Mercom India held the first event of the “C&I Clean Energy Meet 2023” series in Bengaluru. The event was hosted in partnership with the Federation of Karnataka Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FKCCI).

FKCCI is an apex organization for industry, trade, and service sectors in Karnataka and has been in operation for over a century.

The Clean Energy Meet series, hosted across major cities in India, focuses on C&I businesses transitioning to renewables for their energy needs. These events provide an unique single platform for consumers to come face to face with renewable energy stakeholders to understand and implement the benefits of the renewable transition.

H J Ramesh inaugurated the event, Director Technical at BESCOM, in the presence of B V Gopal Reddy, President of FKCCI; M G Balakrishna, Vice-President at FKCCI; Ramesh Shivanna, Chairman of Energy Committee at FKCCI; and Priyadarshini Sanjay, Managing Director at Mercom India.

The event was attended by enthusiastic C&I business executives keen on understanding how to transition to clean energy and the steps involved in making the investments.

In her welcome address, Priyadarshini Sanjay highlighted that India pledged to install a non-fossil-fuel target of 500 GW by 2030 to combat climate change at the United Nations Climate Summit. India has installed a renewable energy capacity, including large hydro, of about 167 GW. However,  much more remains to be done.

The C&I sector could help India achieve its target if it adopts renewable energy quickly. Switching to renewables would result in cost savings for the industry, besides ensuring the security and sustainability of businesses.

Priya added how the Clean Energy Meet series, since the last year, has attempted to underline the advantage of on-site renewable power generation and ways to procure over 1 MW of power through innovative long-term plans at competitive prices. The events have also brought in experts from the financial community to provide insights into innovative solutions.

Shivanna said, “The commercial and industrial segment together consumes 49% of electricity generated in India, but currently, less than 5% of the total power procured by this C&I segment comes from sustainable or renewable energy.”

He added that the Indian MSME sector is the backbone of the national economy, with over 64 million businesses providing employment to over 12 billion people and contributing to a third of the GDP.

Shivanna said most manufacturing units are power-hungry, with the MSME sector consuming energy equivalent to about 50 million tons of oil annually.

As a major energy consumer, it becomes imperative to take measures to reduce emissions and use clean energy. This can be done by adopting sustainable practices, and eco-friendly technologies, which help achieve a sustainable environment.

The current policies permit even small consumers with 100 kW capacity onwards to purchase green energy open access. Many industries have a good surface area where rooftop solar can also be installed, Shivanna added.

He also pointed out that the importance for MSME entrepreneurs to integrate sustainability principles into their business strategy is not only to create a green environment but also to gain an edge over global competition.

Reddy said, “Karnataka is a blessed state with natural resources and holds the potential of 20 GW of solar energy annually.”

“The state is working towards achieving an ambitious plan to provide 24-hour uninterrupted power supply to all the households. Karnataka’s net metering will enable individual households to install solar panels on their rooftops and sell the surplus power generated to BESCOM. This is well received among stakeholders.”

H J Ramesh, Director Technical at BESCOM, said, “BESCOM is currently implementing utility-scale solar and rooftop solar projects. It has also developed a dedicated portal for facilitating installations and also a dedicated helpline.”

“BESCOM is also a nodal agency for creating infrastructure for EV charging stations across Karnataka. The EV Mitra app was developed to provide information about the EV charging stations,” Ramesh added.

The inaugural session was followed by panel discussions with industry stakeholders on various lucrative ways of procuring clean energy and innovative financing options available.

Bengaluru’s event was the seventh Clean Energy Meet since Mercom began hosting them last year. Mercom India plans to host more industry-focused C&I events in the major cities of Mumbai, Pune, Chennai, and Coimbatore over the year.