India’s cooling demand is projected to increase nearly eightfold by 2050, creating significant pressure on electricity grids, increasing peak demand and contributing to greenhouse gas emissions, with space cooling expected to be a major contributor. At the same time, India’s rapid expansion of renewable energy capacity presents opportunities to integrate cooling demand flexibility with renewable energy sources. 

 Supported by CTAF under GGGI, the project assesses the potential of Thermal Energy Systems (TES), AI-enabled energy management and renewable energy integration to reduce the grid electricity consumption during peak periods. The initiative evaluates technology applicability, decision-making through simulations, business models, financing mechanisms and policy pathways for deployment. The initiative undertakes simulation-based assessment of cooling demand profiles, thermal storage sizing, renewable energy integration scenarios and AI-enabled optimization opportunities across commercial buildings, airports, hospitals, data centers and institutional facilities, alongside business models, financing mechanisms and policy pathways for deployment. 

The project develop investment-ready business models, enabling frameworks, technology partnerships and deployment pathways for TES and cooling flexibility solutions, enabling replicability and attracting climate finance and private sector investment by creating a scalable pipeline. It also supports the objectives of India’s Cooling Action Plan (ICAP), which addresses rising cooling demand through offtake of sustainable cooling solutions and contribute to the emerging opportunities under the Carbon Credit Trading Scheme (CCTS), and advance India’s broader clean energy transition through scalable approaches to low-carbon cooling. 

Climate-Smart Cooling, Thermal Energy System (TES), AI-Demand Side Management, Renewable Energy Integration 

The results of the projects will develop a scalable deployment and financing framework that can be replicated across India’s commercial building sector and other Asian countries facing growing cooling demand. Lessons learned may support integration into national cooling policies, green building programs and climate finance initiatives.