Dispatchable Air Conditioning (DAC)

Stage: Round 7

The DAC project addresses India’s evolving energy landscape, responding to increased electricity demand, intermittent renewables, and rising residential air conditioning usage. It aims to develop a novel control system utilizing existing residential ACs for flexible operating reserve. Through a cloud-based platform, the system adapts AC operations based on grid triggers and time signals, ensuring local thermal comfort. A field trial in Tamil Nadu will validate the approach, guided by stakeholder workshops focusing on system design, business models, and distributional effects. The experienced team, with a three-year track record in Indian grid management, brings expertise in social inclusion, product design, data science, control theory, and sustainable business development.