Energy Disruptors Overview
I know this blog post is coming a little late, but it’s on my new and improved blog on my personal website! Be sure to check out my pitch decks and contact page!
Energy Disruptors was a 2 day energy conference held in Calgary, which also hosted a hackathon sponsored by Microsoft. The conference dove into topics like renewable energy, energy politics, the future of energy, and it’s global impact.
The first day was the Microsoft Youth Hackathon, where different teams each got a prompt that related to energy. My group’s (Harini Srinivasan, Ben Reamico, Logan Cyr, and Adam Xu) prompt was smart grid accessibility. Smart grids are decentralized energy generators and distribution systems that support a smaller amount of buildings and infrastructure, which is different compared to the centralized system we currently use, which supports all the homes and businesses from one source. The smart in smart grids come from how smart grids utilize data from smart meters and smart appliances that measure and determine the amount of energy your household uses. Splitting the workload of generating and distributing energy between smaller grids will make the energy more reliable and accessible to everyone while being able to support our energy needs in the future.
The problem our team wanted to tackle with smart grids was the data storage and security issue. The problem with making sure that there is enough room to store all the data being collected while making sure it’s secure and private is an obstacle that prevents smart grids from being implemented. Our solution was to incorporate immutable ledger technology (the basis of what blockchain runs on), to add an extra layer of security to data, while also decentralizing that data and making it easier to store within the system.
I got to present our pitch deck with Harini. Because of the lack of rehearsal in our prep stage, we weren’t able to coordinate everything properly and ended up running out of time while presenting. I learned about how to best manage your time in a hackathon, how important it is to not overthink different ideas (especially in a short timeframe), and how to embody the done>perfect mindset. I would say that for my first hackathon, it was definitely a wonderful experience!
The second day at the conference was definitely much more relaxed. I got to sit in on some more panels and learn some neat things. Here are two of my favourite talks:
Historian, philosopher, and best-selling author of ‘Sapiens’, Yuval Noah Harari: It was an added bonus that he attended the conference through a hologram, and it was cool to see this kind of technology being implemented as a first-time witness of it. One thing that stood out to me from his talk was when he shared how stories shape our world and how they are a constant in human history. Stories influence our decisions and beliefs, we live in a world overflowing with different stories. There have been times when some stories didn’t benefit society. The mistake that we have made is criticizing everything that is wrong with that story when instead we should be offering up a new, better story that can help shape a better world.
Former Prime Minister of New Zealand, Jacinda Ardern: One of the things that stood out to me in her talk was about how as a leader, she needed to stay in touch with the problems people were facing, and she needed to be empathetic when working to solve those issues. It never helps to toughen up as a politician because that’s when you lose your humanity and your empathy. It’s important to stand up for yourself and express your values, especially when you don’t agree with something, but you also need to listen to other people’s opinions and needs in order to help them and make their lives better.
Besides listening to some amazing talks, I also got to connect with a few people who work in different energy industries and get to take advantage of some of the fun that comes with these conferences. I can’t wait for more opportunities like this to come my way!
Photo credit: Ben Reamico
