Apartments At A Crossroads: Solar, EVs And The Struggle For Sustainable Urban Living In Bengaluru
India’s power sector is at a critical transition point with rising renewable energy share and growing challenges in grid stability and storage needs.
By Anubha Jain
Published : April 26, 2026 at 3:27 PM IST
Bengaluru: “India’s power sector is at a critical inflection point, with peak demand touching 254 GW and installed capacity reaching 523 GW as of March 31, of which over 53 per cent is from renewable sources,” said Asit Singh, Member Secretary, Southern Regional Power Committee, Ministry of Power, Government of India while speaking as a keynote speaker at the Public Talk Series on “Sustainable Energy for Apartments - Solar, EV and Beyond” in Bengaluru. He noted a growing balance between renewable and conventional energy, alongside rising private sector participation.
The fourth episode of the talk series was organised by the Bangalore Apartment Federation and the Bengaluru Science and Technology Cluster (BeST). Anant Raman, CEO, BeST Cluster, and Satish Mallya, President, Bangalore Apartment Federation, delivered the opening addresses.
Capacity Expansion and Energy Transition Drivers
On the occasion, Asit Singh said that the Central Electricity Authority projects installed capacity to exceed 1,100 GW by 2034-35, an 84 per cent growth in less than a decade, while energy generation is expected to grow by around 65 per cent. This expansion is driven by three key pillars: adoption of non-fossil fuels, electrification of end-use sectors, and enhanced energy efficiency alongside demand-side management.
Grid Challenges, Storage Needs and System Reforms
He said that the sector, however, faces emerging challenges due to the variability of renewable energy. Grid planning has evolved from managing peak demand to ensuring resource adequacy, necessitating round-the-clock simulations and real-time balancing of fluctuating demand and intermittent generation. With limited storage currently available, maintaining grid stability - frequency, voltage, and supply quality - has become increasingly complex.
Future strategies focus on large-scale storage deployment (including grid-level battery systems) to both absorb excess daytime renewable energy and ensure availability during evening peaks when solar generation drops to zero while demand rises sharply. Flexible thermal generation and improved ramping capabilities are also critical to manage sharp demand-supply transitions.
Singh further noted that power markets, now operating with dynamic pricing, are expected to play a larger role, alongside concepts like peer-to-peer trading and utilisation of electric vehicle batteries as distributed resources. Significant investments in transmission infrastructure are underway to evacuate up to 900 GW of renewable energy by 2034-35, while distribution reforms emphasise digitisation, smart metering, loss reduction, and consumer-centric policies. Cybersecurity, visibility, and controllability of demand are emerging as critical priorities.
With an estimated requirement of around 174 GW of storage capacity and major policy reforms in progress, India is navigating a complex but transformative energy transition, where meeting evening peaks and efficiently utilising daytime renewable energy remain central challenges, he added in his remarks.
A panel discussion followed, featuring Srinivasappa, Director (Technical), Karnataka Electricity Regulatory Commission (GoK); Uma H.M., General Manager (DSM & EV), BESCOM, GoK; Prof. Monto Mani, Centre for Sustainable Technology, IISc; Srinivas Kumar, MD & CEO, SunAP Ecopower; and Santhosh Kumar M., Consulting Faculty and Head of the Solar Department, Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Renewable Energy and Development. The session was moderated by Partha Kundu, Director, Chubb Systems and Governing Council Member, Bangalore Apartment Federation (BAF). The panellists stressed that solar panels are intended for self-use and energy consumption, rather than as a model for generating business revenue.
Falling Solar Costs and Faster Payback
Srinivasappa noted that when grid-scale solar was first promoted around 2010, tariffs were about Rs 16 per unit. Since then, technological advances and market competition have driven costs down significantly, with current systems enabling consumers to recover their investment within 5-6 years while reducing electricity expenses.
Solar Integration and EV Charging Infrastructure
Uma H.M. highlighted the importance of adopting solar panels in apartment complexes and emphasised the need to integrate them with backup generators and hybrid inverters for efficient energy management. Addressing EV charging infrastructure, she noted that low-capacity (up to 3 kW) slow chargers are more practical and safer for installation in basements or at ground level.
In apartment communities with around 40 EV users, a single 60 kW charger with dual connectors can effectively meet shared charging requirements. For larger complexes with over 200 EV users, she recommended establishing dedicated charging stations with multiple chargers to handle the higher demand.
Rising Energy Demand and Sustainability Challenges
Responding to the role of academic institutions like IISc, Prof. Monto Mani said that research must increasingly address emerging sustainability challenges, particularly climate change. Rising temperatures are expected to drive higher energy consumption, making decentralised or offset energy generation essential for cities. He noted that lifestyle-driven energy use has increased sharply. For instance, illuminated advertising panels now operate round the clock with high energy density, contributing to urban heat and rising ambient temperatures, as seen in cities like Bengaluru.
At the same time, growing dependence on air conditioning in apartments is adding to the overall energy burden, which cannot be fully met through rooftop solar alone. From a design perspective, he suggested that mid-rise apartment buildings should aim to meet at least their common energy requirements through integrated solutions.
However, he highlighted that both embodied energy (used in construction) and operational energy remain high - around 500 units per square metre - and must be significantly reduced to meet India’s net-zero targets for 2070. He also raised concerns about indoor environmental quality, pointing to increasing exposure to microplastics and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) due to the widespread use of synthetic materials in buildings.
Distributed Solar and Integrated Energy Solutions
On solar sustainability, Prof. Mani noted that recycling of photovoltaic panels is currently limited due to economic viability issues. As an alternative, repurposing decommissioned panels as building materials is being explored, with estimates suggesting they could meet up to 7 per cent of housing material demand. He concluded that the transition is complex and evolving, with solutions continuously shifting as technologies and challenges develop.
Prof. Mani pointed out that energy efficiency and effectiveness are distinct. Conservation remains critical: effectiveness reduces per capita consumption, while efficiency can lower costs and increase use - a rebound effect. As energy becomes more accessible, consumption rises, highlighting the need for simpler lifestyles.
Low Adoption and Need for Awareness
Discussing distributed solar PV, Srinivas Kumar said installations are not confined to rooftops and can also be set up in apartment clubhouses or along compound walls. He noted that ground-mounted systems should be elevated to around 8 feet for safety and efficiency. He added that managing committees should adopt an integrated approach combining solar, virtual net metering, and energy storage. He emphasised the need to adopt energy storage as a future-ready solution and urged apartment owners to opt for a collective approach.
Santhosh Kumar M. highlighted that despite over 6,000 apartment complexes in Bengaluru, solar adoption remains below 5 per cent, largely due to low awareness among residents and RWAs. He called for large-scale outreach through apartment federations and institutions to address misconceptions and drive adoption. He added that scaling solar uptake will also require focused skill development to build a trained workforce of installers and engineers.
Experts' views highlighted that apartments in Bengaluru stand at a decisive moment: integrating solar, EVs, and storage is no longer optional but essential to manage rising demand sustainably. The path forward lies in collective action, informed adoption, and balancing efficiency with conscious energy use.
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