I have heard great things about the informative and inspiring South By Southwest Conference (“SXSW”) but never had the privilege of attending. SXSW now has an ECO version. This year, SXSW Eco featured a hackathon, presented by the U.S. Department of Energy and Cleanweb Worldwide. The event brought together hackers from around the world to transform open and public datasets into new energy tools. Teams were given 24 hours to develop new tools to help customers make smarter energy choices. At the Hackathon Show and Tell, winners were chosen by popular vote. Some of the winners are:
- HOMEee, Winner, Energy Efficiency Category: This android application helps homeowners track regular maintenance and opportunities for energy efficiency in a fun way. The app provides the following real time feedback:
- Real time energy use including alerts when spikes accrue, capture the alert so the program learns behavior or predicts
- Time of use billing alerts with recommendations
- How does my HOMEee compare?
- DriveBetter, Winner, Transportation Category: This app will provide direct, metric-based advice to drivers to increase their understanding of driving habits and suggest ways to improve their fuel economy. It will give them a way of judging their fuel consumption on trips, the cost of that fuel consumption and the cost of alternative methods of transportation. As a potential value-added application, it will provide users with the cost of refueling their vehicle using location-based real time data.
- The Book of Energy, Special Award for Consumer Impact: This platform provides online training modules and mobile tools regarding energy efficiency tailored to specific professions.