In the third edition of the challenge, student teams presented net-zero solutions for 36 real building projects
At the third iteration of the contest, held at Infosys' campus in Mysuru, 12 teams won the Solar Decathlon India (SDI) Design contest for Net-Zero Future Proof Building in several categories. Six division winners pitched their proposals to a jury of real estate and media heavyweights, and Team V0 from Visvesvaraya National Institute of Technology, Nagpur, took home the coveted grand prize for the most promising and investment-worthy design.
The 36 finalist real building projects were displayed in front of a crowd of about 650 people at the finals. Solar Decathlon India organised an internship fair on May 28th, where renowned organisations working on climate change and net-zero buildings scouted the finest and brightest brains.
Speaking during the announcement of the awards, Prasad Vaidya, Director Solar Decathlon India, said, “Some of these student teams have developed net-zero building designs that are at par with the work of the best professional design teams in India. Within nine months, these students could scale a very steep learning curve. If students can do this so well, it is time that building owners and developers start demanding this quality of work on every building project they invest in.”
“The Solar Decathlon India is an innovative platform that encourages and instills a healthy competitive spirit in youngsters by challenging them to think outside the box and use their ingenuity to design a net-zero niche. It was encouraging to see how inventive and imaginative solutions to global climate change challenges were presented at the finals,” Chaitali Bhattacharya, Interim Director of IUSSTF, highlighted the annual competition for undergraduate and postgraduate students in India to produce innovative, net-zero energy-water-and-climate-resilient building solutions.
The Indian Institute for Human Settlements (IIHS) and the Alliance for an Energy-Efficient Economy (AEEE) organise the Solar Decathlon India each year under the auspices of the Indo-US Science and Technology Forum (IUSSTF), an autonomous bilateral organisation jointly funded by both governments (the respective nodal departments on both sides are the Department of Science and Technology, Government of India, and the U.S. Department of State).
This year's challenge lasted nine months, and the winners were declared in the presence of Anish Malpani, an inventor and social entrepreneur who also provided the keynote address.
The Council of Architecture (CoA) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding as a knowledge partner with AEEE, which co-organises SDI, to enhance the reach and effect of Solar Decathlon India, which aims to develop the next generation of leaders in India to battle climate change. This is expected to make it easier for architectural educational institutions and students to enter the competition.
This year's challenge lasted nine months, and the winners were declared in the presence of Anish Malpani, an inventor and social entrepreneur who also provided the keynote talk.
“The IPCC AR6 2023 Synthesis report emphasises the importance of resilient net-zero buildings in the urban transition to limit global warming. The Solar Decathlon India finalists proposed innovative solutions integrating renewable technologies, sustainable design, and community engagement to transform Indian cities to achieve the 1.5 °C goal,” Aromar Revi, Director, IIHS and co-author of the report, elaborated.
“Bringing about a paradigm shift in design and construction practices is a complex and time-consuming task. It is thrilling to witness the ideas and designs that have emerged from this season of Solar Decathletes for net-zero buildings across different building typologies. The novelty with which they engage with various tools and skills introduced to them through the Solar Decathlon India has transformative potential for the building sector,” Satish Kumar, President, and Executive Director of AEEE, stressed.
The three-day finals were held in a carbon-neutral environment. The winners' SDI awards were carbon negative, demonstrating how climate change mitigation can be approached with innovation and determination.
Over 30 organisations provided possibilities for challenge participants during the 2022-23 challenge.