Over 2.30 lakh rural households were brought under the solar power system in last five years by Infrastructure Development Company Ltd (IDCOL) as alternative source of energy. Executive Director of IDCOL, a company under the Ministry of Finance, M Ehsanul Haque yesterday said they have set a target to install one million Solar Household Systems (SHSs) by 2012 to help government achieve the target of providing electricity to all by 2020. "SHS system, containing photo voltaic panel, battery, charge controller, solar lamp and switch, is a convenient mode of supplying power for small electrical loads such as lights, radio, cassette players and black and white TV," he said. Although available for limited number of hours in a day, the SHSs programme has brought in positive changes in the economy of the rural people, he said. "Now they are using SHS in the advantage of their income generating activities and working hours have been increased for small businessmen, weavers, tailors, hair dressers, and makers of handicraft items, IDCOL chief said. In addition, the use of TV and radio has enhanced rural people's access to the outer world. Many women opined that they were feeling more secured at night after installation of SHSs, Ehsanul said. IDCOL is implementing the solar electrification programme in remote areas far from the power grid since 2003 through 15 NGOs and Micro Finance Institutions (MFI) including Grameen Shakti and Brac with financial support of different development partners. World Bank and KfW (German development financing bank) have provided 51 million US dollar and 9.68 million euro respectively as loan while Global Environmental Facility (GEF), KfW and GTZ (German technical cooperation agency) gave 4.8 million US dollar, 4.6 million euro and 2.7 million euro respectively as a grant for the programme, IDCOL, source said. Among the SHSs providing NGOs, Grameen Shakti holds the lion share of solar panels, being constructed in the country. "So far, we have installed 1.70 lakh solar panels with an average per month installation rate of 8,000 panels and it is being increased at a fast pace," Head of International Cooperation and Development Department of Grameen Shakti, Dr MS Islam said. The NGOs are providing a wide range of power generating capacity of Solar Photo Voltaic (PV) panels from 30 watts to 120 watts. For example, a 50 watt PV panel can run four LED lights and one black and white television, he added. The price for the whole SHS system including PV, battery, wire and other accessories ranges between Tk 21,000 and Tk 70,000 and consumers can purchase a solar home system both in cash and credit. "Recently, we have started 10 watt panel at a cost of Tk 8,500 targeting the most poor families," he said, adding," a 10 watt panel can run two to three lights." To enjoy the credit facility, a customer has to pay a minimum ten to fifteen percent of total cost of a system as down payment, rest of the amount can be paid by installment within two to five years.