Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee (IIT Roorkee) has kick-started a new collaboration with Insurance firm General Insurance Corporation of India (GIC Re) on the development of energy-generating solar window technology. This is a Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative of the General Insurance Corporation of India (GIC Re). The new solar window technology will be designed and developed by lead scientist Prof Soumitra Satapathi, Department of Physics.
A MoU is signed between the IIT Roorkee Development Foundation (IITRDF) and the General Insurance Corporation of India in this regard. The MoU signing ceremony was graced by the presence of Madhulika Bhaskar, General Manager & Director, GIC Re; Sneha Nair, Assistant General Manager, GIC Re; Board of Directors, IITRDF - Prof KK Pant (Director IIT Roorkee), Prof Mukat Lal Sharma (Dean Finance And Planning IIT Roorkee), Prof Partha Roy (Dean of Resources & Alumni Affairs IIT Roorkee), Prof Akshay Dvivedi (Dean SRIC IIT Roorkee) and Santosh Kumar (Chief Executive Officer IITRDF). IIT Roorkee Development Foundation is a Section-8 Company (not-for-profit) of IIT Roorkee established on 12th May 2021.
This Corporate Social Responsibility programme by GIC Re, under UN SDG Goal 4: Quality Education and Goal 7: Affordable and clean energy Goal 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure and Goal 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities, will enable synergy for Education, R&D, Green Energy and Sustainability.
In this project, Prof Satapathi and his team will develop semi-transparent perovskite solar cells for building integrated photovoltaics (BIPV). These semi-transparent perovskite solar windows will be able to harness electricity during the daytime and will reduce dependency on traditional electricity sources.