/09/2001

9. Prof. Edmond Gomes                                            02/09/2001-01/07/2003

10. Prof. S. Shahnawaz Ahmed                                 01/07/2003-02/07/2005

11. Prof. Shahidul Islam Khan                                   02/07/2005-date

Personnel

Experimental Engineer
Md. Obaidullah

Major Activities

1. Workshop on Industrial Energy Efficiency, July 17-18, 1993 in collaboration with EMDC, UK.

2. International Symposium on Electrical Energy Systems (ISEES’ 93), December 13-15, 1993, jointly organized with Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (VPI & SU) of USA, with the financial support from US National Science Foundation.

3. Workshop on Wind and Solar Energy Application for Rural Development, March 4-6, 1997, jointly organized with Bangladesh Council for Scientific & Industrial Research (BCSIR).

4. National seminar on Renewable Energy for Rural Development, October 21-23, 1997, jointly organized with the Institution of Engineers Bangladesh, Dhaka Centre.

5. Workshop on Prospects of Small Hydropower Generation in Bangladesh, May 18-19, 1998, with the financial support of BUET and other local organizations.

6. Regional workshop and exhibition on Promotion of Co-generation as a Means of Pollution Control and Increase in Energy Efficiency in the Industries of Bangladesh, 14-15 November, 1998, with the financial support of UN-ESCAP, Bangkok.

7. International short course on Small Hydro Power, May 6-9, 1999, jointly organized with the Alternate Hydro Energy Centre, University of Roorkee, India, with the financial support of Winrock International, USAID, New Delhi and ICIMOD, Nepal.

8. Training workshop on Renewable Energy Education and Application for Rural Communities in Bangladesh, November 27 December 03, 1999, with the financial support of UNESCO, New Delhi.

9. National training workshop on Renewable Energy Application for Rural Areas of Bangladesh, August 18-24, 2001 with the financial support of UNESCO, New Delhi.

10. International training program on Practical Training for Energy Managers from Industry, January 28-30, 2002 (phase-I) and March 27-28, 2002 (phase-II), with the financial support of UN-ESCAP, Bangkok.

11. National training workshop on Renewable Energy Education in Bangladesh, August 3-8, 2003, with the financial support of UNESCO, New Delhi.

12. Expert opinion on ‘National Energy Policy 2004 Draft’ prepared by the Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources, Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh, June 2004.

13. Short course on Applied Energy Saving Technologies for Industrial, Commercial and Residential Sectors, November 25-27, 2004 organized through Bureau of Research, Testing and Consultation (BRTC) of BUET.

14. Short course on Applied Energy Saving Technologies for Industrial, Commercial and Residential Sectors, April 28-May 1, 2005 organized for the 2nd time through Bureau of Research, Testing and Consultation (BRTC) of BUET.

15. Short course on Applied Energy Saving Technologies for Industrial, Commercial and Residential Sectors, April 15-18, 2006 organized for the 3rd time through Bureau of Research, Testing and Consultation (BRTC) of BUET.

16. The CES, BUET worked as a consultant appointed by German Technical Cooperation (GTZ), Dhaka office for the project appraisal on “Productivity Improvement in Industry through Energy Efficiency Programs”, from April-May, 2006.

Publications

1 Study Report on Pre-Feasibility of Cogeneration in Industrial and Commercial Sectors of Bangladesh (ISBN: 984-31-0783-1), 1998

2 Proceedings of Short Course on Small Hydro Power (ISBN: 984-31-0551-1), 1999

3 Proceedings of Training Workshop on Renewable Energy Education & Application for Rural Communities in Bangladesh (ISBN: 984-31-0784-5), 1999

4 Proceedings of National Training Workshop on Renewable Energy Education in Bangladesh (ISBN: 984-32-0787-4), 2003

5 Applied Energy Saving Technologies for Industrial, Commercial and Residential Sectors (ISBN: 984-32-1803- 6), 2004, 2005, 2006

6 Journal of Energy & Environment (ISSN: 1563-1362)

In-Campus Projects

The projects commissioned by the CES in BUET Campus are as follows.

 

1. Solar PV Electrification of the Heat Transfer Laboratory in EME Building

2. Solar PV Water Pumping to the EME Building Roof

3. Solar Lighting System in the CES Office

Consultation Services

The CES, BUET is capable to provide consultation services to the public and private sector organizations, and international agencies on energy related issues. Among others the typical areas of consultation and R&D projects include the following.

Techno-economic feasibility studies on any kind of energy projects including renewable technologies (RET)
Energy conservation and bill saving
Energy auditing
Stack gas analysis
Design of solar photovoltaic plant size and battery capacity
Design of biogas plants
Training for the energy professionals

Approximately 421 graduates in engineering and other disciplines, working in various public and private sector organizations, were trained by the CES on various aspects of conventional and renewable energy technologies in the period 1998-2006.

The CES, BUET worked as a consultant appointed by German Technical Cooperation (GTZ), Dhaka office for the project appraisal on Productivity Improvement in Industry through Energy Efficiency Programs, from April-May, 2006.

Short Term/Long Term Plans

Short Term Plans
To organize seminars/training workshops/short courses regularly for engineers, architects, energy managers, economists, academics, journalists etc.

Long Term Plans

Subject to the availability of space and resource, the Centre has a plan to establish various energy laboratories and to introduce an integrated program leading to postgraduate diploma and M. Sc. Engg. in Energy Technology in collaboration with the expert teachers working in energy field in the departments of Mechanical Engineering, Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Petroleum and Mineral Resources Engineering, and Chemical Engineering of BUET.

Energy Related Data for Bangladesh

Bangladesh is a developing country with a population of 135 million in an area of only 147,570 sq. km. About 85% of the population lives in rural areas. Per capita energy consumption in Bangladesh is one of the lowest in the world. Its per capita energy consumption in 1997 and per capita GNP in 1999 were 197 kgOE (kilogram oil equivalent) and US$ 370 respectively.

Data on the following have been compiled from various sources.