CHENNAI:The second edition of Carbon Zero Challenge (CZeroC), a pioneering initiative by Indian Institute of Technology - Madras, aimed at encouraging environmental entrepreneurs, has opened applications this year. Application deadline is August 15, for interested candidates.The event will be hosted in collaboration with Virtusa and Shaastra 2019, Industrial Waste Management Association (IWMA) and YouNoodle.
The objective of this initiative is to recognise and nurture original solutions and enable them to reach a stage of market scalability. Through their efforts, the partners aspire to foster a sustainable ecosystem wherein renewable energy and clean technology ideas can emerge and develop into long-term solutions. CZeroC 2019 was launched at IIT-Madras on June 5 to commemorate World Environment Day 2018.
The thematic areas of the challenge are agriculture, industries, transportation systems, urban areas and cities, and water and waste management. The grand challenge posed to the competing teams was to develop a grid free or alternative system which is economically viable, socially acceptable, environment-friendly, and easily replicable in multiple areas. The challenge is to understand energy needs of these sectors and develop a sustainable green energy alternative by the combination of one or more renewable energy sources.
Speaking on the importance of the challenge, Indumathi M Nambi of Environmental and Water Resources Engineering Division, Civil Engineering Department, IIT-Madras, said,”We have traditionally imported technology for environmental protection that have not been India- centric, which often results in failure or not being cost effective. There is a need to develop affordable indigenous technology which requires less energy and chemicals and produces less waste and more recoverable material.” Details:http://czeroc.com