Clean Energy
Smarter grids, solar tooling, energy-use dashboards, and efficiency hacks.
November 21–22, 2026
A two-day hackathon at the San Diego Central Library focused on climate and sustainability. Get a team together, build a working project over the weekend, and demo it to judges. First time hacking? You'll fit right in.
Eco Nova Hacks is a two-day hackathon for students who care about the environment. You'll form a team, pick a problem worth solving, and build a real sustainability project over the weekend, then show it to judges on Sunday. Bring a laptop and an idea; we'll handle the food, space, and mentors.
Every project tackles a real environmental problem: energy, waste, water, or climate. If it helps the planet, it fits.
Never been to a hackathon? Good, plenty of people here haven't either. Saturday-morning workshops get you building fast.
Use actual tools and APIs to ship a working demo over the weekend, with no toy examples, whatever your experience level.
Gift cards for the top three teams, judged on real impact, how it's built, and design.
People from climate orgs and tech companies are around all day, so ask them anything, from first ideas to last-minute debugging.
Spend a weekend with other students who care about this, swap ideas, and leave with people worth knowing.
Pick one to focus on, or combine a few. Build whatever fits.
Smarter grids, solar tooling, energy-use dashboards, and efficiency hacks.
Marine health, water quality, conservation data, and coastal resilience.
Recycling, reuse marketplaces, food-waste reduction, and circular supply chains.
Public transit, bike-share, EV tooling, and low-carbon logistics.
Education, carbon tracking, and tools that turn data into action.
All times PT. Subject to a few last-minute tweaks.
In person at the San Diego Central Library
Between sessions: keep working on your project on your own.
Runner-up
Grand prize gift card
Third place
Any current high-school or college student, regardless of major or experience. First-timers are especially welcome.
Nothing. Eco Nova Hacks is 100% free, including meals, snacks, and swag, thanks to our sponsors.
Nope. Come solo or with friends. We'll run a team-formation session at the start so no one hacks alone.
Your laptop and charger, a student ID, and anything you need to stay comfy overnight (a hoodie, toiletries, maybe a sleeping bag).
Not necessarily. We welcome designers, researchers, and idea people. Workshops and mentors will help you learn as you build.
It's hybrid. Day one (Sat, Nov 21) is in person at the San Diego Central Library, and day two (Sun, Nov 22), with submissions, pitches, and awards, happens online over Zoom.
Eco Nova Hacks runs on support from companies that want to invest in the next generation of climate builders.
The students organizing Eco Nova Hacks.
Executive Director
Executive Director
We believe in being open about how Eco Nova Hacks is funded. View our budget and real-time ledger, and help us run the event with a donation.
Registration is free and takes a couple of minutes. Space is limited, so grab a spot early.
Applications reviewed on a rolling basis. November 21–22 at the San Diego Central Library.