The Elia Group Hackathon is back!
As with the previous two editions in Brussels and Berlin, we are challenging you again. Running together we go further.
Context
Get ready for the challenge! The pace of electrification in our daily lives is surpassing expectations while the shift towards cleaner energy sources that emit less or no CO2 has accelerated. As we navigate this transition, decentralized production and consumption of energy lights up the future in ways we never thought possible.
But here’s the real deal: To ride this wave successfully, we need to give the consumer a wide offer of energy services. Get ready to flip the switch on how you power up!
Challenges
During the Elia Hackathon, you’ll be challenged on the concept of Real-Time Price.
What’s the Real-Time Price?
Elia Group is engaged in a major reflection on the evolution of the imbalance price, that makes it easily interpreted by the consumer and/or its Energy Service Provider and facilitate the valorization of flexible assets in accordance with the real-time system needs. This imbalance price evolution is called Real-Time Price as Elia Group is seeking for a price that reveals the real value of energy.
Elia Group is convinced that the Real-Time Price will play a crucial role in the success and efficiency of the energy transition. Following this, Elia Group intends to provide a clear financial incentive to energy service providers that facilitates the valorization of the consumer’s flexibility and doing so, decreases the total cost of the energy system.
Your Mission
Your mission will be to show the tangible effects of flexible assets steered based on the real-time price. What is its impact on both the energy bill and the balance of the grid?
The result from this hackathon is the development of a prototype (or at least a simulation) for a customer-oriented product that valorizes its flexibility by steering assets based on the Real-Time Price. Final solutions will be run live at the end of the hackathon with real-time data.
Your Challenges
What do we expect:
| Come up with an innovative product for the challenge you choose | |
| Make sure it can handle a live, real-time scenario | |
| Think big: it should be scalable and useful for a bunch of customers! |
Timeline
Practicalities
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Awarding Criteria
Products will be evaluated on the following criteria:
- Real-Time Price utilization: how effectively does the solution allow the customer to control energy costs using the real-time price?
- Product appeal: is the product user-friendly, engaging, and innovative?
- Technology implementation: is the product based on state-of-the art, scalable and reusable technology?
- Scalability and impact of the solution: can the product be easily used by a wide range of customers? Is it designed to scale up to larger groups, maintaining its effectiveness and user experience? (Only for own use cases)
- Live demo the product (prototype): bonus points will be awarded for teams that present a working prototype.
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Which data will be provided to participants?
The following data will be provided to you during the hackathon:
- The forecasted and final Real-Time Prices
- The day-ahead prices, as a day-ahead estimation of the Real-Time Price
- For Challenge 1: asset and other data related to the chosen use case.
All data is provided in Hackathon Time. The Hackathon Time is the virtual speed-up time used during the hackathon. Both historical and real-time data (in Hackathon Time) are provided.
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All you need to know (for now)
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Who’s this for?
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What’s in it for you?
- It’s a 3-day Hackathon taking place on 26-27-28th of March 2024
- You’ll work in teams of 6 people.
- We’ll come together at Quartier Papier - Fabriekstraat 55-59, 1930 Zaventem (Belgium)
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Students |
Professionals |
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Solve a real-world challenge: Apply your skills to make a tangible impact on the energy industry. |
Collaborative Innovation: Engage with top-tier professionals and emerging talents to co-create innovative solutions. |
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Network with experts in the field: Connect with industry experts, start-ups & entrepreneurs. |
Networking Opportunities: Connect with like-minded professionals, potential partners, and industry influencers. |
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Meet likeminded people: sustainability, data & tech enthusiasts |
Access to Talent: Meet & connect with top talent from the pool of participants. |
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Skill Enhancement: Develop your teamwork, problem-solving, and innovation skills. |
Visibility and Recognition: Showcase your company as a leader in innovation and gain recognition within the industry. |
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How can you apply?
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What makes you eligible?
- Form a well-rounded team (of 6) with diverse skills & experiences. If you don’t manage to compose your own team, we’ll assign you one.
- Submit your team’s registration by March 15 at the latest.
- After registration, we’ll evaluate your team composition. If there’s a fit, you’ll be chosen to join the Hackathon. Keep an eye out for our confirmation!
Our upcoming hackathon is open to everyone passionate about energy optimization and innovation. Whether you're an experienced professional, a creative student, or an aspiring entrepreneur, we invite you to bring your ideas and enthusiasm. To effectively tackle our challenges, we recommend teams comprise a mix of developers, data scientists, UI/UX specialists, and product strategists. As the number of seats are limited, pre-formed teams of participants will be preferred, and Elia reserves the right to select participants based on the relevance of their skillset.
Prep for success: Pre-sessions
To ensure you're fully equipped for the Elia Group Hackathon, we will organize 2 pre-sessions where we'll delve deeper into the challenges, evaluation criteria, technicalities and practicalities. Please join one of them:
First Pre-Session: March 19, 12-1 PM (CET) via Microsoft Teams
Second Pre-Session: March 22, 12-1 PM (CET) via Microsoft Teams
Invitations will be sent post the registration deadline on March 15. Save the date already and keep an eye out on your inbox.
FAQ
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What prizes will the winning team receive?
- For students: Each member of the winning team will be awarded an internship opportunity at Elia Group, along with a cash prize of €1000.
- For professionals (applying in team): The winning team will have the chance to collaborate with Elia Group to develop the MVP.
- For freelancers (applying alone): Individual participants stand a chance to receive €1000 in cash and explore the possibility of working with Elia Group as freelancers. Your CV, experience, and development skills will be considered for potential collaboration with our product teams.
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Who can participate?The Elia Group Hackathon is open to a diverse range of participants. Whether you’re pursuing studies or already working as an experienced professional in the fields of business, IT, digital, data, design, sustainability or any related field, you can join.
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Can I participate if I’m not from a technical background?Absolutely! The hackathon is open to participants from diverse backgrounds, including non-technical ones. We believe that a mix of skills and perspectives contributes to innovative solutions. Whether you're from a technical or non-technical field, your unique insights are valuable, and we encourage your participation.
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Should I apply on my own or as part of a team?We highly recommend signing up as a team (of 6 people) for the best collaborative experience. If you’re unable to find a team, no worries! We will match you with one before the hackathon, allowing you ample time to familiarize yourself with your team members before diving into the collaboration.
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What if my team has only 4 members?If you're submitting an application as a team, please ensure that you have registered all members of your team using the provided form. Teams are allowed a maximum of 6 members. If your team has fewer than 6 members, we might add other participants to your team at a later stage.
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What’s the ideal team composition like?To tackle the challenges effectively, teams should ideally comprise a mix of roles. This includes developers and data scientists for algorithmic optimization and connecting to the various API’s provided, UI/UX specialists for application design, and product/business strategists to consider the application's overall strategy, system integration, and market introduction.
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I want to take part, but I’m not free on all the days. Can I still participate?No, unfortunately, participation in the hackathon requires availability for all three days. Given the intensive nature of the event, we want to ensure that participants have sufficient time to fully engage in the collaborative process and contribute to the hackathon's objectives.
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Is there a registration fee?No, participation in this event is completely free of charge!
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What should I bring to the hackathon?A GitHub account is essential for solving the challenges. Please ensure you have one before the hackathon begins. If you don't already have a GitHub account,you can create one here. Bring also your ID, laptop, charger, notebook and most importantly your passion and energy.
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Will there be food & drinks?Speak to someone who has experienced a Hackathon, and they'll likely affirm that catering was ample. That's our plan too 😉.
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How can I contact the organizers?Do you have questions? We are here for you! You can reach out to us via EGhackathon2024@elia.be
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Help... I don't know where to stay during the hackathonAs part of our commitment to ensuring a seamless experience for our participants, we have compiled a list of accommodation suggestions in the vicinity of the hackathon location. Download this document here
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How can I claim a reimbursement?
Participants are responsible for arranging their own accommodation. Travel support is exclusively available for students. Students in Belgium will receive 50 euros, while those coming from abroad will receive 200 euros to assist with their travel expenses.
Reimbursement Process for Elia Hackathon Participants:- Keep a copy of your travel expenses: After incurring travel expenses for attending the Elia Hackathon, be sure to retain copies of all relevant receipts and documents.
- Fill out the reimbursement form: Complete this reimbursement form. Include your name, description of the item (travel expense), amount paid, and your IBAN number for reimbursement.
- Upload your travel expense: Attach the relevant document or receipt for each travel expense incurred. Ensure that all uploaded documents are clear and legible.
- Provide proof of residence: Upload a document that serves as proof of your residence location. This could include a copy of your ID card, another invoice with your address, or any other suitable document.
- Submission and processing: Once you have filled out the reimbursement form and uploaded all necessary documents, we will submit your request in our system. A member of the Elia Hackathon team will then process your reimbursement request.
Please note that reimbursement requests will be reviewed and processed by our team after the event. If there are any questions or concerns regarding your reimbursement, we will reach out to you for clarification.
Current winners
Hackathon in Brussels 2024
The winning team, Elexide, impressed our judges with their innovative, scalable and customer-oriented solution. Their project demonstrated the role e-mobility can play in the energy transition. Steering directly EVs through the car API based on a real-time price and being able to demonstrate this live, was a determining element.
Previous winners
Hackathon in Berlin 2022
SELECT, a team of international students, was able to win over the judges with their idea for an app they called "°Cozy", meaning they emerged as the winners of this year's hackathon. °Cozy centres on the smart control of heat pumps to reduce CO2 emissions and costs for end customers.
Hackathon in Brussels 2021
The winning team, Green Bid, chose to focus on the second challenge: enhancing the Solar to You app, which aims to enable prosumers to sell any excess solar energy they produce to other consumers on the market. The team, which is made up of 7 members of staff from IT service provider Ordina, developed a solution from scratch that managed to address elements from each of the five challenges and included consumer protection built into it.
