Student Clean Energy Contests
Related Ideas
The second annual Colorado Impact Hackathon challenged students to design a clean, secure and resilient electric grid for Colorado. Held in Boulder in partnership with CU Boulder and the Colorado Energy Office, the event produced three winning projects, two of them built around AI.
First place went to 'SolarSnap,' an app that uses a phone's camera to help homeowners find the ideal solar panel setup. Second place went to 'Grid Watch,' an AI-managed battery network designed to keep power on during wildfire shutoffs while reducing electricity costs. Third place went to 'Grid Guard,' which predicts where targeted grid hardening is needed.
As student teams tackle wildfire risk and energy backlogs, the hackathon signals how collaboration between students, public leaders and technologists can speed up Colorado's clean energy future.
