The Power Division under the Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources has launched a competition to promote innovative ideas for energy conservation and increased renewable energy generation.
University students and professionals in the power and energy sector can participate in the competition, titled "Exploring Sustainable Energy Innovation," and submit their ideas by October 25.
The competition has been organised by the Power Division with support from the Sustainable and Renewable Energy Development Authority (SREDA), while the programme is being implemented by the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ).
The initiative seeks practical and implementable solutions to help achieve the targets of generating 10,450 megawatts of electricity from renewable sources and saving 15 percent of energy by 2030.
The competition has two categories. Under Group A, teams of two students from any department of a public or private university can participate. Group B is open to individual professionals working in the power and energy sector.
Participants can submit ideas on solar power, smart solar irrigation, off-grid systems, electricity grid modernisation, energy storage, wind power, domestic manufacturing of solar panels and inverters, agrivoltaics and floating solar power.
Other eligible areas include energy-efficient technologies, clean cooking solutions, digital energy-monitoring tools, electric vehicles and charging infrastructure, energy-efficient buildings and cooling systems, demand-side management, infrastructure modernisation, behavioural change and policy proposals.
Applicants must submit a concept note of no more than 1,000 words explaining their ideas, along with a three-minute video demonstrating their feasibility and potential impact.
Interested participants can register and submit their proposals through the website: https://seideacontest2026.sreda.gov.bd.
SREDA Chairman Mozaffar Ahmed said the competition aimed to generate practical ideas for expanding renewable energy and achieving national energy targets.
He said young people were developing innovative ideas and conducting research using artificial intelligence and other technologies. The initiative seeks to harness their research-based solutions to strengthen the country's energy security, he added.
Ahmed expressed hope that showcasing and implementing young people's innovative ideas would contribute to the development of the energy sector and help achieve long-term energy security, reports BSS.