BSTI to establish 69 more labs

The Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institution (BSTI) will set up 69 new laboratories by 2041, including 21 to analyse physical standards of goods for certification, said BSTI Director General Md Nazrul Anwar yesterday.

Government institutions and the private sector are working together to upgrade the country's testing, certification and quality compliance regime regarding rooftop solar power generation equipment, he said.

Currently, the BSTI standard and safety certification is mandatory for 229 products, he told a discussion organised by the Business Initiative Leading Development (BUILD) in collaboration with International Finance Corporation's Partnership for Cleaner Textile (PaCT) project.

The BSTI has already introduced Bangladesh Standards (BDS) for four key rooftop solar power generation equipment and made the BSTI certifications compulsory for their sale and marketing, Anwar said.

Quality and regulatory issues must be addressed for rooftop solar power generation units in order to tackle emerging challenges and attain upcoming targets for the renewable energy sector, said Ferdaus Ara Begum, chief executive officer of the BUILD.

It is important for rooftop solar power generation equipment manufacturers, importers and businesses to get registered with a relevant government agency, such as the Sustainable and Renewable Energy Development Authority, she said.

Existing laboratories that test rooftop solar power generation equipment often lack the technology and capacity for testing certain components, especially ones of high capacities, said Md Tahmid Zami, additional research director of the BUILD.