AI for data analyzing and decision making

Artificial Intelligence (AI), along with a slide of advanced technologies such as machine learning, deep learning, and advanced neural networks, has demonstrated huge potential to transform the energy and utilities sector. In the energy sector, AI can enable fast and intelligent decision-making, leading to increased grid flexibility and integration of variable renewable energy (VRE). The combination of big data with artificial intelligence (AI) has emerged as one of the most important developments in the energy sector.

Technical solutions may include energy management systems, e.g. for grid operation, automated demand control and other smart control systems; automatic control of HVAC and energy storage systems; learning thermostats, re-powered home appliances with digital controls, etc.  The proposed solution can be applied for improving renewable energy integration in the grid;  Smart Grids and maintaining their  stability and reliability; Improving demand forecast; Ensuring efficient demand-side management; Optimizing energy storage operations by operating energy storage systems (e.g. large-scale batteries, aggregated small batteries) technologies in a more efficient way; Avoiding failures in energy supply by smart preventive maintenance and pick demand management.

e.g.  BeeBryte - Energy Intelligence - https://www.beebryte.com

Advances and innovations in materials science and engineering have always played a substantial role in civil engineering, building structural design, and construction. Smart materials are used in the built environment and can be defined as those producing specific functional and adaptable properties in response to thermal, optical, structural, and environmental stimuli. The internet of things (IoT) uses real-time data to optimise the building design, improve construction processes, and manage building operations in order to limit the environmental impact of buildings and enhance sustainability.

Technological Solutions may include dropping data into their existing architecture whether its PostgreSQL, SQL, MongoDB, or Cassandra because it’s what they have. Others are looking at AWS Green Grass, DynamoDB, Kafka, Spark, and MQTT. 

e. g. Lunera - https://www.linkedin.com/company/lunera-lighting ;  Intellihot - https://intellihot.com

Heating and cooling technologies that are/or energy efficient and supplied from renewable sources

About 80 percent of global energy consumption today is still fossil-fuel based, the energy sector alone accounts for two-third of the total annual global greenhouse gas emissions. Heating and cooling account for about half total global final energy demand. Clean heating and cooling provide opportunities to save money, reduce dependence on fossil fuels, reduce priority pollutant emissions, and help reduce greenhouse gas emissions by switching to clean energy sources.

Technical solutions may include combined cooling, heating and power generation (trigeneration); Solar thermal (e.g. rooftop); Biogas/biofuel (including blending with natural gas); Solar home systems - PV and thermal; micro-scale trigeneration and combined heat and power etc; Heat pumps; Geothermal energy. The proposed solution can be applied for heating and cooling commercial and residential areas, as well as for household appliances, including laundry, cooling and refrigeration, as well as combined with Energy Demand Management (see below).

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e.g.  African Clean Energy - https://africancleanenergy.com

Hydrogen technology has a huge potential for the decarbonisation of the industry, transport and energy sectors. It allows completely emission-free production, storage and utilisation of energy. This technology has tremendous value in achieving the global environment and climate objectives. The International Energy Agency (IEA) recently published a report naming hydrogen a large-scale decarbonisation enabler. It claims that we should tap into this technology now, describing 2020 as a year of 'unprecedented momentum' for hydrogen.

Technical Solutions may include hydrogen energy generation / electrolysis; Hydrogen based  energy storage systems; Hydrogen Fuel Cells; The proposed solution can be applied  solutions for the mobile hydrogen stations, safety and risk mitigation solutions,  etc. The proposed solution can be applied in transport, including aviation, buses , trains and passenger cars; energy generation and consumption for domestic and industrial use, etc. 

A microgrid is a small-scale power grid that can operate independently or collaboratively with other small power grids. Any small-scale, localized power station that has its own generation and storage resources and definable boundaries can be considered a microgrid. Microgrids are typically renewable wind and solar energy resources supported by generators and are often used to provide backup power or supplement the main power grid during periods of heavy demand. In order to create microgrids which are financially self-sustaining the business model needs to go beyond access to energy and identify value addition that facilitates sustainable development.

Technical Solutions may include renewable electricity production (biomass, hydro, geothermal, solar and wind); digital energy management systems; conversion of biomass to fuels (biogas/biofuel); blockchain enabled peer-to-peer energy trading. The proposed solution can be applied for household energy/electricity supply - for lighting, cooking, phone charging and refrigeration; electricity services for schools and health facilities; processing and cold storage for agribusiness supply chains; telecommunications services (powering telecom towers); electric vehicle charging (e.g. 2 and 3 wheelers, light duty vehicles and watercraft).

e.g SOLshare- https://www.me-solshare.com ;  Teraloop - https://www.teraloop.org

Designing for a better environment is not just making building using less energy, but we should focus on user less material in the construction phase. Better design uses less raw materials, uses materials with less energy during manufacturing, uses materials with a small global footprint (buy local), uses reusable materials without the costs of recycling.

Technological Solutions may include Plant-based Polyurethane Rigid Foam, Cool Roofing, straw insulation, 3D printing, etc..

e.g. Design for the environment - https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/materials-science/design-for-environment The Costs of Recycling http://large.stanford.edu/courses/2012/ph240/micks2/