Bangladesh's industrial sector faces a persistent energy paradox: electricity costs consume 18–25% of operating budgets, yet the upfront cost of solar installations — typically BDT 60–100 lakh for a 100 kWp system — puts clean energy out of reach for most SMEs and mid-size manufacturers. CDS's SunEcono platform was purpose-built to break this paradox.
What is Energy-as-a-Service?
EaaS inverts the traditional solar ownership model. Instead of the factory purchasing the system, SunEcono installs, owns, and operates the solar infrastructure at zero cost to the client. The factory signs an Energy Supply Agreement (ESA) — typically 15–25 years — and pays only for the electricity units consumed, at a rate 30–40% below BPDB grid tariffs. There is no CAPEX, no maintenance responsibility, and no performance risk for the client.
- Zero CAPEX — SunEcono funds 100% of hardware, installation, and commissioning
- Guaranteed savings — ESA rates are contractually locked below grid tariff
- Performance guarantee — SunEcono guarantees minimum annual generation (P90 yield)
- O&M included — all maintenance, cleaning, and inverter servicing at SunEcono's cost
- Real-time monitoring — client portal showing live generation, savings, and CO₂ avoidance
- 25-year panel warranty — Tier-1 manufacturer guarantees passed directly to client
Technology Stack
SunEcono deploys only Tier-1 equipment across all installations. Sungrow inverters (Bangladesh's #1 inverter brand by installed capacity) provide the conversion backbone. Panels are sourced from LONGi, JA Solar, and Trinasolar — all with certified power output guarantees. For facilities requiring backup or peak-shaving, LFP (Lithium Iron Phosphate) battery energy storage systems are integrated, providing 2–4 hours of storage at typical industrial load profiles with zero thermal runaway risk.
Implementation: A 500 kWp RMG Factory
A representative SunEcono deployment for a 500-worker RMG factory in Gazipur proceeds as follows: Week 1 — site assessment, roof structural survey, shading analysis, and financial modelling. Week 2–3 — ESA drafting, legal review, and execution. Week 4–8 — procurement, logistics, and installation by CDS's certified solar engineering team. Week 9 — commissioning, grid interconnection, BPDB net metering registration, and client portal onboarding. Total time from first meeting to first unit generated: under 10 weeks.
“The EaaS model works because the factory never owns the risk. Generation shortfalls, inverter failures, panel degradation — those are the installer's problem. The factory signs a fixed per-unit rate and lets someone else worry about the physics.”
— CDS SunEcono Energy Advisory Team
Portfolio Performance
Across the SunEcono portfolio, the average system performance ratio (actual vs theoretical yield) is 81.3% — well above the industry standard of 75–78% for Bangladesh's climate. This outperformance is driven by proactive O&M protocols, quarterly cleaning schedules, and inverter MPPT optimization. The portfolio has generated over 12 million kWh of clean energy, avoiding 7,440 tonnes of CO₂ — equivalent to planting 340,000 trees.