- To meet the 100 GW solar energy target, India has to prioritise solar rooftop photovoltaic (PV) among two key users
- The reports released by WRI are based on case studies in Bengaluru’s residential hubs, and the industrial clusters of Gujarat and Maharashtra
According to a report by the Economic Times, a report by World Resource Institute (WRI) India said that the country has to prioritise solar rooftop among residential and industrial users to achieve the 100GW solar energy target by 2022.
WRI India said in a statement that for India to achieve its 100 GW solar energy target in just two years and come out as a leader in climate action, it has to prioritise solar rooftop photovoltaic (PV) among two key users. These are residential buildings and the industrial sector.
Case studies in Bengaluru’s residential hubs
The institute has released two research papers. They are titled, “Assessing Clean Energy Opportunities Through Demand Aggregation in Bengaluru’s Apartment Buildings” and “Implementing Demand Aggregation for Rooftop Solar Systems in Micro, Small and Medium-Sized Enterprise Clusters.” The papers are based on case studies in Bengaluru’s residential hubs, and the industrial clusters of Gujarat and Maharashtra.
The ET report added that the paper was based on research conducted in 10 existing residential apartment complexes in Bengaluru between June 2017 and December 2018. It revealed that that significant energy consumption was built into the provision and maintenance of the ‘common area facilities’ of the complexes. The common areas include public areas in residential societies like building compounds, playgrounds, gyms, society offices, floor landings.
10 housing societies
The report said that common areas represent aggregated demand for energy in the complex. These areas are managed by residents collectively. They can be seen as opportunities to introduce solar energy generation and energy efficiency measures in common areas. As per the report, during the study, the Technology Informatics Design Endeavor (TIDE) and WRI India worked with 10 housing societies.
To get a bigger perspective on the barriers to implementing clean energy projects in apartments, the study also engaged with EE and solar rooftop vendors and service providers. This was done through semi-structured interviews, meetings, and interactions on different platforms.