​The Planet We Inherit: GridHack 2026

​Hosted by Citizens for Climate Action and Orivia Tech | DC Climate Week Official Event

​Thank you to Montgomery County Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), Maryland Dept of Labor, and bwtech UMBC for your support and partnership.

​📅 April 24, 2026 · 12:00 – 5:00 PM 📍 bwtech North at UMBC · 1450 S. Rolling Road, Baltimore, MD 21227

​Schedule

​🕛 12:00 PM — Arrive and Check In

• ​Lunch provided

• ​Platform walkthrough

• ​Team setup

​🕧 12:30 PM — Opening Remarks

• ​Building data package released to all teams

• ​Special guest appearance by Workflow IO, performing a live Level 2 ASHRAE audit using their sensor-equipped robot on the same building you are competing on

​🕧 12:45 PM — Competition Block

• ​3 hours on the clock

• ​Real Montgomery County building

• ​Real data. Real stakes.

​🕟 3:45 PM — Team Presentations

• ​5 minutes per team

• ​Judged on accuracy and grant narrative quality

​🕓 4:15 PM — THE REVEAL

• ​We open the sealed auditor's findings and compare them to yours

• ​Live. In front of everyone.

​🕟 4:30 PM — Winning Team Announcement

• ​First and second place prizes awarded

• ​Fellowship offers extended

​🕔 5:00 PM — Networking Reception

• ​Network with our MC Alycia Guichard, Tech Counsel, Verizon and other industry leaders

• ​Giveaways

• ​Live music

• ​Make connections that last past graduation

​Prizes

​🥇 First place team receives automatic acceptance into the Responsible AI Lighthouse Fellowship — up to $10,000 per fellow, BPI Building Science Principles and Google AI Essentials certifications, a full Industrious Pike and Rose coworking membership for 23 weeks, and a complimentary Maryland Technology Council membership.

​🥈 Second place wins $500 cash.

​🎓 Every participant receives direct access to apply for the fellowship. Students must be enrolled in a Maryland college or university and be between the ages of 18 and 24 to be eligible.

​Who Should Come

​Every discipline is welcome. CS, environmental science, policy, design, engineering. No energy experience needed. Bring your laptop.

​Open to Maryland college students and high school seniors enrolling in college this fall, ages 18 to 24.

​Register free: https://luma.com/ym6q184g

​About the Responsible AI Lighthouse Fellowship

​The Responsible AI Lighthouse Fellowship is a 23-week paid workforce development program launching July 2026, funded by the Maryland Department of Labor. Fellows train as AI-augmented building energy compliance analysts, working on real Maryland buildings using EcoGuard, Orivia Tech's AI platform. Fellows earn up to $10,000 in stipend, complete BPI Building Science Principles and Google AI Essentials certifications, and work from Industrious Pike and Rose in North Bethesda and bwtech South at UMBC with direct mentorship from industry leaders.

​This is not an internship. It is a career launchpad built for the next generation of Maryland's clean energy workforce.

​Applications open to Maryland college students and recent graduates ages 18 to 24. Win GridHack and you get automatic placement.

​With Gratitude

​Thank you to DC Climate Week organizers for including GridHack as an official event and for creating the platform that brings together the people, ideas, and momentum driving climate action forward.

​Thank you to the Maryland Department of Labor for funding the Responsible AI Lighthouse Fellowship through the Lighthouse Industries AI Internship Program.

​Thank you to bwtech@UMBC for providing the home base for Orivia Tech and for supporting Maryland's next generation of clean energy innovators.

​Thank you to Montgomery County Government, specifically the Office of Energy and Sustainability within the Montgomery County Department of General Services and the Montgomery County Department of Environmental Protection, for providing the case study building and data that make this competition real. This event would not exist without your partnership and trust.