Plaksha University, a leading technology institution reimagining higher education and research in India, has announced a groundbreaking collaboration with Tabreed India. This partnership aims to develop a living laboratory on the university campus to test various energy storage technologies and integrate them with a smart microgrid. Initially, the project will focus on integrating innovative phase change material (PCM)-based thermal energy storage with solar energy in a hostel building, with the goal of decarbonizing residential cooling energy consumption and reducing reliance on the grid.
This initiative marks the first Cooling as a Service (CaaS) contract for a university campus in South Asia. Under this agreement, Tabreed India will manage Plaksha’s existing cooling systems to enhance energy efficiency and ensure reliability commitments of over 98%. In addition to researching thermal storage, Plaksha will implement consumption-based billing to encourage behavioral changes among hostel residents.
Sudheer Perla, Managing Director of Tabreed Asia, expressed excitement about the partnership: “We are excited to partner with Plaksha University for a project that combines technology and business model innovation. Through implementing our planned innovations, we hope to demonstrate the cost and sustainability benefits of replacing battery energy storage with thermal energy storage (TES) systems, and the scalability potential of TES systems in the energy transition efforts underway.”
The collaboration is part of a broader initiative between Tabreed India and the IFC’s award-winning TechEmerge Program, through the Cooling Innovation Lab (CIL). This program aims to accelerate market adoption of innovative cooling technologies by implementing grant-funded pilots and innovative business models. The project will address the challenges of renewable power generation variability and incremental night-time cooling demand, reducing the need for conventional battery storage systems.
Vishal Garg, Professor and Director of the Indorama Ventures Center for Clean Energy at Plaksha University, highlighted the university’s commitment: “We are committed to leading the transition to sustainable energy through cutting-edge research and comprehensive educational programmes. Our collaboration with Tabreed India is a crucial step towards initiating this essential research.”
This partnership aims to pave the way for sustainable, grid-independent campuses, industrial parks, and Special Economic Zones (SEZs), moving closer to a sustainable vision for future energy systems.
