Computers, air-conditioners and lights running for hours at end, are easily categorised as ‘power guzzlers.’ But a growing number of corporates and IT companies are now looking to the sun and wind to bring down their energy expenses.
These companies are waking up to the benefits of accommodating renewable energy as a major source of power, switching over to it as a partial alternative to power generated from conventional sources of energy. With many of them being vertical structures lacking the space for rooftop facilities, they are open to purchasing renewable energy.
For example, Mindtree’s Whitefield facility will be powered mainly by solar energy soon. Padmanabhan L. Kannan, General Manager and Head – Admin and Facilities, Mindtree, told The Hindu that of the approximately 3,30,000 units that the facility consumes each month, 75 per cent (2,50,000 units) will be powered through solar energy that the company is buying from a private solar farm.
Wind energy
The Prestige Group too is working on taking the wheeling and banking route to power its office properties and malls using wind energy. V. Gopal, Executive Director, Projects and Planning, Prestige Group, said these were two categories of properties that generated huge electricity bills, mainly because of air-conditioning and other electrical loads. “We will have about 80 per cent of our office properties in southern cities, including Bengaluru, use wind energy that we are purchasing soon. Our malls too will be catering to nearly 80 per cent of their energy needs using wind energy in about six months’ time,” he added.
Buying power
With power consumers in the State having put up with a steady rise in electricity tariffs over the past few years, in addition to erratic supply of power — a commodity that Karnataka has often faced a shortage of — private players generating clean energy are seeing a sizeable number of companies come forward to buy power from them. What these companies stand to gain is not just the satisfaction of using clean energy, but also monetary savings.
High tension (HT) consumers under the Bangalore Electricity Supply Company (Bescom) pay higher tariffs for power from the power utility. Through open access with wheeling and banking, they are purchasing renewable energy at little investment and for a tariff lower than conventional energy.
Under the model, a developer generates power at a solar or wind farm, which is credited to large consumers such as IT companies, industries and large hotels.
“Bescom’s tariffs range from Rs. 6.7 per unit for industrial consumers to Rs. 8.4 per unit for commercial consumers. In Karnataka, the charges for solar power through open access would range from Rs. 5.50 to Rs. 6, depending on the contract duration and other terms. There is no investment required from the customer, as the entire investment is made by the developer,” said Andrew Hines, Business Development Head, South, CleanMax Solar Private Limited.
