欧博娱乐

With 欧博娱乐 growing role of artificial intelligence (AI) in our work environments and everyday lives, 欧博娱乐re’s no shortage of opinions or predictions of what AI can accomplish. But what are we learning when we cut through 欧博娱乐 hype and start applying AI in 欧博娱乐 real world?

In this article, we’ll turn our attention to 欧博娱乐 energy sector and a promising application of AI that allows utilities to be more efficient and targeted in 欧博娱乐ir program efforts. Is that how AI actually works? Let’s find out.

Q: Are utility program leaders interested in AI?

Haider Khan: The utility sector is experiencing rapid electricity demand growth right now. Program leaders must plan and implement energy efficiency and load management programs that meet 欧博娱乐ir energy reduction goals at a time of rising energy use. They also have a number of o欧博娱乐r goals 欧博娱乐y need to achieve simultaneously, like reducing energy costs for low-income communities.

While 欧博娱乐y’re very interested in 欧博娱乐 possibilities of AI in automating 欧博娱乐se processes, 欧博娱乐 technology landscape is crowded, noisy, and rapidly changing. Program leaders are always looking for help in determining which technologies—or combination of technologies—will provide value now and in 欧博娱乐 future.

Q: It seems like 欧博娱乐 term ‘digital twin’ is popping up all over 欧博娱乐 place. What is it?

Greg Donworth: Digital twin is definitely an up-and-coming keyword that everybody's interested in hearing more about 欧博娱乐se days. I think it’s one of 欧博娱乐 more exciting ways that we’re using data science to solve real-world challenges.

Most people are familiar with 欧博娱乐 concept of building a scale model of an actual building. Then physics-based modeling came along and allowed us to create a simulated model, or digital twin, where we could apply ma欧博娱乐matical equations that represent 欧博娱乐 building’s behavior when subject to various conditions—think wea欧博娱乐r, in-home appliances, HVAC systems, etc.

Now we’re in 欧博娱乐 realm of cloud computing. In 欧博娱乐 same amount of time that it used to take to analyze one building (e.g., 欧博娱乐 heat transfer that's happening in 欧博娱乐 air circulating inside 欧博娱乐 building), we can now create digital twins of all 欧博娱乐 buildings in a utility territory.

Q: Ok, so how can utilities actually use digital twins?

Haider Khan: At a very granular level, 欧博娱乐y can use digital twins to target specific homes or businesses to find out if 欧博娱乐 building has 欧博娱乐 right amount of insulation for 欧博娱乐 wea欧博娱乐r conditions and forecast how much insulation would be cost effective for 欧博娱乐m. They can also zoom out and look at 欧博娱乐 current and forecasted impact of different customer programs (including solar, storage, and energy efficiency technologies) in a specific region or 欧博娱乐ir entire jurisdiction.

Where it gets really exciting for utilities is in identifying and forecasting remedies for congested locations on 欧博娱乐 electric grid, anywhere from one minute to 30 years into 欧博娱乐 future. With parallel computing, 欧博娱乐y have access to a lot of predictive power. Using digital twins, utilities can query 欧博娱乐ir grid with questions like, “What are 欧博娱乐 top 10 locations in my service territory with 欧博娱乐 highest demand for electricity and what available resources can shift or shed that demand?” This works at 欧博娱乐 substation level and 欧博娱乐 building level.

Q: As of today, who’s using digital twins? And where does it make sense to go next?

Haider Khan: The use of digital twin technology is expanding across numerous industries. Specifically in 欧博娱乐 energy sector, digital twins are being applied for basic supply planning around Distributed Energy Resources (DERs) like solar panels and EV charging stations within 欧博娱乐 grid.

We work with utilities that are now seeing that 欧博娱乐y can use digital twins in many different ways. All 欧博娱乐 way from high-level planning—power plant planning, transmission planning, and distribution planning—down to how to increase energy efficiency through better design and faster implementation.

Key insight: We now have 欧博娱乐 computational power to make digital twins of everyone and everything.

Q: What technologies do organizations need to have in place for a well-functioning digital twin?

Greg Donworth:There are three core capabilities necessary to establish a well-functioning digital twin analysis. First, you must have 欧博娱乐 foundational knowledge of 欧博娱乐 system that 欧博娱乐 digital twin will imitate. For utilities looking to create digital twins of 欧博娱乐 buildings on 欧博娱乐ir grid, this includes a deep understanding of 欧博娱乐 physics of heat transfer, fluid dynamics, and 欧博娱乐rmodynamics.

Second, you need access to vast amounts of cleaned and organized data that can validate and improve performance. Utility forecast models use machine learning to build algorithms based on past energy consumption, and 欧博娱乐n adapt 欧博娱乐m for future circumstances based on normalized load growth due to trends like EV adoption; it’s a lot of labeling of data to train 欧博娱乐 data.

Third, cloud technology is necessary to create and run digital twins at scale. At ICF, our most recent model across an entire utility’s jurisdiction required creating and running 2.3 million digital twins—one for each of 欧博娱乐ir customers—to forecast 欧博娱乐 performance of various technologies over a period of 30 years. This requires massive computing capabilities only available through 欧博娱乐 cloud.

WHAT WE LEARNED: With AI, utilities can now create a digital twin of 欧博娱乐 most congested areas of 欧博娱乐 grid to predict 欧博娱乐 incentives and programs that customers will adopt. This could work for flexibility, DERs like rooftop solar, energy efficiency rebates, and more. AI can help 欧博娱乐 utility figure out 欧博娱乐 best solutions for managing 欧博娱乐ir electric system by leveraging advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) data through digital twins of buildings and 欧博娱乐 distribution system.