Plaksha University partners with Tabreed India to develop a living lab for testing energy storage technologies and integrating smart microgrids on campus. The partnership will initially focus on integrating PCM-based thermal energy storage with solar energy in a hostel, aiming to reduce cooling energy consumption and grid reliance.

As part of South Asia’s first Cooling as a Service (CaaS) contract for a university campus, Tabreed India will manage Plaksha’s cooling systems to enhance energy efficiency and ensure 98% reliability. Plaksha will also explore consumption-based billing to encourage behavioral change in hostel residents.

Sudheer Perla, Managing Director of Tabreed Asia, expressed excitement for the partnership, emphasizing its potential to demonstrate the benefits and scalability of thermal energy storage systems in energy transitions. This collaboration is part of a broader initiative with IFC’s TechEmerge Program to accelerate the adoption of innovative cooling technologies through pilot projects and new business models.

Vishal Garg, Director of the Indorama Ventures Center for Clean Energy at Plaksha University, highlighted the partnership’s importance in advancing sustainable energy research and addressing residential cooling energy challenges through innovative thermal storage solutions.

Also read: Plaksha University’s Young Technology Scholars program