Bosch targets industrial clients to expand the capacity in solar energy generation

Bosch India, a German engineering and electronics corporation will be focusing on setting up rooftop solar plants for its industrial clients, while remaining cautious towards utility scale projects.

Venugopalan CM, Head, Energy Division, Bosch India told Business Line that “The enterprise category or industrial clients are our focus category (for setting up solar power projects). That is where we think there will be a big change over a period of time. Distributed energy generation cuts down on transmission and distribution losses and this is the game. For this, enterprise customers are the model to go for.”

It is expected that by 2016 end, Bosch India aims to expand the capacity in solar energy generation. Also, the company intends to key industry sectors contributing to their energy efficiency measures.

The key projects of Bosch include the 12-MW solar project for Cochin International Airport Ltd. and 1-MW solar plant for Maruti Suzuki Ltd in Manesar.

Vengopalan also said that the company will aim to get more airport and seaport projects to set up solar plants for such customers.

“We are doing a 4.5-MW project for the New Mangalore port. We are also in talks for another airport and a seaport. We are also looking at automotive OEMs (Original Equipment Makers) for setting up solar plants for their captive needs,” he further added.

Commenting on the company’s plans to take part in bids for utility scale solar power plants, Venugopalan stated that “We are taking part in some of the bids. But we are doing it very selectively. As I said, enterprise category customers are our focus category.”

Asked whether the tariffs play a part in the company focussing on the rooftop plants for enterprise customers, Mr.  Venugopalan agreed that for the customer savings over diesel gensets or even industrial electricity tariffs makes sense. He added that “Large enterprise customers have direct high tension lines coming to their plants but they are still going for green solutions like solar power plants. However, we are clear to the clients that rooftop solar plants are not a plain vanilla plug and play solution.’’

He also said that “There is a design challenge for any project. Therefore, besides tariffs we also have to remain cost competitive.”

Source: Hindu