We've got problems, they've got answers.
The University of Houston's Division of Energy and Innovation has announced its inaugural "Coogs for Energy Hackathon" event led by the Energy Transition Institute, pitting 10 teams against each other to find the best solution to some of region's most pressing challenges, from soaring energy demand during extreme weather events to boosting the local economy by installing electric vehicle charging stations along the I-10 corridor.
The competition, sponsored by the Glen Bailey Foundation, kicks off Friday, Feb. 21, from 5 to 7 p.m. in the Innovation Center at Tech Bridge and continues Saturday, Feb. 22, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., when the winners will be named.
"By involving the community in identifying their energy issues and empowering students to work with mentors, we're preparing the next generation workforce through a connected ecosystem where all brainstorm for ideas," said ETI COO Debalina Sengupta, who designed the event. "I'm excited to see students gaining hands-on experience in systems thinking and broadening their domain knowledge beyond their comfort zones, thereby proving why we are The Energy University."
The teams, which were required to have students from at least two colleges within UH, chose from a list of problem statements on Feb. 10.
"I'm excited to see students gaining hands-on experience in systems thinking and broadening their domain knowledge beyond their comfort zones, thereby proving why we are The Energy University."
— Debalina Sengupta, COO of the Energy Transition Institute, University of Houston
The teams picked from the following prompts:
- Carbon intensity labeling for products
- Promoting heat pump systems adoption in home HVACs
- Waste to energy on offshore bunkhouses
- Green hydrogen plants in Texas
- Water for energy, energy for water; where is the Nexus?
- Decentralized and distributed energy solutions for community resilience
- EV charging stations along the I-10 corridor
- Real-time energy demand forecasting for community resilience in Houston
- Circular pallets: From waste to workhorse
- From waste to worth
- Feeding the future of circular plastics
- Plugging into cleaner ports
By competition time, the teams will have had 10 days to brainstorm three potential solutions to the problem they chose to focus on. At the Friday event, the teams will present a pitch for each of those solutions and design a matrix with the top choices.
"I've always enjoyed hackathons – they are fast-paced, force me to take on learning new technologies, allow me to connect with my peers and help me broaden my view of the vast number of problems, perspectives and potential solutions in our world," said Amber Kaul, a junior at the College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics.
The following morning, the students will refine their best solution idea and create a prototype – digital or physical – and prepare a pitch slide deck to be presented later in the afternoon.
Following the event, the top three winning teams will receive monetary prizes of $6,000 for first, $3,000 for second and $1,500 for third. They will also earn the opportunity to present their solutions to industry leaders and stakeholders.
"I'm really excited to get hands-on experience tackling real-world energy challenges," said Catherine Hohulin, a senior at the C. T. Bauer College of Business. "It's one thing to learn about the industry in theory, but actually working through the problems is a whole different level."
