Energetica India Magazine - September 2022

tributed via a robust pipe network. Not only do these systems reduce operation- al costs in comparison to conventional cooling methods, but they also signifi - cantly reduce electricity bills. These solutions are customizable and easier to control, giving them a competitive advantage over conventional cooling methods as they help reduce wastage of valuable resources. Another significant advantage of district cooling systems is that they can be used in conjunction with renewable sources of power allow- ing energy to be stored for later use, thereby reducing carbon footprint. In addition, the adoption of district cool- ing in data centres would be consistent with India’s Industry 4.0 goals, as it would represent the intersection of two megatrends, namely district cooling and digitization. Q Many countries have identified cool - ing as a utility; do you believe India should do the same, and what are your thoughts on it? Sudheer Perla: Cooling accounts for 10% of global electricity consumption, also the demand for the same is expected to increase three-fold by 2050. Cooling ser- vices are utilized by multiple businesses that are key for surviving in a modern world like retail food chains and real estate players, amongst others. Hence, there exists a golden opportunity to rev- olutionize the industry by helping them transit towards adopting more sustain- able ways of functioning that would contribute towards a greener planet sig- nificantly, if adopted on a massive scale. CaaS (Cooling as a service) is a pay -per-model service for clean cooling sys- tems that enable customers to base their investment decision on the lifecycle cost rather than the purchase price of the equipment. It is gradually gaining pop- ularity across the globe with countries like USA, Japan, UAE leading the way. The Energy Conversation (Amendment) bill recently passed in the Lok Sabha is truly an active step undertaken by the government to reach its climate goals under the Paris Agreement. Carbon trading will encourage businesses to decarbonize their operations in a bid to earn more revenues while mandat- ing the use of renewable resources for industries will significantly contribute towards a greener environment. This is the right time for India to invest in and adopt cooling as a utility to meet its climate goals as well as combat climate change effectively and building a more resilient and greener country. Q Given the extreme heat spurring across the nation this year and the demand for cooling contributing to the climate crisis, how can district cooling provide sustainable cooling in urban ar- eas? Sudheer Perla: According to the Indian Meteorological Department, India ex- perienced a severe heatwave last sum- mer, with temperatures ranging from 45 to 50 degrees Celsius. These heat- waves led to a steep surge in demand for electricity. According to the Minis- try of Power, the demand for electrici- ty was at its peak during the heatwaves in April, touching a whopping 210,793 MW. With rising ambient temperatures, rapid population growth, and an in- creasingly affluent middle class, air-con - ditioning demand already accounts for between 40 and 60 percent of peak load in some Indian cities, a number that is projected to increase 15-fold by 2050. The rising demand for space cooling places a tremendous strain on the elec- tricity systems of many countries, in addition to contributing to an increase in greenhouse gas emissions. In this regard, district cooling systems can be advantageous by reducing peak power demand by lowering the required in- stalled capacity and reducing costs by incorporating thermal energy storage tanks that can take advantage of pref- erential electricity tariffs. District cool- ing is significantly more efficient and effective in terms of sustainability, as it reduces GHG (Greenhouse) emissions by up to 100 percent, thereby making the area eco-friendly and operating with a significantly reduced carbon footprint. Q How can district cooling play a role in improving energy efficiency in India’s cooling infrastructure? Sudheer Perla: The Ministry of Envi- ronment, Forest, and Climate Change of India launched India’s National Cooling Action Plan (ICAP) in 2019 with the in- tention of providing the much-needed policy push to stimulate the demand for sustainable cooling in the country. One of the primary objectives of the pol- icy is to reduce the demand for refrig- erants by 25-30% across all sectors and 25-40% by 2037. To achieve its objec- tives, India must reduce its reliance on conventional, high-energy-consuming, greenhouse-gas-emitting High Voltage Air Conditioners and transition to more sustainable solutions, such as District cooling systems. District cooling systems can indeed play a significant role in helping India’s cool - ing infrastructure become more energy efficient. As the nation accelerates its efforts to increase the proportion of renewable energy sources in all sectors, district cooling can be an important tool for achieving the objective. District cooling can not only help reduce cooling energy consumption by 50%, but also reduce electricity consumption during peak demand by leveraging benefits of load diversity and using thermal storage systems storing energy during off-peak hours.. All of these factors contribute to India’s efforts to combat the challeng- es posed by its rising cooling demand, heatwaves, and growing carbon foot- print. In addition, the recent develop- ment by the government to incentivize the carbon emission reductions by busi- nesses appears to be at an ideal time for the national adoption of district cooling to strengthen India’s cooling infrastruc- ture. 20 energetica INDIA- September_2022 INTERVIEW