Net Zero

About the Event

NetZero is a flagship prototype-driven hardware and sustainability competition organized under Amalthea, the annual technical summit of IIT Gandhinagar. The event focuses on practical carbon reduction, clean energy access, and sustainable engineering solutions through physical design and fabrication. This edition addresses real-world energy challenges faced by informal street vendors and pushcart owners. Participants must design, fabricate, and demonstrate a functional, bench-tested hardware prototype under one of the two specialized micro-clean energy tracks.

Date: 31/10/2026

Time: To be announced soon

Competition Tracks

Track 1: The Kinetic-Powered Mobile Cart

• Objective: Harvest rotational energy generated by the movement of a pushcart and convert it into regulated electrical power.
• Design and build a system that captures energy during cart movement without introducing significant additional towing resistance.
• Explore the integration of dynamos, electromagnetic induction mechanisms, rectifiers, and supercapacitors or batteries.
• Develop an efficient energy conversion and storage system suitable for everyday vendor operations.

Track 2: The Solar-Powered Green Digitalization Hub

• Objective: Design a modular, aerodynamic, and weather-resistant solar canopy to power essential electronics used by street vendors.
• Develop a solar-powered system capable of supporting devices such as UPI soundboxes, mobile phones, digital weighing scales, and LED lights.
• Integrate lightweight solar panels with efficient power distribution and regulation systems.
• Ensure structural stability, safe weight distribution, and weather resistance when mounted on a pushcart.

Event Format & Structure

Phase 1: Abstract & Design Deck Submission (Online)

• Teams must submit an engineering design document outlining their proposed solution.
• The submission must include:
• CAD models and mechanical design details.
• Circuit schematics and electrical system architecture.
• Bill of Materials (BOM) with component costs.
• Expected efficiency calculations and performance estimates.
• Safety features and protection mechanisms.
• Shortlisted teams will advance to the prototype fabrication and demonstration round.

Phase 2: Prototype Demonstration & Testing (On-Campus at IIT Gandhinagar)

• Finalist teams must bring a fully functional, bench-tested physical prototype.
• Live Testing: Prototypes will undergo electrical performance verification, structural stability checks, and stress testing under simulated daily vendor conditions.
• Pitch Presentation: Teams will present their solutions to an expert panel comprising engineers, sustainability researchers, and industry specialists.
• Teams must demonstrate the functionality, practicality, affordability, and real-world deployment potential of their prototypes.

Eligibility & Team Rules

• Eligibility: Open to undergraduate, postgraduate, and diploma students from technical institutions.
• Team Size: 2–5 members per team.
• Interdisciplinary Participation: Encouraged.
• Inter-College Participation: Encouraged.
• Hardware Requirement: Every finalist team must submit and demonstrate at least one functional, bench-tested working prototype during the final round.

Rules & Guidelines

• Track Selection: Teams must select either Track 1 (Kinetic-Powered Mobile Cart) or Track 2 (Solar-Powered Green Digitalization Hub) during the initial submission.
• Safety & Compliance: Prototypes must incorporate appropriate electrical safeguards, including overcurrent protection, thermal isolation, and secure component mounting.
• Electrical Safety: Exposed high-voltage nodes and unsafe electrical configurations are strictly prohibited.
• Structural Safety: Unstable structural assemblies or unsafe prototype designs will result in immediate disqualification.
• Budget Constraint: The total Bill of Materials (BOM) cost will be considered during evaluation to ensure affordability for informal vendors.
• Originality: Mechanical designs and circuit topologies must be developed by the participating teams.
• Prohibited Designs: Pre-built off-the-shelf educational kits are strictly prohibited.
• Final Authority: Decisions made by the judging panel will be final and binding.

Evaluation & Scoring Criteria

• Electromechanical Efficiency – 30%: Energy conversion efficiency, power regulation stability, and structural integration.
• Real-World Deployment Viability – 25%: Ergonomics, ease of installation on standard vendor pushcarts, and weather resistance.
• Cost-Effectiveness & Scalability – 25%: Total BOM cost, affordability for target users, and potential for large-scale production.
• Structural Safety & Durability – 20%: Load distribution, wind resistance for solar canopies, and overall build robustness.

Rewards & Perks

• Cash Prizes & Trophies: Prize awards for top-performing teams across both competition tracks.
• Mentorship & Incubation Opportunities: Promising prototypes may receive expert guidance for further field testing or incubation support.
• Certificates of Excellence: Awarded to top-performing teams.
• Certificates of Participation: Awarded to all finalists.