SELECTION OF RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES USING ANALYTIC HIERARCHY PROCESS

In recent years, there is a growing interest in Renewable Energy (RE) sources both in the developed and the developing countries; in the developed countries for clean energy sources and the developing countries to meet growing demand for energy. For an energy starved country like Bangladesh, harnessing renewable energy sources is of paramount importance for sustainable economic growth so that the economic development activities of different sectors are not constrained due to shortage of energy. According to a report published in 2000, only 18% of the population in Bangladesh has access to electricity. The major energy sources as of now are biomass fuel (55%), natural gas (24%), imported coal/oil (19%) and hydro-electricity (2%). In 1996, the Government of Bangladesh has…