Project Vivaan by Team SHUNYA, IIT Bombay

A Net Positive Energy, Net Zero Carbon and Net Zero Water G+1 house

The activist is not the man who says the river is dirty. The activist is the man who cleans up the river.” ~ Ross Perot

Team SHUNYA (Sustainable Habitats for Urbanizing Nation by its’s Young Aspirants) is a group of climate action enthusiast students from IIT Bombay guided by professors and alumni. Buildings specifically houses has a crucial contribution in the exploitation of the various natural resources across the world. Team SHUNYA started in 2012 with a vision “to become a leading innovation hub in the field of sustainability by providing accessible housing solutions for society and industry.”

Team SHUNYA (Sustainable Habitats for Urbanizing Nation by its’s Young Aspirants) is a group of climate action enthusiast students from IIT Bombay guided by professors and alumni. Buildings, specifically houses, have a crucial contribution to the exploitation of various natural resources worldwide. Team SHUNYA started in 2012 with a vision “to become a leading innovation hub in the field of sustainability by providing accessible housing solutions for society and industry.”

10 years of Sustainable Housing

Solar Decathlon

Solar Decathlon is a reputed international competition compared to the Olympics of Sustainable Housing. Since 2002 US Department of Energy has been organizing this competition, and now it’s spread across the globe with six different editions on different continents. In the last 20 years, it connected to 300+ colleges around the world, empowering 25000+ students towards sustainable development.

The competition mainly focuses on the design and building of the Net-Zero Energy Houses, including ten different contest criteria addressing essential aspects of housing such as architectural design, market study, engineering design, comfort, energy efficiency and many more. It motivates the students to innovate, implement sustainable technologies and propagate the same across society.

US Solar Decathlon Build Challenge 2023

• Two-year-long competition from August 2021 to May 2023

• Ten Contest Criteria to Grade the work done by the Team

• Out of 32 participating teams across the world, only 20 are selected for the final construction round with a prize funding of USD 50000 (INR 40 L)

• Team SHUNYA is the only team from India and won Globetrotter Award for Farthest Distance Travelled

Design Goals

Unique Selling Points

My Contribution to the Project

A project of this magnitude would not have been possible without an army of a team, and it was my honour to lead such a devoted team as the deputy team lead. From MEP to sponsorship, I have been a part of all activities. All those late nights spent designing and building the house were ultimately worth it. I was incharge of the house's mechanical, plumbing and fire systems. My team and I built an in-house developed HVAC system that used chilled water as thermal energy storage and FCUs(fan coil units) to radiate the heat in the rooms. The dehumidification was done using a state-of-the-art liquid desiccant dehumidifier developed by the team. It resulted in 10-25% energy savings compared to a market-available 5-star Air Conditioner.

I designed the plumbing system in such a way that our house remains IGBC Net Zero Water throughout the year. It was equipped with rainwater harvesting, water-efficient fixtures and grey water recycling system.

I also designed the fire safety of the house according to the codes. Fire extinguishers, a fire escape, a smoke detector and an evacuation plan were some parts of it.

To finance such a big project, we needed a lot of funding from various sponsors. My team and I brought in funding from sponsors to cover the cost of mechanical and plumbing materials and installation. This process increased my confidence in giving a pitch to a room full of investors and making myself more articulate. Managing accounts and keeping track of finances is another skill I learnt during my tenure.

The marketing of the project is as important as the project itself. I have implemented myself in every way by spreading awareness through events and talks conducted.

Even after everything I did and learned, the most valuable was the skill to lead the team. I discovered the leader in myself, which I didn't know existed. I have covered some of the lessons I learnt along the way from my mistakes and the things I did that ended up being correct in the next blog. Click on the button to follow the link.

I did many things that weren't covered in this blog, and I made many special memories along the way. In the last two years, I gave a lot to the project, and the project gave a lot to me. I will always remember the lessons I learned and the amazing people I met through the journey.

Peace out ✌️