Past event Summary: [Bangkok AI] Meetup#8 “AI in Energy”
It was likely to silent if we talk about creating just an AI for 50 years ago.
But now, everything has changed. By computing, storage, large data and resources that we have never seen before, AI nowadays has been rapidly growing. Each sector is disrupted by AI. Even energy is unexceptional.
I attended as volunteer to AI in Energy event, powered by PTT, ExpresSO and Bangkok AI. They had discussed how AI will impact energy sector. There are numerous impressive and surprising topics that could break them down into 5 parts below.
1. Smart Energy is originated by users’ behavior
2. Blockchain is going to be main tool in modern energy platform
3. IoT + AI = Smart living.
4. Robotic & Renewable energy are blue ocean of Thailand industrial transformation.
5. New challenge for AI in energy sector
1. Smart Energy is originated by users’ behavior.
Do you think how much you spend time at home and how much you use electricity? Some might say only at night, some might say all day. We have unlikely time to turn on our energy. It’s individual behavior. So the way to see how pattern of energy usage is collecting behavior as data. After that, pushing them into energy platform.
- Blockchain/DLT: Peer-to-Peer, Sharable energy usage. Resulting in an individual profile of energy spending in each building. Then pushing them into AI/ML
- AI/ML: extracting those data and looking deeply to see pattern and forecasting possible demand in future. Moreover, AI can see which factors would affect the pattern. Home has been spending electricity more holiday than working day for example.
2. Blockchain is going to be main tool in modern energy platform
Traditional energy production has a central supply and is one-way communication. Supplier selling electricity to their customers, customers only consume them. On the other hand in a modern way is going to be distributed, prosumers could both consume and produces electricity. They can share and sell energy not only with supplier but also with other customers.
For instance, Two buildings have their own Solar Cell. In a month, They both buy 30% from supplier. But they realize that if they share energy with each other, they would never buy any electricity. Because they have peak and period usage in different time. First building behavior may use extremely in holiday but less in working day. On contrary, the second one uses less in holiday but more in working day.
3. IoT + AI = Smart living.
If all devices in your home could automatically control themselves. Internet of Thing is small device embedded into appliances such as refrigerator and air conditioner. IoT is controlling equipment and data collecting at the same time. We can extract data from IoT to analyzing home behavior for AI. AI will play role in control whole process as best performance.
Imagine that you do nothing from open the door till your bedroom. The door would open for you by sensor’s detection. The light will turn on the only area that you are. Air conditioner automatedly adjusts the temperature. As a consequence, cost reduction and proper energy consumption.
Challenge is how to build adaptive framework that could adjust to every building. — Dr.Warodom Khamphanchai
If only AI can’t control everything, break the tasks and assign them to each AI.
Everything has their own group. Light, air conditioner, etc. instead we let just one AI control them all, group them and assign just an AI for a group. We call it agents, one agent response to the only group of equipment. Each agents will communicate with each other to build whole automation process in a home.
4. Robotic & Renewable energy are blue ocean of Thailand industrial transformation.
Robotic is going to transform Thai industry. There are only 15% of factories that is full automation system. 85% are waiting for adoption. Looking nearly, China has developed automagical process by robot for 500% since 2012. Additionally, In Asia has already improved automation process for 22%, India for 30%, Africa for 21%. Robotic will result in cost reduction by 20% — 30%. There are huge chances for Thailand. If we can’t catch up this moment, we would loss numerous competitive advantage.
If we couldn’t adopt robotic automation technology to Thai industry, our country is going to loss huge competitive advantage. — Dr. Pichairat Jiranunrat, PTT
Renewable energy was complex to control. There are unpredictable factors which couldn’t be done by human. For example, wind energy, wind speed, position, and temperature are crucial affection. They are likely to usually fluctuate.
Although renewable energy was hard to control, AI could affect and manage those tasks. Moreover, Renewable energy is alternative for Clean air, clean water, and clean world. Energy sector nowadays is going to be disrupted sooner or later.
Renewable energy absolutely comes sooner or later. Clean energy, low cost, better world are new light. Who won’t buy it. — Prof.Dr.Weerakorn Ongsakul, AIT
5. New challenge for AI in energy sector
The energy sector has the same problem like other sectors in way of AI. It’s human resource. Everyone has a perspective on energy as tedious and scary area. They like working for big data firm more than energy firm. Challenge is how energy sector disrupted themselves to catch up world trend. The first thing is acquiring “people” who are ready to energy adoption.
We have been in life long learning era. there is not as needed to start 1st grade till bachelor degree for some knowledge. — Mr. Jarun Ngamvirojcharoen, Sertis
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