Climatenza Solar: Akshay Makar on Decarbonizing Global Industries with Solar Thermal Energy
While solar panels on rooftops have become common, they only solve part of the energy puzzle—electricity. The massive industrial sector, however, consumes 75% of its energy as heat (thermal energy), 90% of which still comes from burning fossil fuels. Akshay Makar, the Founder of Climatenza Solar and a two-time Forbes 30 Under 30 honoree, is on a mission to change this. By utilizing advanced solar thermal concentrators, Akshay is helping global giants like Coca-Cola and Unilever decarbonize their industrial processes and reach net-zero goals.
The 'Heat' Problem in Industry
Akshay’s journey into climate tech began with a startling realization: we are ignoring the biggest source of carbon emissions in manufacturing. "When you look at a factory, electricity is just a small part. 70-75% of their requirement is thermal—hot water, hot air, or steam," Akshay explains. Currently, this heat is generated by burning coal, diesel, or gas. Climatenza Solar provides an innovative alternative: Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) technology that reflects sunlight onto a receiver to generate industrial-grade steam.
Founded in 2016, Climatenza Solar focuses on the "techno-economic" sweet spot. "Our goal is to ensure that decarbonization isn't just an environmental choice but an economical one. We aim for a payback period of 4 to 6 years," Akshay notes. By making sustainability profitable, he has successfully deployed pilots and scaled projects across India and Chile.
Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) Explained
Unlike traditional photovoltaic (PV) panels that convert light into electricity, CSP technology focuses heat. Climatenza’s concentrators track the sun throughout the day, focusing solar energy to heat a fluid that produces steam. This steam can be used directly in food processing, textiles, chemicals, and pharmaceuticals—industries that previously had no clean alternative for their boilers.
Why Solar Thermal?
- High Efficiency: Captures solar energy directly as heat, avoiding the losses associated with converting light to electricity and then back to heat.
- Zero Emissions: Replaces the burning of fossil fuels in industrial boilers, directly reducing the carbon footprint of production.
- Mass Manufacturing: Climatenza is building India's first state-of-the-art production line for mass-manufacturing solar thermal concentrators.
The Bootstrapping Challenge: 2016 to Now
Starting a hard-tech company in the energy sector is notoriously difficult. Akshay began his journey while still at Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University, bootstrapping the initial R&D. "Hard-tech requires patience. You can't build a solar concentrator in a few months like an app," he warns. He utilized government support and partnered with technical institutions like IITs to validate his prototypes before approaching multinational clients.
The Hard-Tech Entrepreneur's Playbook
- Focus on R&D: Spend the initial years validating the core science. Patent your innovations and build a strong technical IP.
- Build a 'Crazy' Team: Find co-founders who are obsessed with the vision. In hard-tech, you need people who won't give up when a prototype fails.
- Partner Early: Collaborate with technical universities and government bodies for testing and initial funding.
- Techno-Economic Value: Always prove the ROI (Return on Investment). Large corporates will only switch to green energy if it saves them money in the long run.
Inspirations: From Elon Musk to Mukesh Ambani
Akshay draws inspiration from visionary leaders who deliver on massive promises. "Elon Musk is a prime example—he speaks about grand visions and then delivers them, whether it's Tesla or SpaceX," Akshay says. Locally, he admires the scale and vision of Mukesh Ambani and Reliance Jio for their ability to disrupt entire industries and put India on the global map.
Climatenza Solar's Impact
- Net-Zero Partners: Working with Fortune 500 companies like Coca-Cola, Rallis India, and Unilever.
- Global Footprint: Operations established in India and Chile to tackle industrial emissions across continents.
- Award-Winning Vision: Recognized in Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia (2020 & 2023) and an Echoing Green Fellow.
The Future: A Self-Reliant India in Climate Tech
Akshay is a firm believer in the **Atmanirbhar Bharat** (Self-Reliant India) mission. He advocates for stronger investment in R&D to ensure that India isn't just importing green tech, but exporting it. "The Silicon Valley ecosystem grew because of openness to 'crazy' ideas. India needs to foster that same culture—listening to every PhD student and every startup with a disruptive vision."
His final message to the next generation is one of action: "The climate crisis is urgent. Don't just dream of building a million-dollar company; dream of building a technology that changes how the world operates. Start quick, fail fast if you must, but keep iterating. The results will be amazing."