FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Q: What is the UAI Innovators Hackathon?
A: It’s a virtual competition where teams of 3–5 work on real-world utility analytics challenges using the Awesense Sandbox digital twin platform. Teams develop solutions over two weeks and present their ideas in a 5-minute pitch. Winners will be announced at UA Week 2025 in Austin, TX.

Q: Who can participate?
A: Utility professionals interested in energy analytics and digitalization. You don’t need to be a data scientist — we encourage diverse teams with technical, business, and creative skills.

Q: Is there a cost to participate?
A: No, participation is free.

Registration & Teams

Q: How do I register?
A: Register through the event landing page during the open registration period. You can sign up as an individual or as part of a team.

Q: What if I don’t have a team?
A: No problem! We will do our best to help match individuals into teams of 3–5.

Q: How many teams can join?
A: Up to 10 teams will be accepted.

Q: What skillsets should a team have?
A: Strong teams are usually well-rounded, combining:

  • Data/Technical Skills (data science, analytics, coding, visualization)
  • Utility/Business Knowledge (understanding of grid operations, customer programs, or utility planning)
  • Creative/Design Skills (storytelling, presentation, dashboard design, communication)
  • Project/Team Coordination (keeping the team organized and on schedule)

You don’t need every skill in one person — the best teams balance technical, business, and creative perspectives.

Challenge & Data

Q: What challenges will we be working on?
A: Two options to choose from:

  1. Transformer Capacity & EV Charging – Determine how many EV chargers can be added without exceeding transformer limits.
  2. Time-of-Use Rate Optimization – Analyze how ToU rates shift demand, reduce peaks, and impact revenues.

Q: What data will we use?
A: The Awesense Sandbox environment, which provides realistic synthetic grid, asset, and time-series data.

Q: Can we use external datasets?
A: Teams should primarily use the Sandbox data provided. Supplemental external datasets are allowed if clearly referenced.

Timeline & Deliverables

Q: What is the timeline?

  • Sept 1–12 (extend to Sept 18 if needed): Registration Open
  • Sept 18: Kickoff Webinar
  • Sept 19–Oct 3: Hackathon Open
  • Oct 3: Submissions Due
  • Oct 6–10: Judging
  • Oct 29: Winner announced at UA Week

Q: What do teams submit?

  • 5-minute recorded pitch presentation
  • Slide deck summarizing approach and findings
  • Optional prototype/demo (e.g., dashboard, visualization, model)

Q: How will submissions be judged?
A: By a panel of industry experts, using criteria such as problem understanding, use of data, creativity, utility impact, and presentation.

Mentorship & Support

Q: Will we have mentors?
A: Yes, each challenge will have a dedicated mentor, and office hours will be scheduled during the hackathon.

Q: Who do we contact with questions during the hackathon?
A: A helpdesk email will be provided for quick support.

Awards & Recognition

Q: What do winners receive?
A: A crystal award, recognition at UA Week 2025, and visibility across UAI’s community channels.

Q: Will all participants be recognized?
A: Yes! Every participant will receive a certificate of recognition, a small gift, and their contributions will be acknowledged at UA Week.