MATI Agrovoltaic Program is a practical, people-centered initiative designed to address two urgent challenges in rural Bangladesh: food security and clean energy access. Implemented at the MATI Eco-Village and organic farm, the project demonstrates how agriculture and solar power can coexist on the same land, benefiting farmers, local institutions, and the wider community.
The project uses elevated solar panel structures that allow crops to grow underneath. This approach ensures that farmland is not taken out of production while electricity is generated. Sunlight and airflow reach the crops below, making the system suitable for shade-tolerant crops such as turmeric, ginger, and leafy vegetables, while also allowing continued cultivation of staple crops with manageable yield adjustments.
At Nakla, Sherpur, Rural Sun Power has successfully implemented a 37 kW agrovoltaic solar plant based on field research and data collected from its own agro farm. The electricity produced supports irrigation, rice and oil mills, a school, a guest house, a fish pond water supply system, and a university cold storage facility. Solar-powered pumps have replaced diesel-based irrigation, reducing costs and emissions for farmers.
The project is connected to the national grid through net metering, ensuring that excess electricity is not wasted and instead supports local energy needs. This strengthens rural energy resilience and reduces pressure on the national grid.
The MATI Agrovoltaic Program proves that clean energy, agriculture, education, and small-scale industry can be integrated on the same land. It sets a clear example of how renewable energy can work for rural communities—by the people, for the people—while protecting land, livelihoods, and the environment.
