Man-made climate change is an undeniable fact, and the need to mitigate its damage is all too real. We need to make drastic changes in the\u00a0next 12 yearsto prevent climate disasters and reach our goal of restricting an increase in global temperature to\u00a01.5 degrees Celsius. Time is of the essence, and that\u2019s where AI comes in.<\/p>\n
\u201cAI can make it much cheaper and much faster to analyze consumption data to find patterns that you can use to lower and make your energy use more efficient,\u201d Henrik Brink told TNW at\u00a0North Star AI\u00a0in Estonia.<\/p>\n
That\u2019s why Brink founded\u00a0Ento Labs, which helps companies and homes achieve better energy efficiency using AI \u2014 saving money and the environment.<\/p>\n
\u201cEnergy efficiency is the only really direct way of lowering emissions,\u201d says Brink. \u201cAnd according to our initial research, there\u2019s a huge opportunity for lowering emissions. There\u2019s so many low hanging fruits of companies and industries that can be optimized a lot.\u201d<\/p>\n
Brink points out that the need for energy worldwide will skyrocket, if we continue on our path of electrifying more parts of our energy usage. Electrifying allows us to cut down direct emissions which is extremely important, but we need to couple that with energy efficiency to keep the indirect emissions of electricity production low. Basically, we need to\u00a0optimize energy efficiency, which is AI\u2019s forte.<\/p>\n
Brink and his team created \u2018Ento AI\u2019 to help companies forecast their consumption and plan accordingly. The tool recommends specific energy efficiency initiatives \u2014 some in real-time \u2014 based on environmental impact and return on investment. Cynics could point out this is the \u2018money-making way\u2019 to save the climate, but realistically speaking, it could be the best way to get major businesses and industries to rethink their emissions.<\/p>\n
Optimizing energy efficiency with AI can be an incredibly complex matter, but one of its simpler examples is choosing\u00a0when<\/i>\u00a0to use energy. A big part of future energy grids is\u00a0batteries, which can be used to store excess energy, and mitigate the variable output of renewables such as solar and wind. AI is essential in making these systems work, as it\u2019s fast enough to observe a myriad of variables, and make real-time adjustments to ensure the least polluting energy source is always chosen.<\/p>\nGetting data to go green<\/b><\/h2>\n
Using AI to increase energy efficiency and reduce emissions is an incredibly promising approach, but it hinges on the availability of data \u2014 the lifeblood of AI.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe key is\u00a0good<\/i>\u00a0data, because if you just have data, you have to spend a lot of time cleaning it. That\u2019s usually what you have to do for a company, as many have old databases scattered around in various places,\u201d explains Brink. \u201cYou can\u2019t just take it and use it.\u201d<\/p>\n
This problem also exists in our larger grids. Smart meters are becoming more common, giving infinitely better insights than manually checking them a couple of times a year. However, in most cases, this data is locked up or not gathered centrally, making AI optimization much harder.<\/p>\n
\u201cCentralized data hubs really allow us to build these models with one format. That\u2019s what makes it scalable, and if it\u2019s not scalable, it won\u2019t have a meaningful impact,\u201d says Brink.<\/p>\n
Companies like Google are already\u00a0using AI-based energy solutions\u00a0for their servers, but if we\u2019re to apply AI solutions on a bigger scale, we\u2019ll need better data to support innovation by AI startups and companies.<\/p>\n
A handful of countries in Europe \u2014 like Denmark, where Ento Labs is based \u2014 provide companies and researchers with the opportunity to access energy consumption data to benefit the environment and consumers. More countries need to catch up on the fact that changing the way they handle data could be a step towards achieving emission goals \u2014 allowing AI to find solutions we haven\u2019t already.<\/p>\n
Brink believes that this is only the beginning of AI\u2019s role in cutting down emissions and finding more sustainable ways for energy consumption.<\/p>\n
\u201cAI will help plan future rates and future energy production, so that it will become cleaner. And the only way it can do that is if you understand the consumption in a very detailed way,\u201d Brink explains.<\/p>\n
With current climate models, we need to have net zero\u00a0carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions by 2050, and\u00a0almost<\/i>\u00a0net zero a whole lot earlier. We can achieve that by eating less meat, using renewable energy, and cuting down on plastic and single-use products \u2014 as well as running initiatives for proper data curation. It\u2019s our shared responsibility to use all the tools at our disposal to mitigate climate change, and AI is one of them.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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