An Austrian-based tech startup has been utilizing AI to provide a smoother and more stable power supply, as renewable energy quickly becomes the preferred power source for nations.
As Europe increases its green energy capacity by installing wind turbines and solar panels, challenges have emerged due to the weather dependency of these sources. Even small fluctuations -- a cloud blocking the sun or a brief period of too little wind -- can destabilize power networks.
However, these problems can be mitigated with intelligent management. Clemens Wasner, founder of the AI Enlite, uses AI learning to stabilize power grids, and the system can react faster and evaluate more options than operators switching the grid manually.
"In case a blackout might happen, our solution can go 60 percent longer than, let's say, normal manual switching," said Wasner.
The AI agent can predict overloads and suggests the fastest way to restore balance. Wasner gave a demonstration from his computer desk.
"This part of the grid is overloaded, so it is telling you if you switch these three stations, the overload here and here will vanish. It's a little bit like traffic routing," he said.
So far, the company has worked with power grid operators in France and the Netherlands. Wasner said he hopes more countries will embrace his AI solution to strengthen the resilience of their electricity networks, noting that he learned much of his foundational knowledge from Chinese experts.
"I spent 10 years in Asia, a long time also in Beijing in China, and I saw how AI is picking up in China. So, when I returned to Austria in 2016, the idea was to create a company that is applying and rolling out AI to real-world use cases," the tech-startup founder said.
Austrian startup leverages AI to stabilize green-energy power supply
