Present
Energy Savings Hackathon
October 23 - 24
Welcome to the Danfoss Hackathon
The purpose of this 2-day workshop is to develop solutions that address the question:
How might we assist data center clients of all sizes and configurations to reduce energy consumption by at least 25 percent using Danfoss Turbocor's compressor technology and optimizing power, heat, and cooling systems energy usage holistically?
We will leverage Design Thinking as a tool for understanding the problem and developing effective solutions.
Meet the Facilitators
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Ken Baldauf
Florida State University, Founding Director, Innovation Hub, CEO, Innovation by Design LLC, ken@innovation.fsu.edu
Ken Baldauf is the Founding Director of Florida State University’s Innovation Hub, where students from all disciplines work together, utilizing Design Thinking with emerging technologies, to confront the demanding and complex problems of our day. Through his Innovation by Design class, and through a wide variety of workshops, design sprints, and boot camps, Ken and his team teach and facilitate Design Thinking sessions that win hundreds of new enthusiasts each year. Ken has authored several textbooks, collaborated with Cengage Learning Publishing to create an online learning framework, has presented at educational conferences around the world, and consults with businesses and organizations in order to increase their creative and innovative potential.
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Mark McNees
Florida State University, Jim Moran College of Entrepreneurship, and CEO, McNees Group LLC, mmcnees@jmc.fsu.edu
Dr. Mark McNees is a seasoned consultant, entrepreneur, and academic specializing in sustainable growth and social impact strategies. As the director of the social and sustainable enterprises master's program at Florida State University and Principal at the McNeesGroup, he leverages his expertise in ESG, innovation, and leadership to guide organizations in aligning sustainability with core business objectives. With a doctorate in leadership and a Harvard master's certificate in innovation and entrepreneurship, Mark brings a unique blend of academic insight and practical experience to his work. His global perspective, honed through collaborations across the Americas, Africa, and Europe, enables him to facilitate innovative solutions to complex sustainability challenges. As a thought leader in ESG strategy and purpose-driven messaging, Mark is dedicated to helping organizations create lasting value while making a positive impact on society and the environment.
Hackathon Objectives
Using Design Thinking, develop solutions that:
Achieve at least a 25% reduction in energy consumption compared to current industry standards.
Integrate Danfoss Turbocor's compressor technology into your solutions.
Tackle the interrelated challenges of power, heat, and cooling within data centers.
Ensure solutions are scalable for different data center sizes and configurations.
Address both new builds and retrofit scenarios.
Tentative Agenda
Day 1 - October 23, 9:00am - 4:00pm
Introductions, Overview, Planning, Empathy, Ideation
Introductions
(09:00) Welcome and introductions (Danfoss Host)
(09:10) Challenge background and overview (Danfoss Host)
(09:25) Workshop overview Facilitator Introductions (Mark > Ken)
(09:30) Overview of Design Thinking (Ken)
(09:45) Overview of Systems Thinking (Mark)
(10:00) One-on-one Interviews (Ken)
Meet someone new, learn about them and their insights regarding energy consumption. Record useful insights on sticky notes.
(10:20) Divide into teams of three with diversity in each team’s makeup
Each team will be working on the same challenge but will develop unique solutions
Share the insights you gained from your interviews by sticking them on the workspace. Do any themes arise?
(10:30) 15-minute break
Planning
(10:45) Stakeholder Mapping - team sticky-note activity
Who holds a stake in this problem? Who will benefit from energy reductions? Who may be standing in the way of energy reductions?
(11:00) Context Mapping - team sticky-note activity
What are current industry trends, technology trends, cultural trends, organizational trends that relate to energy reductions?
Empathy Research
(11:20) Mapping the System - team sticky-note activity
Name all the components and activities related to data center cooling systems that impact energy consumption and provide opportunities for savings.
12:00 Lunch
(01:00) Sense-making Affinity Map
Collect all insights, sort and analyze themes
(01:20) Identifying top key insights for energy savings
(01:30) Reframing
Identify the most important insight from your team and rewrite the HMW to focus on that.
How might we __________________________ in order to __________________________ and reduce energy consumption by 25 percent?
Ideation
(02:00) Brainstorming First Burst with 2 WILD IDEAS
Individually note (sticky notes) every idea you can think of for solutions
Share your ideas with your team by sticking your notes on the board, rearranging by themes, and giving each theme a descriptive title
Place stars by the most impactful yet feasible solutions
(02:20) Solutions A-Z - team sticky-note activity
Develop solutions starting with every letter of the alphabet
Place stars by the most impactful yet feasible solutions
(02:30) 15-minute break
Day 1 Cont’d
(02:45) Thinking Wrong
Using random words, consider solutions that have not yet occured to you. Note them with all the other ideas
Place stars by the most impactful yet feasible solutions
(03:00) Change Context
How might you solve this problem if you were
NASA
The Navy
Disney Corp
What if money were no object?
(03:30) Selection
From all the solution ideas generated above, select the top three ideas to consider for prototyping.
Consider how each idea scores on Impact and Feasibility
Tomorrow you will select the best idea to prototype
Day 2 - October 24, 9:00am - 3:00pm
Prototyping, Presenting, Synthesizing
Finalizing Solutions
(09:00) Welcome back, Review solution evaluation criteria
All concepts developed during the sprint will be evaluated based on:
1. Energy Efficiency: Demonstrated reduction in energy usage
2. Innovation: Creative integration of Danfoss Turbocor technology
3. Feasibility: Practicality of implementation
4. Scalability: Adaptability to various data center setups
5. Environmental Impact: Reduction in carbon footprint and resource use
6. Cost-Effectiveness: Potential for long-term savings
(09:15) Each team should decide on their best solution to move on to prototype based on the above criteria
Prototyping
(09:30) Develop a prototype for your top solution
Consider the best way to communicate your idea visually
Types of prototypes include Storyboard, Paper Prototype, Digital Prototype, Physical Model, and Acting it Out
Pitching
(10:30) Develop a slide deck to pitch your solution. Be sure to include your prototype.
Conclude with any other solutions you consider valuable that were not pitched.
Lunch
(01:00) Group Presentations
(02:00) Synthesizing
Review of solutions, feasibility, implementation, next steps
What value do we take from this two-day workshop?
(03:00) Conclude
Design Thinking
A Culture of Innovation
Has its roots in empathy and mutual respect
Respects open communication and candid feedback
Asks the right questions
Believes innovation comes at the intersection of perspectives
and that everyone has the ability for creative genius
Values fresh perspectives over entrenched belief systems
Values expertise
Works to fully understand all aspects of a problem before developing a solution
Demonstrates ideas rather than explaining ideas
Seeks continuous feedback to improve solutions to perfection
Celebrates its victories