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SF Climate Week Hackathon 2025

Welcome to the SF Climate Week Hackathon 2025 tutorial! This guide will show you how to leverage the Texture Platform as your central hub for integrating with the official hackathon partner APIs: Bayou Energy, Shovels, and Palmetto's Energy Intelligence.

Why Use Texture for the Hackathon?​

Texture provides a unified platform that simplifies working with multiple energy data sources:

  • Single API Access Point: One REST API to access data from all three hackathon partner services
  • Unified Dashboard: Visualize all your energy data in one place through the Texture Dashboard
  • Automatic Data Enrichment: Texture automatically enhances Sites with weather, emissions, and utility territory data
  • Simplified Auth: Manage all your API keys and authentication in one secure location
  • Single API Key: Use your Texture API key instead of managing multiple service credentials

Getting Started​

Before you begin integrating with the hackathon partner APIs, you'll need to:

  1. Sign up for a Texture account
  2. Create an Organization
  3. Configure each partner API integration

Step 1: Sign Up for Texture​

  1. Visit dashboard.texturehq.com and click "Sign Up"
  2. Complete the registration process with your email address
  3. Verify your email address through the confirmation link

Step 2: Create an Organization​

  1. After logging in, you'll be prompted to create a new Organization
  2. Name your Organization (e.g., "SF Climate Hackathon 2025")
  3. Complete the organization setup process

Note: Texture will automatically create "production" and "sandbox" Workspaces for you when you sign up. You can create additional Workspaces later if needed.

Step 2a: Invite Team Members​

  1. After creating your Organization, consider inviting your team members:
    • Click on the Organization Settings in the Dashboard
    • Select "Team Members"
    • Use the "Invite" button to add team members by email
    • Set appropriate permission levels for each team member

Step 3: Navigate to the Apps Page​

  1. In the left sidebar, click on "Apps"
  2. You'll see the available integrations, including Bayou Energy, Shovels, and Palmetto's Energy Intelligence

Configuring Hackathon Partner Integrations​

Bayou Energy Integration​

Bayou Energy provides access to utility bill and meter interval data, giving you insights into energy consumption patterns.

To set up Bayou Energy integration:

  1. Obtain your Bayou Energy API credentials:

  2. Configure in Texture:

    • Navigate to Apps → Bayou Energy in your Texture Dashboard
    • Enter your Bayou Energy API key
    • Click "Save" to activate the integration

Once configured, Texture will:

  • Automatically import utility bill and meter interval data
  • Link the data to corresponding Sites in your Workspace
  • Make the data accessible via the Texture API and Dashboard

Note: Texture pulls data from Bayou Energy approximately every 15 minutes, so if a Site does not appear immediately after authorization, please wait a few minutes. We are working on making this process real-time in a future update, but for now there may be a short delay before new data appears.

Shovels Integration​

Shovels provides permit data for residential and commercial buildings, allowing you to track and monitor permitting status.

To set up Shovels integration:

  1. Obtain your Shovels API credentials:

  2. Configure in Texture:

    • Navigate to Apps → Shovels in your Texture Dashboard
    • Enter your Shovels API key
    • Click "Save" to activate the integration

  3. Important: Create Sites First

    • Since Shovels has nationwide coverage, Texture doesn't automatically create Sites from Shovels data
    • You must first create the Sites you want to fetch permit data for (via Dashboard, REST API, or Connect flow)
    • Once a Site exists, Texture will fetch and associate relevant permit data with it

Once configured, Texture will:

  • Fetch permit data related to your existing Sites
  • Provide permit status, details, and history
  • Display permit information in the Texture Dashboard's "Permits" tab and make it available via API

Note: Not every Site will have permit data available. Shovels has data for permits issued in the last decade, so if a Site shows "No permits," it may simply mean there are no recent permits for that location rather than indicating an issue with the integration.

Palmetto's Energy Intelligence Integration​

Palmetto's Energy Intelligence provides detailed energy modeling for Sites, offering insights into energy usage patterns and efficiency opportunities.

To set up Palmetto's Energy Intelligence integration:

  1. Obtain your Palmetto API credentials:

  2. Configure in Texture:

    • Navigate to Apps → Palmetto's Energy Intelligence in your Texture Dashboard
    • Enter your Palmetto API key
    • Click "Save" to activate the integration

  3. Important: Create Sites First

    • Similar to Shovels, you must first create the Sites you want to analyze
    • Create Sites via the Dashboard, REST API, or Connect flow
    • Once a Site exists, Texture will fetch and associate energy modeling data with it

Once configured, Texture will:

  • Import energy modeling data for your existing Sites
  • Provide disaggregated energy usage information
  • Make the data accessible via the Texture API and Dashboard

Creating and Managing Sites​

To take full advantage of these integrations, you'll need to create Sites in Texture. Each Site represents a physical location that will be enriched with data from the hackathon partner APIs.

Creating a Site​

  1. In the Texture Dashboard, click on "Sites" in the left sidebar
  2. Click the "+ Add Site" button
  3. Enter the Site address (must be a U.S. address for full functionality)
  4. Click "Create Site"

Texture will automatically:

  • Geocode the address
  • Determine the utility territory and ISO
  • Fetch weather and carbon emissions data
  • Pull in data from your configured App integrations (Bayou Energy, Shovels, and Palmetto's Energy Intelligence)

Retrieving Site Data via API​

You can access all the Site data, including information from the hackathon partner APIs, through the Texture REST API:

GET https://api.texturehq.com/v1/sites/{id}?include=weather,permits,statements,intervals,energy-modeling

This will return a comprehensive data package including:

  • Site details and location information
  • Weather data (available by default)
  • Permit data from Shovels (if available)
  • Utility statements and intervals from Bayou Energy (if available)
  • Energy modeling data from Palmetto (if available)

Need Help?​

If you encounter any issues or have questions during the hackathon:

  • Meet Victor, Co-founder and CTO of Texture, in-person at the AWS loft
  • Join the Hackathon Slack where you'll find Victor and Texture employees
  • Use the live chat in the Texture Dashboard to connect directly with Texture engineers

Good luck with your hackathon project! We're excited to see what you build using Texture and our partner APIs.