AI could optimise power grids and reduce energy waste
Large AI models consume excessive energy, while application-specific algorithms offer significant sustainability benefits for power grid management.
AI could help make power grids cleaner and more efficient while reducing energy waste, even as data centres powering generative models consume increasing amounts of electricity. Researchers are exploring ways to balance these demands with optimisation techniques.
Accurate predictions of renewable energy availability using AI can help grid operators integrate solar and wind power more effectively. AI can solve complex optimisation problems, quickly and accurately managing power generation, battery use, and flexible loads.
Beyond real-time operations, AI can enhance grid planning and predictive maintenance, identifying potential faults before they lead to outages.
Application-specific AI models can support decarbonisation strategies and enable the integration of more renewable energy while keeping energy costs and environmental impacts in check.
Experts caution that not all AI development in the energy sector is equally beneficial. Large, general-purpose models are highly resource-intensive, whereas smaller, targeted models offer measurable advantages in terms of grid efficiency and sustainability.
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