Artificial intelligence (AI) is a powerful business tool that gives utilities the ability to make data-informed decisions. Sophisticated AI algorithms analyze data, identify trends, and notify you of potential problems before they become a crisis — and they do it faster than any human ever could. That’s why when it comes to solutions for reducing carbon emissions, employing AI-powered carbon emission control technologies is key.
Here are a few ways in which utilities can use AI technologies to reduce carbon dioxide emissions.
AI-driven predictive maintenance reduces emissions
AI can optimize equipment maintenance by shifting the emphasis from preventative to predictive maintenance. Preventative maintenance is done on set schedules, whether it’s needed or not.
AI-driven predictive maintenance, on the other hand, considers the age of the equipment, how much it’s been used, the operating conditions, and data generated by the equipment itself (both current and historical) to create an individualized plan for each specific piece of equipment.
You can even use AI to analyze images captured by unmanned drones as they conduct inspections of transformers, lines, and other energy infrastructure — the AI can spot potential or emerging issues, allowing repairs to be made before there’s an outage.
AI-driven predictive maintenance is a low carbon emission technology that reduces greenhouse gases across the entire value chain. It eliminates unnecessary maintenance and the emissions associated with manufacturing, transporting, and installing equipment simply because the schedule says it’s time to do so.
AI optimizes the grid
When it comes to solutions to carbon emissions, the integration of zero-emissions technologies like wind, solar, and energy storage are the gold standard — but thanks to their intermittent nature, they are not without their challenges. AI platforms can help you to manage the growing number of renewable and distributed energy resources (DERs) connecting to the grid.
For example, utilities and grid operators are increasingly creating AI-managed virtual power plants (VPPs), which are a collection of DERs that are pooled together into a single dispatchable power resource. VPPs can include traditional fossil fuel power plants, wind, solar, and energy storage systems. The resources are all controlled remotely from a central location by software that monitors the energy mix in real time, providing reliable electric power, 24/7.
Read more about VPPs in our blog post, “How Virtual Power Plants Are Reshaping the Grid.”
VPPs save utilities from having to build new, costly fossil fuel-fired power plants to meet increased demand, and they ease the integration of renewables into the grid, making VPPs interesting carbon emissions law compliance solutions.
Green Mountain Power in Vermont and the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) are investing in virtual power plants for these reasons. Both will use the solar energy stored in customers’ Tesla Powerwalls to provide backup power to homes and the grid during outages.
AI: the driving force behind many carbon emissions technologies
The Biden Administration wants the power sector to be carbon-pollution free by 2035, and everything from carbon emissions capture technology to the forecasting software used to predict demand can benefit from AI.
Contact us to learn how our AI-powered solutions can help you reduce emissions and optimize your utility’s operations.