AI can help manage power sector complexity as renewables grow: IEA expert

Integration of AI can help manage complexities in the power sector, including in India, where the share of renewables is expected to grow in the years to come, an expert from the International Energy Agency (IEA) said.

"...We are seeing a very strong trend of increasing complexity of the energy sector at large, specifically the electricity systems. So why is it becoming more complex? One is that in general the electrification is rising," Siddharth Sigh of IEA said while speaking at the AI Impact Summit in the national capital.

During a panel discussion on Monday on AI for Power -- Accelerating the Clean Energy Transition -- the energy expert said, the end use of energy is more compared to other fuels.

 

There is greater variable renewable electricity for the system, which was never the case in the past.

Most of the other sources of electricity were stable, that is no longer the case. Now with solar and wind, the share of variable renewables is expected to be sizeable by the end of this decade. This is a massive jump of variable electricity in the system.

Battery is to manage that, flex the variability and there are new types of markets.

"Another major trend is that now we have long-term goals that never existed in the past... Now you need something that is more automated and this is where it comes in," he said.

"For India improved forecasting variable electricity generation is a critical aspect. For solar and wind you need minute by minute (tracking) or by understanding of cloud-covered in the specific location... Those are the types of solutions that will be more relevant for India," Singh added.