Karnataka: Bescom installs solar panels on 147 govt buildings

Bangalore Electricity Supply Company(Bescom) has installed solar panels on the rooftops of 147 government buildings, including schools, bus depots and courts. However, it has fallen short in achieving the stipulated target.

The state-run power agency set up solar panels in 73 locations across the state, enabling government institutions to run on sustainable power and save . A total of Rs 60 crore has been spent on the Solar Rooftop Photovoltaic Project.
The project was conceptualised in 2015 under an initiative of the 13th Finance Commission and

Rs 63 crore was set aside for it. The target set for installation was 10.2MW, but the authorities only managed to set up solar panels of 8.4MW capacity. Furthermore, only 5.4MW is being generated. Bescom sources said they have been unable to meet the target because of lack of interest from government agencies.

The project was tendered in 2019, awarded in 2020, and executed in one year. Various government bodies were asked to apply to get solar panels commissioned, after which Bescom through an outsourced agency carried out a feasibility study of the rooftops of the buildings for selection.