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A competition for climate change solutions for India’s buildings
Bengaluru, 17 July 2024: Registrations are now open for the fifth edition of Solar Decathlon India (SDI), the world’s largest Net-Zero Building Challenge.
Over the last four years of the Challenge, SDI teams have partnered with about 280 real estate developers, 180 industry partners and others and presented more than 250 real-world solutions.
Teams of postgraduate and undergraduate students from Indian institutions participate in one of five Building Divisions, or the Product Division, to learn and design innovative and climate-resilient solutions for buildings. Teams in the Building Divisions get to work with our empanelled project partners as Harmony Lifestyles Group, Infosys, Lodha, Mahindra Lifespaces, Sobha Ltd, Sumadhura Infracon and TATA Realty – all empanelled with SDI. The teams focus on new construction projects and compete to provide detailed net-zero, low-carbon designs to the building owners and developers to make their projects green and sustainable. Student teams can also work on the projects of real estate developers the empanelled companies partner with.
Participants also get the opportunity to improve existing residential buildings. In the Product Division, the participants develop innovative products to reduce heat stress and cooling energy. They compete to design and develop products that can be purchased off-the-shelf and installed in existing residences by homeowners themselves or with the help of local technicians.
Who can participate?
Undergraduate or postgraduate students from any Indian institution. These can be students from a range of disciplines, such as engineering, architecture, product design, industrial design, UX design, finance, management, computer science, robotics, and others.
Building owners or developers can partner with teams to get net-zero solutions.
Manufacturers, startups, and professionals can partner with teams to provide the latest technologies, products, and know-how.
Last year’s participants developed solutions like configurable apartments for a redevelopment project in Mumbai, new materials for bio-based ceiling insulation panels, a portable AC unit, a shelter for rural communities, and an office building for a millet farming company. Every solution in the SDI was focused on combating climate change.
Chandan KS, National Institute of Technology, Tiruchirappalli, Finalist 2023-24 Challenge, said, “We tackled a real-world challenge: designing sustainable housing for construction workers. This interdisciplinary approach pushed us to explore innovative solutions for a sustainable future. It’s surreal to be invested in building a community that will shape the future of our nation’s construction industry!”
Aruna Newton, VP- Global Head- Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, ESG Governance and Reporting, Infosys, said, “I believe SDI is a fantastic forum that brings together a variety of stakeholders. It is really inspirational to listen to so many voices, get so many perspectives, and leave really enriched.”
