Eco-Friendly Tunes: Swarathma’s Solar Concerts to Transform Live Music in India

Varun - Thank you. The first conversation about this happened when we were travelling to Hubli for a project which required us to visit multiple sites with the good folks from Selco Foundation. While we were talking about how Solar powered systems have helped out many small scale businesses in these small towns, we started talking about what if this could power an entire concert. The idea in itself was exciting and everyone in the car were jumpy about it. From there, it took shape when this conversation went much further to understand what would be required to make this possible and I will say this is our first attempt to try this out. We’re powering only the sound system of all the shows with solar and clean energy. We’re hoping that we can only make this better and bigger over time.

Varun - It begins with the kind of songs we love to write - many of them are about the Earth and how we feel about nature. With this tour, we are making a start towards a more sustainable concert experience. We have worked with our partners at AmpereHour to build a sustainable power source that has the capability to power the sound system of a concert. This is a leap of faith for us, because I don't think it has been attempted at this scale. We hope that this concept is proof enough for other concert promoters and artists to consider touring with clean energy as an option over diesel generators in the future.

Jishnu - Reliable energy for music concerts today is usually generated by diesel gensets. What we are attempting to do is to replace that power source by something more sustainable. Our concerts will be powered by a 100KVA 450 KWH battery bank that will do the work of the genset. It will be charged from cleaner energy sources and solar fields where available. It will charge Li-ion batteries with in-built inverters, transformers, cooling, safety and control systems, housed within a 20ft container truck. This truck will also have an array of solar panels on its roof that will allow it to be topped up while parked or traveling. Once fully charged, it is expected to give us 4 hours of power with another 4 hours of back-up.

Varun - Again, since this is our first attempt, it might be too early to talk about the impact and influence this can have in such a big industry. Our hope is, if we can make concerts more environment friendly and sustainable, then we should do that as temporary citizens of this planet. We hope that this enables more people to integrate it in their concerts and someday, perhaps even music festivals.

Jishnu - This isn't the first time that concerts have been powered by solar energy - but it is the first time that it is being attempted at this scale, with multiple cities. While by no means a perfect solution, it is a start towards more sustainable concert experiences. It is too early to state whether this will become a precedent that will influence people's choices, but we do hope that it will help showcase the sustainable energy solutions that can be built for the live concert industry.

Jishnu - This dream of ours required a unique group of collaborators: a rock band and its management, a foundation working on renewable energy solutions, an energy technology company, concert venues, and ticketing platforms. We had the gigantic task of getting everyone to share this vision and work towards it. Of course, there were technical and logistical challenges on the way which we were able to address. However, the real test of the system will be once the concerts actually begin.

Jishnu - If we go by the design of the system, there should be no impact on the sound quality at all - the system perfectly emulates a power source in terms of voltage and current. An amplifier or speaker doesn't care whether you're plugged into clean power or not.

Jishnu - Yes! Our focus on sustainability begins with our on-stage practices: we avoid single-use plastic bottles on stage or at the venue. We encourage our fans to car-pool or take public transport. We are planning to tie-up with waste segregation organizations to ensure our concert does not leave behind rubbish that will adversely affect the venues we are working with.

Jishnu - Come for the shows, and get your friends! We wouldn't presume to call it a moment in music history; it is very kind of you to do so, however! All we want to do is play concerts for our fans that are memorable and enjoyable. So the most important thing we want is for our fans to come for the concerts with friends! It is also an opportunity for us to perform songs from our new album and I'm sure we will make new friends among those who hear our music for the first time.

Our partner Selco Foundation is putting together a microsite where our fans can learn more about the initiative and be a part of the journey.

Jishnu - Sustainability is second nature to us. Right from the songs we write to the causes we support, living as much in harmony with nature as possible is something that comes naturally to us. That is why the India Tour initiative is so much in line with our idea of being a band.

For example, we recently performed an acoustic concert inside Cubbon Park as part of our Tour of Trees initiative - in support of the trees of the city's lung space that are at risk of being felled to make way for a proposed 10-storey building.

Right now, we're focusing on releasing the songs in the album Raushan over the next few weeks as the tour progresses.

Jishnu - Yes, our partners for this tour are Sustain Plus, Selco Foundation and AmpereHour Energy.