The ACCESS (Accelerating Climate, Energy & Sustainability Solutions) awards were announced recently at IIT Bombay. The competition celebrates innovation and commitment to sustainability and rewards some of the trailblazing ideas aimed at addressing pressing climate challenges.

ACCESS will provide a unique platform for participants to contribute to a thriving, sustainable world. Themes in the competition included:

–  Climate Adaptation for Agriculture or Health
–  Water and Food Sustainability
–  Carbon Capture and Sequestration
–  Heating/Cooling Efficiency
–  AI for Climate
–  Renewable Energy
–  Climate Finance and Policy

The competition will provide cash awards, mentorship opportunities, and the chance to embark on an entrepreneurship journey, even as it encourages impactful initiatives on a local and global scale. ACCESS will catalyse a collective effort to tackle the urgent climate equity challenges facing the planet.

The winners of the competition are:

Team Athira

Members:

    –  Athira V S (Ph.D. student in Construction Management, Department of Civil Engineering IIT Bombay)
    –  Anupama Ghimire (M. Tech. student, Department of Civil Engineering, IIT Bombay)
    –  Kritvi Gera (3^rd year B. Tech. student, Department of Civil Engineering, IIT Bombay)

Faculty advisor: Prof. Swathy Manohar

Title: Proposing building blocks and plasters that absorb CO2 and keep the indoors of buildings thermally comfortable and help reduce the use of energy.

Theme:  Climate Mitigation and Finance

Short Description:

Creating plasters/blocks using air lime, which is a potential CO2 sequestering material. The proposed plasters/blocks would be termed COOL plaster/blocks (CO2 LIME). This is an innovative solution for reducing CO2 emissions.

Team Edyssey

Members:

    –  Aravinda De Chinnu A (PhD Candidate, Energy and Climate, Macro Energy systems, DESE, IIT Bombay)
    –  Nikhil Thejesh V (PMRF PhD Candidate, Energy systems modelling, DESE, IIT Bombay)
    –  Vaibhav Vishwakarma (Dual degree 4^th year (B.Tech–M.Tech), DESE, IIT Bombay)
    –  Manav Doshi (B. Tech 4^th year, Department of Mechanical Engineering, IIT Bombay)

Faculty Advisor: Prof. Venkatasailanathan Ramadesigan

Title: Prediction of diffuse and direct solar irradiance using supervised machine learning

Theme: Climate Mitigation and Finance

Short Description :

Develop a machine-learning model for India to decompose Global Horizontal Irradiance (GHI)—a solar weather parameter commonly measured by meteorological stations—into its constituent components. The precision of the proposed model is critically important in assessing and forecasting solar resource potential at various locations and periods in India, thus playing a key role in the decarbonization of the Indian power sector.

Team Beat the Heat

Members:

    –  Anubhav Ghimire (PhD student in Structural Engineering, IIT Bombay)
    –  Roshan Ojha (CEO, Protal Consultancy and Engineering Services Pvt. Ltd., Nepal)
    –  Prashant Kandel (R&D engineer, Gham Power, Nepal)
    –  Naresh Bhatta (Engineer, Protal Consultancy and Engineering Pvt. Ltd.)

Faculty Advisor: Alok Goyal

Title: “Beat The Heat”, an initiative for  heat-resilient urban public infrastructures

Theme: Climate Impacts and Adaptation

Short Description:

To address the critical issue of escalating heat waves due to climate change, with a focus on India and South Asia. The team wishes to introduce Solar Cooling Centres which are innovative spaces designed to provide immediate respite and enhance resilience. The proposed solution focuses on resilience building through informed strategies and infrastructure development.

Team Jalviks

Members:

    –  Adrija Roy (Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Alabama)
    –  Ganesh Gupta (Project Research Associate, IIT Bombay)
    –  Gauri Maheshwari (3^rd year B.Tech., Department of Aerospace Engineering, IIT Bombay)

Faculty Advisor: Subimal Ghosh

Title: JalViKs: Climate Service for Irrigation Management System

Theme: Climate Impacts and Adaption

Short Description:

JalViKs is a climate service portal revolutionizing irrigation management by connecting farmers and state governments. It employs an advanced ecohydrological model integrating Monte-Carlo simulations for efficient water use while preserving critical soil moisture levels. JalViKs provides invaluable farmer data for comprehensive irrigation planning, increasing productivity, and mitigating crop failure risks due to water scarcity. In essence, JalViKs harmonizes farmer-state cooperation, bolstering resilience in agriculture’s battle against climate challenges.

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IIT Bombay is delighted at the sheer range and depth shown by the winners of the ACCESS competition. These young visionaries have demonstrated an unwavering commitment to shaping a sustainable future, even as their innovative solutions to pressing climate challenges have not only earned recognition but have also become catalysts for positive change.

IIT Bombay hopes for their journey ahead to be filled with continued success, impactful initiatives, and a steadfast dedication to addressing the urgent climate equity challenges facing the planet.

Hearty congratulations to the trailblazers of change!

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IIT Bombay is deeply grateful to Vinaya and Samir Kapoor for their generous support of the ACCESS awards at IIT Bombay. Their commitment to fostering innovation and sustainability is truly commendable. Thanks to their generosity, this competition serves as a pivotal platform for visionaries addressing pressing climate challenges. It also enables a collective effort to address urgent climate equity challenges on both local and global scales, creating a pathway toward a thriving, sustainable world.

Thank you, once again, to Vinaya and Samir Kapoor!

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