Assessing Clean Energy Opportunities Through Demand Aggregation in Bengaluru’s Apartment Buildings

The study of ten apartment complexes in Bengaluru found that rooftop solar could meet the entire annual electricity demand for common services in 80% of the sites. Water pumping assets represent the largest electricity load, accounting for 45% of the total connected common area load across the studied complexes. Despite this potential, adoption is hindered by low incentives due to subsidized domestic tariffs in Karnataka, a lack of maintained energy data, and a priority on other budgetary items like waste management over energy efficiency.

• Water pumping assets are the primary driver of electricity load in common areas. Across the 10 studied complexes containing 4,169 apartments, the total connected common area electricity load was four megawatts, with pumping assets accounting for 45 percent of that load. In six of the complexes, these loads exceeded 40 percent, while in others they ranged from 15 to 28 percent.
• Rooftop solar (RTS) has high technical feasibility for meeting common area energy needs. Analysis of roof areas indicated that RTS could potentially satisfy all energy requirements for eight of the ten complexes; for the remaining two, roof space constraints limited the potential to between 25 and 50 percent. Additionally, the study found that none of the complexes had installed solar water heaters, despite these being mandatory under 2003 BBMP bylaws.
• Energy efficiency (EE) potential varies by building characteristics, with some complexes capable of saving 20 percent of common area electricity through water pumping and lighting improvements, while others could save only up to 5 percent. Factors influencing this include building age, size, occupancy, and the quality and maintenance of equipment.
• Financial opportunities exist for complexes to reduce electricity bills by surrendering excess sanctioned load. In seven of the ten complexes, the sanctioned load on some utility meters exceeded the maximum recorded demand.
• Several institutional and policy barriers impede the adoption of clean energy. Apartment Owners Associations (AOAs) often prioritize water supply or waste management over energy investments. In Karnataka, subsidized domestic tariffs for common area services reduce the incentive for energy efficiency. Other barriers include high up-front costs, the need for approvals from multiple decision-makers, and a lack of objective information.
• There is a systemic lack of energy data and maintenance for common area assets. All studied complexes had incomplete records of monthly or annual electricity bills, and most AOAs were unaware of the specific appliances and equipment they owned. While elevators typically have Annual Maintenance Contracts (AMCs), these are less common for diesel generators and entirely absent for pumping systems, which are maintained through ad-hoc, informal practices like motor rewinding.

APA

World Resources Institute (n.d.). Assessing Clean Energy Opportunities Through Demand Aggregation in Bengaluru’s Apartment Buildings. https://www.wri.org/research/assessing-clean-energy-opportunities-through-demand-aggregation-bengalurus-apartment

Chicago

World Resources Institute. Assessing Clean Energy Opportunities Through Demand Aggregation in Bengaluru’s Apartment Buildings. n.d. https://www.wri.org/research/assessing-clean-energy-opportunities-through-demand-aggregation-bengalurus-apartment.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=World Resources Institute |title=Assessing Clean Energy Opportunities Through Demand Aggregation in Bengaluru’s Apartment Buildings |url=https://www.wri.org/research/assessing-clean-energy-opportunities-through-demand-aggregation-bengalurus-apartment |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{worldresourcesinstitutendassessing, author = {{World Resources Institute}}, title = {{Assessing Clean Energy Opportunities Through Demand Aggregation in Bengaluru’s Apartment Buildings}}, institution = {World Resources Institute}, url = {https://www.wri.org/research/assessing-clean-energy-opportunities-through-demand-aggregation-bengalurus-apartment}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }