For this challenge, we asked you to show off your hacks that power themselves sustainably from the environment around them. After all, nobody likes wires, and changing batteries is just a hassle . What’s better than an autonomous gizmo? Nothing.

Because this is Hackaday, we expected to see some finished-looking projects, some absolutely zany concepts, and basically everything in-between, and you did not disappoint! So without further ado, let’s have a look at the 2026 Green Powered Challenge winners, each of whom will be going on a $150 shopping spree at DigiKey, our contest’s sponsor.

LightInk Solar Watch

LightInk is a beautiful wristwatch , and e-ink is a natural companion to the small power budget that you get with a wrist-mounted solar panel. But don’t be fooled by its good looks! The real beauty of this hack is the way that [Daniel Ansorregui] crammed the screen-updating routine into the wakeup stub in the RTC peripheral.…