Schools in sunny Georgia have the same problem as furniture stores in snowy Minnesota. When it gets hot or cold outside, both places have one way to make it comfortable inside: block the outside air and turn on the heating or air conditioning. Both of these solutions are energy eaters.
That was the case before. Now AI tools are helping them automate energy-saving strategies, including integrating fresh air and reducing airflow to empty rooms. “We’ve taken the complexity of building management – real-time tracking of weather, occupancy, air quality and equipment performance – and created a ‘smart energy’ autopilot that works in buildings of any size and is easy to use,” says 75F’s Dave Koerner.
The company’s tools are part of A new generation of artificial intelligence technologies, designed to help people save energy and expenses, which helps reduce greenhouse gas emissions and increase resilience to climate change.
The world must turn to a more sustainable future at a pace and scale never before seen, says Amy Luers of Sustainability Science and Innovation at Microsoft. AI can play a key role in driving this pace and scale, helping to reduce global emissions and achieve net zero emissions much faster.
According to the International Energy Agency, data centers that power AI consume resources such as energy and water, contributing less than 1% of global greenhouse gas emissions. However, the growth of AI and data centers in some regions may put a strain on local power grids and water systems. These facilities – like the rest of the world – should continue to develop their sustainable approach.
That’s why Microsoft is working to make its data centers and AI systems more energy and water efficient. The company is also using carbon-free energy and increasing access to it, reducing water loss in regions with fewer water resources and supporting local communities. Artificial intelligence can accelerate this work.
It’s impossible to predict exactly how AI will affect sustainability progress in the long run, but we do know that it has three skills that can be game-changers in helping society overcome obstacles on the road to net-zero greenhouse gas emissions. We just have to let them work – Amy Luers says.
Here are 3 ways artificial intelligence is helping our planet.
1. measuring, predicting and optimizing complex systems
The analytical power of artificial intelligence is becoming indispensable in addressing climate challenges that require embracing complex systems such as supply chains, electrical grids and atmospheric science. Its ability to detect patterns and predict outcomes in large data sets can lead to things like more accurate weather forecasts, reductions in water and methane leaks, and more resilient electrical grids with increased capacity.
In the 75F ecosystem, artificial intelligence drives tools that help schools, stores and offices manage complex heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems. Machine learning analyzes weather, building usage and sensor data to automatically adjust settings for comfort and energy savings.
AI tools have helped 75F customers save 42% on the energy consumption of HVAC systems in thousands of buildings around the world, according to customer metrics and a 3-year National Renewable Energy Laboratory study. Energy savings lead to lower greenhouse gas emissions. This technology, based on Azure AI, is supported in part by Microsoft’s “Breakthrough Energy Catalyst” grant, a program that invests in new climate technologies.
We often hear from customers, “I’m worried I’m messing something up.” We designed a complete solution around AI that removes the complexity between humans and the system to help them save energy and costs.
– Dave Koerner, VP Global Marketing at 75F
2. accelerate the development of sustainable solutions
Artificial intelligence is helping researchers accelerate the development of new sustainable solutions, which is usually a slow and expensive process. Recent discovery of a new battery material, which uses less lithium, has demonstrated the power of AI and high-performance computers (HCPs) in compressing research and development. Work that would have taken years was done in a few weeks. The extraction of lithium and its use in batteries has significant negative environmental and safety impacts.
AI is transforming materials research to lower the cost of renewable energy, increase decarbonization and reduce the carbon embedded in concrete and steel. Embodied carbon is a not-so-elegant term that refers to the greenhouse gas emissions generated when these materials were created, installed, maintained and removed.
To improve low-carbon and carbon-absorbing materials, non-profit climate technology investor Elemental Impact recently held a solutions competition that attracted AI experts from around the world. Winners will receive funded pilots, equity investment and other prizes.
We are seeing firsthand how AI can embolden technologies and innovations critical to building materials. We are excited about creating more opportunities to connect these promising solutions with the capital and customers they need to scale.
– Avra van der Zee, COO at Elemental Impact
Among the applications for the challenge is an AI platform that analyzes millions of concrete mixes to help customers choose a mix optimized for cost, carbon reduction and efficiency. Other applications use AI to explore new methods of reducing emissions in steelmaking and the best ways to add carbon-negative biomass into industrial materials.
AI can accelerate materials innovation. We are focusing on opportunities to support new ways to reduce carbon emissions across the materials value chain.
– James Lockyer, Portfolio Management Director at Climate Innovation Fund
The challenge, led by Elemental Impact together with French engineering group Bouygues and French IT and consulting firm Capgemini, is supported by the Microsoft Climate Innovation Fund, a $1 billion initiative to scale emerging climate technologies.
3. support a sustainable workforce
Employers and educators are already using AI to build the sustainable human resources needed to make faster progress toward climate goals. The number of climate-related jobs in sectors such as renewable energy, electric vehicles and carbon accounting has increased, but the number of skilled workers has lagged behind, according to the 2024 Global Green Skills Report by LinkedIn.
Amy Luers says AI has the potential to close skill gaps with training and information tools tailored to specific industries and skill levels. Microsoft is developing “AI Driven Apps” for farmers, such as Chatbot (an AI agent), which provides personalized, reliable and contextualized advice. Still other AI experts are creating tools to help people find and assimilate sustainability information even faster.
Artificial intelligence can play a transformative role. For example, AI-powered learning platforms can analyze someone’s existing skills, identify gaps and recommend a tailored learning plan.
– Amy Luers, Senior Global Director, Sustainability Science and Innovation at Microsoft.
To increase the pool of sustainability experts trained in AI, Microsoft is helping people acquire basic AI skills through its LinkedIn Learning platform. The Redmond giant has also launched a Green Digital Skills certification program with the INCO Academy training organization. It has already attracted 30,000 people from 140 countries.
This is just a small part of the efforts to control climate change in meaningful ways.
The world needs a workforce that can project and drive progress toward climate goals. AI can help expand and enhance human capabilities.
– Amy Luers, Senior Global Director, Sustainability Science and Innovation at Microsoft.
Learn more from our articles:
- 12 companies have joined Microsoft AI for Good to “make the world a better place”
- Microsoft will supply more water than it consumes by 2030
- Microsoft will become a zero-waste company by 2030.
- Microsoft’s artificial intelligence in the fight for the environment
Source: Microsoft Source
Author: Krzysztof Sulikowski
