Is AI the future of renewable solutions?
Technology is at the core of renewable systems. From the first solar cell invented in 1883 to heat pumps that are taking over the UK, advancements in tech are at the forefront of renewables and their rapid growth globally. Part of advancing technology is the utilisation of Artificial Intelligence, which is being utilised more and more in our everyday lives. Is AI being integrated more and more into renewable systems, and how can it make systems easier to diagnose and for customers to use?
How is AI used in renewable energy?
AI has made renewable systems smarter over the last few years, with the tech being integrated into system apps and the units themselves. A great example of this is Anker’s implementation of the technology. Their systems have AI built into the units to help consumers decide on the best time to buy and sell stored energy. The AI takes into account key information such as the historical energy consumption of the property, as well as energy usage patterns throughout days and even weeks. Check out our thoughts on the Anker Solix X1 in our YouTube video.
Using this information, homeowners are given information that suggests the best time to buy or sell their stored energy back to the grid. These are called smart tariffs and are becoming more popular. It has now got to the point where these AIs can buy and sell for you, when given the correct parameters, such as an upper limit.
Weather Forecasting is another use role of the emerging AI technology that is creating a positive impact on the renewables industry. AI analysis of complex variables of climate data, such as temperature and cloud coverage, reduces prediction errors by up to an impressive 30%. This is a vast improvement over older statistical systems that would only focus on a select few variables, leading to more inaccurate predictions.
Predictive maintenance is a huge benefit of AI integration into these systems. The use of sensors and AI machine learning identifies early signs of damage or wear and tear that could lead to the system not performing at its peak. This is used across things such as wind turbines and solar arrays.
With this useful implementation of AI into things such as battery storage, now is a great time to invest in renewables. They are saving homeowners money on their energy bills, and with grants and measures put in place through government initiatives, payback times are often shorter than you might first realise. If you want to learn more about the types of renewables available and how they can help you, get in touch with us and start your own renewables journey.
