FAQ

General

• What is a hackathon?
  An event in which a number of people meet and collaborate to solve a problem, often (but not always) involving computer programming.
• Why is Mercuria organizing a hackathon?
  Mercuria is committed to driving the energy transition to cleaner and more sustainable energy across all parts of its business. Our technology teams have their part to play in developing sustainable solutions to technical problems that use less energy and create less waste.
• What does it cost?
  It’s free to attend if you register before the deadline and are one of the 50 applicants subsequently selected to participate.
• What if I have more questions?
  Drop us a message using the form on contact us.

Registering

PLEASE NOTE THAT REGISTRATION HAS NOW CLOSED.

• What skills are needed to take part?
  Anyone that is currently involved in software development – either working in or studying fields related to computing such as computer/data science, devops, coding etc. – and thinks they have the skills to complete the challenge. Sorry, you need to be over the age of 18 to take part.
• How do the teams work?
  One of the most fun parts of a hackathon is the collaboration. The challenge(s) will be solved in small teams of up to 4 people.
• How do I join a team?
  There is no need to register as part of a team, teams will be allocated based on disciplines prior to the event.
• Can I volunteer to judge?
  No. For this hackathon we only want people to take part in solving the challenge.

The challenges

• When will the details of the challenge(s) be announced?
  The challenge(s) will be announced a week before the hackathon starts.
• What is green software development?
  We believe that improving information technology has a role to play in the energy transition to a zero carbon world. Green software is the concept for building applications in a way that they emit less carbon into the atmosphere. You can read more about some of the research, tools, coding and training on the Green Software Foundation github here: GitHub – Green-Software-Foundation/awesome-green-software?
• How is intellectual property handled? Do I own my code?
  We want to ensure that the event is as open and as inclusive as possible and as such we will be adopting the same Terms & Conditions as is the common standard for most Hackathons, ie:

   

  • Entrants to the Hackathon will retain ownership of all intellectual and industrial property rights so that they are able to reuse their code in the future.
  • At the same time, entrants will grant Mercuria and subsidiary companies a perpetual, royalty-free, and non-exclusive license to use, modify and create derivative work from the code.
  • Full T&Cs will be published nearer to the event and acceptance will be a criteria of attendance to the Hackathon.
• How are the challenge solutions judged?
  The solutions will be judged in 5 categories: Value, Impact, Scalability, Completeness and Innovation. More details of exactly how solutions will be judged will be made available before the challenge begins.
• Is there a prize?
  We believe that the hackathon will be an amazing experience for all involved and hope that your motivation for getting involved isn’t to win a prize. There will be some small prizes given out during the event, but these probably won’t be for what you expect them to be for!

Logistics

• Is there support to help me get to the event?
  We are hoping to make the event open to participants from all across Europe. As such, participants we we’ll reimburse participants up to €300 towards their rail fares from across Europe. Sorry, but we will not be reimbursing any travel by air.
• Where will I stay?
  The hackathon won’t continue throughout the night so you will be given accommodation at the Villars Lodge, one of the hotels in the Villars Alpine Resort.
• What will I eat and drink?
  We’ll keep you fed and hydrated throughout the weekend! Food and drink will be provided from Friday evening until Sunday afternoon.
• What should I bring?
  All attendees are required to bring official ID for admission (name must match registration) and a laptop for hacking. The hack environment will be described nearer to the time, but it won’t be anything unusual. A complete list of items that you will find helpful to bring will be shared closer to the event date. Of course, the Alps in winter can get cold and wet so make sure you are prepared for snow and rain for arrival and departure and if you choose to explore the resort.
• What happens after the event?
  Once the hackathon is over, we will follow up with participants, asking for feedback to help us design future events.