Bharat Renewable Energy Hackathon 2026

Problem Statement 02

Digital Intelligence for Renewable Energy

Develop digital-twin, DERMS or other technology solutions that provide utilities with improved real-time visibility, monitoring and, where feasible, operational control of distributed energy resources such as rooftop solar, storage and other distributed assets. Solutions should be designed keeping in mind the data, communication and operational infrastructure currently available with Indian DISCOMs.

Digital twins, DERMS platforms, smart-meter and inverter data integration, edge devices, communication gateways, asset monitoring, real-time analytics, forecasting or other approaches that enable scalable DER visibility and, where feasible, operational control.

• The global DERMS market is projected to grow from USD 359.7 million in 2022 to USD 1.1 billion by 2030, indicating rapidly growing demand for digital management of distributed energy resources.
• India's distributed renewable-energy base is expanding rapidly through programmes such as PM Surya Ghar and PM-KUSUM, increasing the number of distributed assets DISCOMs will need to monitor and manage.

Problem Statement 03

Flattening the Duck Curve

Develop demand-flexibility, storage-dispatch or other grid-interactive solutions that can reduce India's growing evening ramp by shifting electricity demand or deploying flexible resources as solar generation declines. Solutions should demonstrate the ability to reduce the gap between midday solar generation and evening electricity demand without increasing dependence on inefficient thermal cycling.

Battery storage, demand response, time-of-use or dynamic pricing mechanisms, flexible loads, thermal storage, EV charging optimisation, distributed energy resources or other grid-interactive approaches that can shift demand or supply across the day.

• India's midday net-load drop grew from approximately 25 GW in 2023 to around 50 GW in 2025 and approximately 64 GW in 2026.
• The evening ramp has more than doubled over three years — from approximately 27 GW in 2023 to around 65 GW in 2026.
• The deepening midday trough reflects the rapid growth of solar generation relative to available flexibility and storage.

Problem Statement 04

Renewable Energy for Data Centres & Green Hydrogen

Develop Firm and Dispatchable Renewable Energy (FDRE) solutions that can reliably meet the power requirements of data centres and green-hydrogen facilities while maximising renewable-energy utilisation and reducing dependence on conventional or inflexible grid power without compromising financial viability.

Solutions should demonstrate how renewable generation, storage and other complementary technologies can be configured to provide reliable, firm and dispatchable power for these emerging high-demand sectors.

Hybrid renewable-energy configurations, battery or other energy-storage technologies, advanced forecasting and scheduling, optimised power procurement, energy-management systems, load flexibility, or other innovative configurations that can provide reliable and dispatchable renewable power.

• India's data-centre capacity has grown significantly and is projected to expand rapidly through FY 2031–32, driven in part by AI and high-performance computing demand.
• India's power demand is projected to grow by approximately 6.0–6.5% annually over the next five years, with data centres, EVs and green hydrogen identified among emerging demand drivers.
• India's National Green Hydrogen Mission targets production of 5 million tonnes per year by 2030, requiring significant additional electrolyser capacity.

Problem Statement 05

Scaling Distributed Renewable Energy and Microgrids

Develop technology-enabled solutions that enable efficient deployment, monitoring, operation and maintenance of geographically dispersed distributed renewable-energy and energy assets, including rooftop solar, PM-KUSUM installations, microgrids, EV charging infrastructure and other distributed energy resources.

Remote asset monitoring, IoT-enabled diagnostics, predictive maintenance, asset-health analytics, fault detection, remote performance management, digital service platforms, technician/service optimisation, asset aggregation or other approaches that improve the efficiency and reliability of distributed energy systems at scale.

• Agriculture accounts for up to 75% of state power subsidies, much of it unmetered. FLS provides reliable daytime agricultural power while reducing DISCOMs' Avoided Power Purchase Costs (APPC) and Avoided Transmission Capacity Costs (ATCC).

Problem Statement 06

Circular Economy for Clean Energy Technologies

Develop end-of-life recovery, recycling, material-reuse or resource-recovery solutions for clean-energy technologies, including solar PV modules, batteries, turbine blades and power electronics.

Economically viable recovery, recycling, material reuse and resource-recovery pathways, particularly for critical and valuable materials from solar PV modules and lithium-ion batteries.

• The Government has launched a ₹1,500 crore recycling incentive scheme under the National Critical Mineral Mission, focused on recovery of critical minerals from e-waste, Lithium-Ion Battery (LIB) scrap, and scrap other than e-waste & LIB scrap, e.g. catalytic convertors in end-of-life vehicles.
• The Department of Science and Technology (DST) issued a call for proposals on “Recovery and Recycling of End-of-Life Solar PV Panels/Modules” to develop economically viable recycling processes and equipment through academia–industry partnerships.

Problem Statement 07

Improved Forecasting Models for Renewable Energy

Develop AI, satellite-data-driven or other advanced forecasting solutions that improve day-ahead and intraday forecasting of solar and wind generation. Solutions should help renewable-energy generators and system operators improve scheduling, dispatch and compliance with deviation-settlement requirements while reducing financial exposure arising from forecasting errors.

AI/ML forecasting models, satellite and weather data integration, hybrid forecasting approaches, edge or distributed forecasting, probabilistic forecasting, or other methods that improve day-ahead and intraday prediction accuracy.

• CERC announced phased DSM reforms in 2026 that will progressively tighten deviation norms for wind and solar generators through 2031, increasing the importance of forecasting accuracy.

Problem Statement 08

Secure & Interoperable Data Access Infrastructure for Clean Energy

Develop and demonstrate a secure, interoperable data-access infrastructure that enables authorised innovators, applications and institutions to generate (through low-cost sensors), discover, access and consume clean-energy datasets held across multiple custodians through machine-readable and machine-to-machine interfaces, enabling solution providers to build, validate and ultimately scale solutions, leveraging easy-to-access, real-world data.

The solution should address interoperability, authentication, authorisation, data-access controls, confidentiality and auditability, while allowing individual data custodians to retain ownership and control over their datasets. The solution can allow for sandbox data to offer low-risk pathways of data access that are not connected and that do not disrupt real-world operations, especially for solution building and validation.

The challenge is to demonstrate a secure data-access layer through which authorised applications can interact with distributed datasets using standardised protocols and appropriate governance safeguards.

A secure data-access layer through which authorised applications can interact with distributed datasets using standardised protocols and appropriate governance safeguards — covering machine-readable and machine-to-machine interfaces, tiered authentication and authorisation, data-access controls and audit trails, and sandboxed test data that does not touch real-world operations.

• India already has multiple government data platforms and resources relevant to clean energy, including data.gov.in, NDAP, ICED and MNRE resource atlases. These datasets may have different custodians, access protocols, formats and update cycles.
• The Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Act, 2023 is India's core federal legislation regulating the processing of digital personal data to protect individual privacy while allowing data processing for lawful purposes.
• The Ministry of Power announced the release of a new “Draft National Electricity Policy (NEP) 2026”, which aims to transform the power sector to meet the vision of Viksit Bharat @2047. The policy targets per-capita electricity consumption of 2,000 kWh by 2030 and over 4,000 kWh by 2047, and aligns with India's climate commitments, including a 45% reduction in emissions intensity below 2005 levels by 2030 and net-zero emissions by 2070 — necessitating a decisive shift towards low-carbon energy pathways.
• The Ministry of Power has released a draft National Electricity Data Sharing Framework to bring fragmented power-sector data onto a single national platform. The framework proposes 66 public datasets covering renewable energy, generation, transmission, distribution, grid operations and power markets, along with privacy safeguards and secure data environments for research, innovation and AI-based energy solutions.

Problem Statement 09

Last-Mile Innovation for Clean Energy Scheme Adoption

Develop innovation-led outreach and engagement solutions that improve awareness, participation and conversion for flagship clean-energy schemes at the panchayat and grassroots level.

Digital, AI-enabled, voice-based, community-led, behavioural or other innovative approaches that improve awareness, participation and conversion.

• PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana targets one crore households by FY 2026–27.
• As of the most recent review, approximately 24 lakh households had completed installations, representing around 24% of the target.
• The gap between applications received and completed installations indicates a continuing challenge in converting awareness and applications into actual adoption.

Problem Statement 10

Cybersecurity for Renewable Energy Assets

Develop and demonstrate scalable, cost-effective cybersecurity solutions to protect renewable energy assets and their associated digital infrastructure from cyber threats.

Solutions should address vulnerabilities across SCADA, Power Plant Controllers, inverters, IoT devices, sensors, communication networks and remote monitoring systems, while improving threat detection, access control, incident response and overall cyber resilience.

AI/ML-based threat detection, OT/SCADA security, secure communications, device authentication, vulnerability assessment, zero-trust approaches, cyber-resilient architectures, or other technologies that strengthen the security of renewable energy assets.

• NITI Aayog (2026) identifies cybersecurity as a growing risk to the power sector as digital control and communication systems become more prevalent, and calls for stronger cyber-resilience, periodic cybersecurity assessments, compliance mechanisms and supply-chain cybersecurity measures.
• Ministry of Power Annual Report 2025–26 notes that CSIRT-Power has been operational since September 2024 and that the Draft CEA (Cyber Security in Power Sector) Regulations, 2025 are under finalisation.
• IEA (2026) highlights that inverters are critical control points in solar PV, wind and battery systems and that their increasing connectivity and remote controllability creates potential cybersecurity vulnerabilities, including supply-chain risks.
• A 2026 research assessment identifies emerging cyber-physical risks in renewable-dominated grids, including false-data injection, attacks on distributed energy resources and cloud platforms, inverter manipulation and GPS spoofing.
• MNRE established a dedicated cybersecurity team under its CISO in 2025, reflecting the growing importance of cybersecurity for the renewable energy ecosystem.