Build the open future of energy access

Across Sub-Saharan Africa and beyond, millions of people are gaining power through solar home systems, mini-grids, and smart batteries. But too much of the technology behind them is locked in proprietary black boxes. We think the tools that power energy access should be open , i.e. buildable, improvable, and owned by the community that depends on them.

The OSEAS Open Source Hackathon brings together students and developers from across the region to do exactly that. Over four weeks, working remotely and in teams, you'll take on real challenges from real open-source energy projects. From battery monitoring to metering to data tools and ship contributions that get used, not shelved. The strongest teams present their work at the OSEAS event in Kigali this October.

You don't need to be a hardware expert or an energy specialist. You need curiosity, some code, and the drive to build something that matters. Mentors, case givers, and a full community are here to support you the whole way.

Pick a challenge. Form a team. Build something open.

About the hackathon

The OSEAS Open Source Hackathon is part of the Open Source in Energy Access Symposium (OSEAS), organised by EnAccess and WRI Polsky Center for the Global Energy Transition, in partnership with The Gym Rwanda and Carnegie Mellon University - Africa (CMU). It brings the energy access community together to strengthen the open-source tools the sector relies on.

The hackathon is open to three groups: students from CMU Africa, trainees from the The Gym Rwanda software program, and the Open track, i.e. everyone else from any university, company, or organisation, and from any country, who wants to take part. Students, professionals, and independent developers are all welcome.

Our goal isn't a one-off burst of code. Every challenge is a real contribution to a live open-source project, so the work you do can keep living and growing after the event and so can your involvement. We're building a community of contributors, not just a weekend of prototypes.

How it works: register for the kickoff and choose your challenge there. Over roughly four weeks, teams build their solutions remotely, supported by mentors, technical experts, and case givers from the projects themselves. At the end, submissions are evaluated and the top teams present at the OSEAS event in Kigali.

Timeline (2026):

• Registration closes — 15 September

• Kick-off — 28 September: challenges introduced, tools walkthrough, teams finalised

• Build phase — late September to mid-October: remote, async-first development with weekly mentor office hours

• Mid-point review — 15–16 October: teams share progress and get feedback from mentors and experts

• Final submission — end of the build phase, shortly after the mid-point review

• Evaluation & Demo Day — top teams present their work at the OSEAS event in Kigali (5-minute pitch + jury Q&A)

• After the event — the strongest projects are supported for continued development and integration into the EnAccess, WRI Polsky Center for the Global Energy Transition, and partner open-source ecosystems.

Challenges