IIT Bombay team wins first runner up position at ‘Solar Decathlon’ competition in US

Washington DC: A team of students from IIT Bombay has been declared as the second winner at this year’s ‘Solar Decathlon’ contest in the US for building a house in Mumbai with advanced technology solutions to help address air quality in a hot and humid climate.

The US Department of Energy’s (DOE) ‘Solar Decathlon’ contest is the longest-running student competition in the US that challenges student teams to design and build highly efficient and innovative buildings powered by renewable energy.

Ball State University won the ‘2023 Build Challenge’ contest after dedicating nearly two years to designing and constructing their zero-energy home.

The ”Alley House” team engaged their community to reimagine a zero-energy future for historically under-utilised urban lots through the construction of a high-performance, beautiful, functional family home, according to a statement.

Indian Institute of Technology Bombay and The University of British Columbia came in second and third respectively in this year’s Build Challenge, the Department of Energy (DOE) said.

“As we work to build America’s clean energy future and implement President Biden’s ambitious climate agenda, we need dedicated leaders who are ready to undertake any challenge before them with pride and passion,” said US Deputy Secretary of Energy David Turk, who met competitors on Friday.

“I was proud to meet so many inspiring students and faculty this past weekend at the Solar Decathlon, each of whom demonstrated the ingenuity and enthusiasm critical to ensuring the benefits of clean energy will be spread far and wide,” he said.

DOE said IIT Bombay’s team SHUNYA’s Project Vivaan is designed and constructed for warm and humid climatic conditions.

The 1,416 ft2 house’s primary objective is net positive energy, net zero carbon, and net zero water. The team has designed the house’s cooling system using chilled water for temperature control and liquid desiccant for dehumidification.

In-house-developed home automation on an open-source platform will allow the occupants to control the temperature, humidity, lights, and occupancy, it said.