Lecture 2 - AI-Driven Innovation: Shaping the Future of Energy System
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- Speaker: Prof. Alex Rogers - Department of Computer Science
Goals Established by Various Countries
- UK (2008): Aim to reduce carbon emissions by 80% (relative to 1990 levels) by 2050.
- US (2009): Focus on intelligent energy systems, clean power, and a hydrogen economy, integrating electricity and information flows in real time.
Efficient Energy Utilisation Strategies
- Heat pumps: Potential to increase efficiency by 300% to 500%.
- Vehicles: Electric vehicles exhibit higher efficiency compared to traditional petrol-powered vehicles.
New Resources
- Wind
- Solar
Compared to traditional energy sources, renewable energy forms such as wind and solar are less predictable. Consequently, AI plays a crucial role in forecasting these energy sources to optimise their utilisation.
Current Energy Landscape in the UK
Overall, the UK carbon intensity has declined from \(336 \text{g} CO_{2} / \text{kWh}\) in 2009 to \(246 \text{g} CO_{2} / \text{kWh}\) in 2025.
Coal, oil, and gas (open or closed cycle) exhibit higher carbon intensity, whereas hydro, nuclear, solar, and wind energy sources have zero carbon intensity during operation.
Natural gas is cleaner than coal and oil, as it generates more energy with lower emissions per unit mass.
The utilisation of nuclear power has generally declined over the past 15 years. In contrast, approximately 70% of France's energy is derived from nuclear power.
Wind energy generation has increased from nearly zero to a peak of 20 GW over the past 15 years.
Solar energy generation appears to have stabilised at an average level.
A notable observation is that carbon intensity typically rises from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m., before returning to its baseline level. However, it unexpectedly decreases at noon due to peak solar energy utilisation.
Smart Energy Devices
Smart energy devices autonomously optimise energy consumption by increasing usage during periods of cheaper and cleaner energy supply, and reducing consumption when conditions are less favourable.
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