In early July, energy-conscious competitors gathered at the ALERT (Affordable & Low-income Environmental Renewal in Toronto) PowerOf50 Hackathon to create new ideas for conserving energy in Toronto’s residential towers and apartment buildings.

Coming in first place, Powerof5 created an app known as Energy Alert which notifies building owners and operators of their energy usage and identifies opportunities for greater conservation. Powerdown took second place with an energy data visualization tool that integrates weather forecasts into predictions for future consumption. In third place, Building Rewards developed an idea to provide tenants with incentives for energy conservation.

“The ALERT PowerOf50 Hackathon leverages our collective creative assets, aspires engagement, and empowers a community that manages Toronto’s largest affordable housing stocks,” said ALERT founders Ramtin Attar, Autodesk, and Jessie Ma, Hydro One. “The response so far to ALERT has been amazingly positive. Many people sense the great need to address this complex economic, environmental and social dilemma, and we hope to harness this enthusiasm and make a positive difference.”

Toronto’s residential sector is responsible for one fifth of the region’s gas emissions. Building owners and managers who invest in energy efficiency measures can reduce their emissions by 74 per cent, thereby realizing major savings in energy costs. The City of Toronto is currently studying a new energy reporting requirement for residential highrises and, if passed at council, the city will call for mandatory disclosure of energy use.