APPROACH NOTE
by (team name)
Table of Contents

Introduction................................................................................................................................................................. 4

Instructions ................................................................................................................................................................. 4

Executive Summary ................................................................................................................................................... 6

Approach Note ........................................................................................................................................................... 9

About the Team .......................................................................................................................................................... 9
o
Team Details ................................................................................................................................................. 9
o
Team Members Bio ....................................................................................................................................... 9
o
List of Mentors/Sponsors/Consultants/Partners ........................................................................................... 9

Challenge Interpretation (Mandatory) ...................................................................................................................... 11

Customer Focus (Mandatory) .................................................................................................................................. 11

Concept (Mandatory) ............................................................................................................................................... 11

Innovation (Mandatory) ............................................................................................................................................ 11

Implementation (Mandatory) .................................................................................................................................... 11

Financials (Mandatory) ............................................................................................................................................. 12

Marketability / Commercialization (Good to have/ Not Mandatory) ......................................................................... 12
Introduction
Congratulations for having made it to the Approach Note Phase of the Solar Challenge. Only shortlisted
applicants will be required to fill in an Approach Note.
The Approach Note is a detailed description of your innovation and will help the jury evaluate your
participation in further rounds. This is the first opportunity for you to show the jury the clarity of your
thought process and wherewithal to stay the course and complete the Solar Challenge.
The submission period for the Approach Note is 14th April 2014 to 09th January 2015. Please take time and make
the document as clear and comprehensive as you can. And submit it only after you are sure it is complete in all
respects and to your satisfaction.
Note that there are no extra points for early submissions! 
A few points that we would urge you to keep in mind are:
1. Ensure that your Approach Note is properly structured and includes all the key elements required to
present your thinking clearly and effectively
2. Ensure that the data and calculations in relevant sections are correct and accurate
3. Ensure that you provide supporting data wherever applicable and remember to state all your assumptions
clearly
4. Ensure that the Approach Note flows logically, reads well and is free of grammatical and spelling errors
5. Ensure that you read through the set of instructions below carefully before you develop your Approach
Note
Instructions
1. The Approach Note phase will commence on 14thApril 2014
2. Please adhere to the template to the extent possible
3. Teams have to submit their Approach Note on / before 23:59:59, 09thJanuary 2014 by sending the
completed document in an email to [email protected]. Any submission made after the deadline will
not be accepted
4. A confirmation email will be sent to the Team Leader from the mail id [email protected]. Teams are
requested to write to [email protected] in case they do not receive a confirmation mail two working
days after submitting
5. The Approach Note has to be submitted as a PDF document
6. For easy identification, teams are required to name their Approach Notes in the following format: [Team
Name_Approach_Note_Solar_Challenge.Pdf]
7. Please use “ARIAL” font and maintain a font size of 11 or 12, with a line spacing of 1.5
8. Update the Table of Contents once you have completed the Approach Note
9. Attachments, including engineering drawings, can be provided as annexures at the end of the document
or embedded in the document. In case teams attach extra documents as separate files, please save
them using the format: [Team Name_File Name_Approach Note_Solar_Challenge.Pdf].
10. In case the teams wish to attach a video showcasing a working model / simulations of their concept, they
can upload the same on YouTube and a link for the same has to be provided in the Approach Note.
11. Any documents related to IP / any large file (other than the Approach Note) can be submitted by uploading
the same on Sendspace / Wetransfer. However, Mahindra will not be responsible for loss of documents
and/or protection of IP
12. The evaluation period will be 02nd June 2014 to 16th February 2015
13. We will intimate progress into the Live Presentation phase in an e-mail to the team leader within 45
working days of submission of the Approach Note
14. Teams are encouraged to check with Mahindra if they do not receive an email by the 48 th working day
after submission
15. Any changes to your Approach Note, post submission, that need to be incorporated in the document will
have to be e-mailed to [email protected]. The acceptance of the modified document is completely
at the discretion of Mahindra
16. Teams are encouraged to submit, as credentials, any research paper(s) authored by them, participation
in other challenges, mentors advising the team and anything else that can add to the team credentials
17. If the team is officially representing an Institution or Organisation, please attach a letter of authorization
(appropriately signed and sealed by a competent authority) as a separate document
In case, you have questions, please e-mail us at [email protected]
Executive Summary
(A 1-2 page summary on the key technical, financial and operational aspects of the approach that is covered in this
document)
Evaluation Criteria
Go through the evaluation criteria first, before you commence work on the Approach Note
The text in red font in the ‘Description’ column of the table indicates content that is not ‘mandatory’ for the
Approach Note but more of a “nice to have” information. The evaluation of the Approach Note will not depend
on this content
Criteria
Description
Cost of the solution:
Cost effectiveness of the proposed solution and cost of mass producing the kit.
Affordability
Affordability for the greatest number of people at a level where it can reach the tipping point.
Size of the solution
How much space/area will the solution occupy and how will it impact the market in terms of
compactness and ease of use?
The local context of housing and architecture of urban and semi-urban residential buildings
in India should be considered for the successful adoption of the proposed solution in terms
of area available for installing the system.
Ease of installation
Level of ease with which an end user can install/use the proposed solution.
The user of the proposed solution must be able to install it with minimum hassles and
external help. It should be possible to install the proposed solution with basic tools like
screwdrivers with no potential safety hazards.
Creativity & Originality
How disruptive and original is the proposed solution?
Disruptive innovations across components - affordability, energy systems, structural
innovations, installation efforts, ease of adoption and compatibility with existing
infrastructure - will be a key driver of jury decisions.
Robustness of
What is the level of robustness and reliability that the proposed solution can display?
the solution
The proposed system should be able to work with minimal fluctuations in a wide variety of
weather conditions as experienced by different parts of India. In addition, the proposed
system should have a minimum uptime of 96% with a usable lifetime of minimum 5 years.
It should be able to survive the local conditions of heat, cold, and rains and expected wear
and tear.
Scope for
How effectively can the innovation be commercialized?
Commercialization
The proposed system should be complemented with a detailed analysis of the payback
period and a financial model for commercializing it.
The financial level for tipping the adoption of solar systems is a key target. Additional ideas
related to identifying the target market, methods of “selling” the product, methods/means to
reach potential buyers, economic impact of energy saving features and equipment pooling,
economic impact of renewable energy systems investments and payback and maintenance
costs will be evaluated according to the challenge agenda.
India Centricity
What kind of customization and innovations are planned to make the proposed solution
suitable for Indian conditions?
This would include a wide variety of factors including local weather conditions, current cost
and quality of grid power, paying power, adoption attitude towards new innovations, building
and space constraints for urban and semi-urban populations, safety standards, payback
period of the proposed system
This is by no means an exhaustive list. Teams are free to consider additional parameters
Approach Note
(Guiding text for each section is mentioned in RED ITALICS. You can delete them, and this line, from the completed
Approach note that you will submit)
About the Team
Team Details
Team Name
Team Type (Institution/Organization/Private)
Name of Institution/Organization (if applicable)
Team Members Bio
No.
Name
Role
Expertise
Highest Education
1
Pinak Subramanian
Leader
Solar Panels
PHD
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
Deputy
Member
Member
Member
Member
Member
Member
Member
Member
Member
Member
Member
Member
Member
Member
Member
Member
Member
Member
List of Mentors/Sponsors/Consultants/Partners
No.
1
2
3
4
5
Name
Nature of Support
Expertise
Remarks, if any
Current/Relevant
Work Profile
Technical Analyst
– XYZ Corp
Challenge Interpretation (Mandatory)
Interpretation of the challenge and how will it be customised to meet Indian requirements on the parameters of:
1. Affordability
2. Size
3. Installation convenience
Let your imagination soar! Think big, think dramatic. The jury will pay a great deal of attention to your vision of the future
and the possibilities the future holds.
Customer Focus (Mandatory)
This section pertains to the usability of the proposed solution. Please share possible case scenarios where the end users
will be more likely to adapt the proposed solution. The teams should build this keeping in mind the end user’s perspective
in various settings in India – urban, rural, semi-urban with different buildings and architectural models followed for homes.
Concept (Mandatory)
1) Overview of the concept
(Current offerings in the market, challenges with the current offerings, team’s proposition)
2) What will the proposed solution be capable of
(Core capabilities, benefits, multi functionality, key features)
3) What are the key assumptions made about the proposed solution, users and environment? Give valid reasons for
the assumptions made?
4) Does the model work only in restricted/test/ideal scenarios?
5) Are there any legal policies that need to be addressed before the solution can be commercialized? For example, is
the usage of any feature restricted by law/ safety standards?
6) Any limitations of the concept and steps to resolve the same?
7) Any other points that you deem useful for the jury to know about the concept?
Innovation (Mandatory)
Complete details of the original innovation(s) that your team will bring to the table. Also list any third party innovations that
you plan to adapt/customize to develop your solution.
Implementation (Mandatory)
1) Describe how you intend to go about this project – phases, technologies, milestones, timelines, funding etc?
2) Architecture: Elaborate on the architecture; provide details about the components, modules, technological
elements, structures and materials used
3) Do you intend to partner with other entities? If so, please list your partners and describe their role?
4) Technical overview: control strategy, feasibility, system view (3D isometric diagrams, testability, interfaces),
5) Structural overview: space requirements, ease of installation, robustness, challenges and steps to mitigate the
same
6) Infrastructure required/desired for design, testing , challenges (if infrastructure / components not available, teams
need to elaborate on the way forward in terms of procurement)
7) Any other points that you deem useful for the jury to know about implementation
Financials (Mandatory)
Please briefly explain the financials involved including
1. Cost of design - How team will arrange funding for the same
2. Development of parts and full working prototypes - How will the team arrange funding for the same
3. Anticipated cost in mass production (NON MANDATORY)
4. Cost of solution
Marketability / Commercialization (Good to have/ Not Mandatory)
How effectively can it be turned into a business and what is the business model? By when will you attain complete product
readiness and what would be the time to market? How can it be scaled up?
1. What are the addressable market(s), challenges to address these markets, methods to mitigate these challenges?
2. Elaborate on the scalability and affordability of the proposed solution
3. How sustainable is the proposed solution? How effectively can it be turned into a business and what is the business
model? (Model used to arrive at the same to be shared)
4. By when will you attain complete product readiness and what would be the time to market?
5. Business assumptions to be made.
6. Any legal permission that you can foresee as necessary?