Study to understand market potential of urban Demand response in India, targeting domestic air conditioning

Blackouts are a regular occurrence in India, especially in rural areas. The average village has electricity for

less than 16 hours per day. Demand Response (shifting non-essential use to off-peak times) is one of the

ways to reduce the incidence and length of blackouts. Demand Response is gaining ground in India,

especially in urban area, where the distribution grid is available.

One of the primary causes of the mid-day demand peaks are domestic air conditioning units. At the

moment only 2-3% of Indian households have air conditioning (US 87%, urban China 100%), but already

50% of the summer mid-day peak in Delhi is cause by these air con units. The market for domestic air con

is growing by 20-30% per year, exacerbating the incidence of blackouts.

We want to see how air con units can be managed under DR schemes to reduce the peaks, and either

eliminate or shorten the resulting blackouts. DuckDuck is working with I-ON, a South Korean DR software

company, and Kochartech, an Indian tech company, to conduct interviews and a small domestic trial.