Energy Hack, the first collaborative software programming challenge (or Hackathon) organised by Bouygues Bâtiment Ile-de-France Habitat Social, a Bouygues Construction subsidiary, rewarded a project called EnergyCrush.

Developed in record time, EnergyCrush is a game available for the tenants of a social housing block, which encourages them to control their energy consumption. It uses real consumption data derived from an apartment building. The interface allows the landlord to administer questionnaires and challenges in order to maintain the tenants' interest. This app could very easily be incorporated into existing Bouygues Construction innovations, such as the EnergyPass^® (a complete system for monitoring energy consumption in social housing).

For two-and-a-half days, from January 31 to February 2, Energy Hack brought together some 76 participants grouped in eight teams, at La Ruche, in Paris. They were asked to work collectively and openly to produce prototypes of innovative apps based on controlling energy demands and the uses of energy in apartments. Teams were made up of people with a variety of profiles: software developers, designers, students, etc. Their goal was to design and then develop the best app for occupants of social housing blocks or building managers.

François Terrier, CEO of Bouygues Bâtiment Ile-de-France Habitat Social, said: "The ‘Energy Hack' challenge shows once again the variety of innovations that are possible in housing. It will feed our reflections and drive us further in our ambition of guaranteeing energy performance for the landlord, improving the comfort of homes and helping tenants get full benefit from smart buildings."

Each project was assessed by a jury consisting of personalities from the digital world, the construction industry and the media: Michel Lévy-Provençal, founder of Joshfire; Rafi Haladjian, new technology and network entrepreneur; Guillaume Grallet, columnist at Le Point; Bernard Benhamou, interministerial delegate on Internet usage at the French Ministry of Research and Higher Education; Jean-Baptiste Desanlis, director of networks and innovation at Efidis; François Terrier, CEO of Bouygues Bâtiment Ile-de-France Habitat Social; Martin Kaiser, director of Roadmap Service Solutions at Bouygues Telecom; Jean-Jacques Pauly, director of Smart Building Development at Hager; Sophie Sachnine, managing director of Metro News; Etienne Gaudin, e-lab director at Bouygues; and Jean-Yves Mano, deputy mayor of Paris in charge of housing and president of Elogie.

A leading builder of social housing, Bouygues Construction works alongside manufacturers on developing innovations intended to make buildings smarter and better connected. In particular, the Group has invented the EnergyPass^® concept and it is developing and constructing the first smart apartment blocks in such towns as Cachan and Aubervilliers.