The EESTEC Olympic Hackathon on Solar Energy took place at the Faculty of Electrical Engineering, University of Ljubljana, in April 2023. Co-organized by the European Association of Students of Electrical Engineering (EESTEC) and the Student Energy Club (ŠEK), the event attracted twelve teams of students who competed to create innovative solutions in the field of solar energy.
Two to three students participated in each group, which led to a lively and creative atmosphere during the competition. The teams entered were called 90 stopinj, Absolventi, Dollar chips, ELFLEX, FotoDefek, Horus, Olympic trio, Samo Žiga in Teo, Spanish Armada, Svet modrecev, ThomasGoesSolar in Union de la Chouffe. The groups were made up of students from different fields of study, allowing for an exchange of ideas and a diverse approach to problem solving.
The competition included a number of challenges prepared by three laboratories of the Faculty of Electrical Engineering: the Laboratory of Electrical Networks and Installations (LEON), the Laboratory of Energy Strategies (LEST) and the Laboratory of Photovoltaics and Optoelectronics (LPVO). Each group was faced with tasks stemming from these areas. The competitors had to demonstrate their knowledge, innovation and ability to work as a team.
After the competition, the teams presented their projects and ideas, which was an important part of the evaluation. The presentations were an opportunity for the students to showcase their achievements and explain how they tackled the challenges. The whole event, including the presentations, went on into the evening.
The winning team, which was declared the best, was the 90 stopinj (90 Degrees) team. Its members, Janez Dolinšek, Martin Turk and Rok Zupančič, impressed with their innovative approach and excellent project execution. For their outstanding work, they were awarded the first prize – a one-week student exchange in the Iberian Peninsula.
The second-placed team called Dollar chips consists of students Tjaša Remec, Klemen Lesničar, Luka Peršolja; the third-placed team called ELFLEX consists of students Tadej Mavsar, Emil Ćeman, Uroš Aleksej Kramar.
The award ceremony for the winning team took place the following day, 20 April 2023, in the Faculty’s foyer. The event was a special moment when the winners received recognition for their efforts and outstanding achievements. The award ceremony was an opportunity to celebrate and share the joy of success.
To bring the readers closer to what happened at the hackathon and the award ceremony, a short video was created to show the atmosphere and the important moments of the event. The video is an eloquent demonstration of the creativity and passion that the students put into their projects and the joy of receiving the award.
The EESTEC Solar Olympics was a hugely successful event, bringing together students from different fields and encouraging them to think innovatively. The organizers and participants looked forward to the opportunity to disseminate knowledge and exchange ideas in the field of solar energy. Such events help to stimulate and develop interest in sustainable energy among young people and contribute to the development and progress in this field.
This article is also available in Slovenian – here.
Some short videos inviting to the first prize award event:
