NEW DELHI, Sept. 4, 2026 /debcubspark.com-DigiTIMES./ — The International Solar Alliance (ISA), through its SIDS Platform, and the GRIHA Council have launched the ISA-iSUN Design Challenge to promote the integration of solar energy and climate-resilient design into tourism infrastructure in Small Island Developing States (SIDS).
Many SIDS face a combination of climate and energy challenges. Rising sea levels, stronger storms and coastal risks are increasing pressure on infrastructure, while dependence on imported fossil fuels contributes to high energy costs and energy insecurity. Tourism, a major contributor to economic activity and employment across many island nations, is particularly relevant as hotels, resorts and other tourism facilities have significant energy requirements.
The Design Challenge aims to explore how tourism infrastructure can respond to these challenges through better design and greater use of locally available solar energy. It invites architecture and engineering students, practising architects, solar energy professionals and other experts to develop practical solutions for resorts that can be adapted to different island contexts.
The Challenge includes three sites across Mauritius, Maldives and Fiji, providing participants with real-world and hypothetical settings to develop their proposals. The designs will be expected to consider local climate conditions, available space, energy requirements, resilience and the feasibility of integrating solar into buildings and associated infrastructure.
Mr Ashish Khanna, Director General, International Solar Alliance, said, “SIDS face a unique combination of limited land, climate vulnerability and dependence on imported energy. Solar can play a much larger role in addressing these challenges, particularly when it is integrated into buildings from the design stage. The ISA-iSUN Design Challenge is intended to generate practical solutions that can move beyond the competition and inform future projects. Competitions usually end with a winner. This one must end with a pipeline of ideas that can contribute to projects, procurement and investment in SIDS.”
The initiative is being undertaken under the Enabling Readiness pillar of the ISA SIDS Platform, which supports countries in developing the technical, regulatory and implementation pathways needed to advance solar deployment. The Design Challenge is intended to complement these efforts by demonstrating how solar can be incorporated into the built environment in ways that are appropriate to local conditions.
Mr Sanjay Seth, Vice President & CEO, GRIHA Council, said, “For SIDS, climate resilience and energy security are closely linked to the way infrastructure is planned and built. The tourism sector presents an important opportunity to demonstrate how solar energy and sustainable design can be integrated into new and existing infrastructure. Through this challenge, we hope to encourage solutions that are practical, context-specific and capable of being replicated across island nations.”
The Challenge will focus on four areas: building capacity, connecting academic learning with practical application, increasing awareness of sustainable design and developing solutions that can be scaled and replicated. Participants will receive professional guidance and work with site-specific information to develop their proposals.
The initiative also brings together expertise from the tourism and hospitality sector. Mr Jaga Chellapen, Chief Projects & Facilities Officer, ER Hospitality, Mauritius; Mr Krunal Negandhi, Managing Partner, Jurian Sustainability Consultancy and Services LLP, India; and Mr Louis Thompson, Founder and CEO, Nomadic Resorts, are contributing sites and sectoral perspectives to the Challenge.
The ISA-iSUN Design Challenge is open for submissions until 31 October 2026. The challenge brief, site details, eligibility criteria and submission guidelines are available at isa-isun.grihaindia.org.
The initiative is supported by the ISA Multi-Donor Trust Fund (MDTF) and the Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet (GEAPP), with support from The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) and the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA).
