Orb Energy has launched its first 35 MW (DC) ground-mounted solar park in Arsikere, Karnataka. The park, spanning 110 acres, is built specifically to empower small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the region.
Orb Energy’s solar park model allows enterprises to purchase plots and own their own solar sub-arrays within the overall park.
Orb Energy targets to develop and commission around 400 MW of solar parks for SMEs across India by the end of the decade, with a projected investment of approximately INR 2,000 crore ($240.24 million) over the same period.
With 27 MW (DC) already commissioned across around 90 acres, Orb Energy projects the completion of its SME-centric solar park by the middle of the current financial year.
To facilitate SMEs in owning their own portion of a solar park, Orb Energy offers them its collateral-free, in-house financing facility. With a five-year tenor, Orb’s in-house financing enables SMEs seeking off-site solar solutions to transition quickly and cost-effectively.
“Those who own an off-site solar system can expect reduced electricity costs of approximately 3.5-4.0 rupees ($0.042-$0.048) per kWh over the lifetime of their system, significantly lower than the current grid tariff rates of 8 – 9 rupees per unit. This arrangement benefits both Discoms and enterprises by leveraging existing infrastructure for increased generation (thereby addressing growing electricity demand), while also enhancing SME competitiveness,” stated Orb Energy.
Established in 2006, Orb has installed more than 300 MW of solar solutions across India, and looks to surpass cumulative installations of 1 GW by 2030, with a predominant focus on the SME community.It is planning its second solar park in Karnataka to further support its SME clients.
Damian Miller, co-founder and CEO of Orb Energy, said, “Many SMEs with big power needs and limited roof space needed an off-site solar solution. That is why we launched a unique kind of solar park, enabling SMEs to buy their own plots and solar sub-arrays.”
“This innovative approach has been embraced by SMEs across various industries, such as foundries, die-cast companies, precision components, malls, etc – empowering them to take control of their rising electricity bills and enhance their competitiveness. We are thrilled by the response and are planning our second solar park in Karnataka to further support our SME clients,” he added.
This content is protected by copyright and may not be reused. If you want to cooperate with us and would like to reuse some of our content, please contact: editors@pv-magazine.com.
By submitting this form you agree to pv magazine using your data for the purposes of publishing your comment.
Your personal data will only be disclosed or otherwise transmitted to third parties for the purposes of spam filtering or if this is necessary for technical maintenance of the website. Any other transfer to third parties will not take place unless this is justified on the basis of applicable data protection regulations or if pv magazine is legally obliged to do so.
You may revoke this consent at any time with effect for the future, in which case your personal data will be deleted immediately. Otherwise, your data will be deleted if pv magazine has processed your request or the purpose of data storage is fulfilled.
Further information on data privacy can be found in our Data Protection Policy.