Eindhoven organised the Recharge Eindhoven Hackathon, where 12 teams worked for two days on practical solutions to the challenges on the electricity grid. The grid in Eindhoven is full in many places, which can affect house building, business growth and the switch to sustainable energy. The city wants to expand the grid and also make smarter use of capacity that may already be available.
How the hackathon worked
Students, entrepreneurs and experts worked on problems taken from practice. They examined, for example, how energy can be distributed more smartly, how busy moments on the grid can be reduced and how existing buildings can help store energy. According to the city, the event showed that solutions do not have to come only from new technology, and that cooperation, knowledge sharing and smart ideas can also help. Alderman Rik Thijs said that what happened at the event shows the strength of the region.
Winners and prize money
The jury consisted of Stephan La Haye (NRG Group), Sharmistha Bhattacharyya (TU/e) and Jelle Schunselaar (Brainport/the GATE). A total of €8,500 in prize money was available.
| Place | Team | Idea |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | De Vonk | Same Grid - More Homes: better use of existing grid capacity so more homes can use the same network |
| 2 | Heat Flex | Buildings store heat temporarily, so less electricity may be needed at busy moments |
| 3 | PeakPerformance | A platform that helps entrepreneurs understand their energy use and reduce peaks on the grid |
An honourable mention went to Rocket Force, a team that focused on training extra skilled workers for the energy sector.
Background: housing under pressure
In an earlier update, the city reported that grid operator Enexis gave 13 Eindhoven housing projects, together 2,156 homes, provisional transport capacity under a transitional scheme. For 59 other projects with 10,845 homes there is currently no room on the grid, and they are placed on a waiting list. Of the more than 13,000 registered homes, about 17 percent receive capacity. Eindhoven-West has had a connection pause since 1 July 2026, and in Eindhoven-Noord and Eindhoven-Oost the limit of grid capacity also appears to have been reached. The city says it will work with its partners to prevent house building from stalling from 2028/2029.
What the city concludes
The city stresses that expanding the grid remains necessary. It says the hackathon showed that there are already opportunities to use energy more smartly.