Renewable energy developers and investors continue to transform the possibility of improving solutions in favor of the environment both in Mexico and in the world, projecting a dynamism that is presumed to be more innovative.
Proof of this has been Mexico’s progress as an attractive destination for investors in renewable energy. According to the Renewable Energy Country Attraction Index (RECAI 2024), conducted by the global consulting firm Ernst & Young, Mexico was ranked 33rd, which represented an increase of two positions compared to the previous year.
Aware of inspiring new generations to create innovative solutions that promote sustainability, Iberdrola Mexico together with the School of Engineering and Sciences of the Monterrey Institute of Technology (TEC de Monterrey) held a hackathon on September 26 and 27, so that students in their final semester could develop projects focused on three real problems: how to make electromobility accessible in cities and improve charging infrastructure; how to promote access to electric energy in vulnerable areas and, finally, how to promote the use of green hydrogen.
For two days, more than 150 students worked on their projects with the advice of mentors from the energy company and teachers from the Monterrey campus. A jury declared the winner the team that presented the project “EcoSpin; wind energy in streets and highways”, whose objective is to supply electricity to communities that lack this service, by installing turbines on highways that move thanks to the air current generated by the passage of vehicles at high speed.
Daniel Serrano, a student of Mechatronics Engineering and a member of the winning team, said he was happy and excited about this type of initiative: “What [the hackathon] taught me most is that, even though things are difficult, whether the calculations don’t work out, or it’s very expensive, there is always a way to move forward, there is always light at the end of the tunnel, you can always keep going.”
Karina Gómez, coordinator of Corporate Social Responsibility at Iberdrola México and mentor at the hackathon, said that the projects presented are potentially viable and are in line with Iberdrola México’s commitment to promote the sustainable development of the communities where it has a presence.
“They are projects with very innovative ideas, very aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) and I believe that with good support they can be carried out,” said Gómez.
Source: elpais
