Bangladesh wins World Bank solar power loan
The World Bank said on Saturday it will loan Bangladesh $130 million to install solar energy panels to power 300,000 households. (...) Only around 40 percent of Bangladeshis have access to electricity. Power shortages are severe, especially in rural areas. (...) A part of the financing will also be used to purchase and install about 10 million energy efficient compact fluorescent lamps in densely populated areas, replacing an equivalent number of incandescent lamps. "Replacing these lamps, which will be free of charge for residential consumers, is expected to reduce the peak demand by about 360 MW," said Raihan Elahi, senior energy specialist of the World Bank.