This webinar focuses on the challenge of building and connecting new infrastructure to our energy networks.

This was one of the grand decarbonisation challenges as outlined in the projects recent report.

Challenge Overview

This challenge relates to grand challenge 2 (GC2) Enabling Net Zero Infrastructure. Electrification of heating and transportation, combined with increased renewables mean we need both significant expansion of our electricity networks and ways to manage network constraints. Delivering at the required scale – and pace – is a real challenge, with lots of renewable generation being held up due to delays or uncertainty in network connections.

Webinar

The recording and further details of the event can be found below.

InfNZbwebinar

  • Title: AI for Energy Network Infrastructure
  • Presenter 1: Beth Warnock, Senior Power Systems Engineer, Energy Systems Catapult
  • Presenter 1 Bio: Beth is Energy System Catapult’s Senior Power Systems Engineer and will outline the core challenges, potential solutions for building new energy infrastructure on the networks, and how AI can support system operation
  • Presenters 2: Adam Anyszerski (Co-founder and CPO), Andreas Malekos (Head of AI), and Sam Watts (AI Engineer), Continuum Industries
  • Presenter 2 Bio: The team at Continuum Industries will be presenting their innovative platform which utilises AI to accelerate infrastructure planning, site selection and optioneering for energy infrastructure and grid connections.
  • Presenter 3: Shaun Hodge (Product Owner at Scottish and Southern Electricity)
  • Presenter 3 Bio: The team at SSEN Transmission will be discussing their ‘AI Feedback and Sentiment Analysis Tool’ a cutting-edge solution that has revolutionised how they analyse stakeholder feedback. The system processes vast volumes of public feedback quickly and accurately, reducing the time required for analysis from weeks to hours and minutes, to enable prompt stakeholder response and timely delivery.
  • Presenters 3: Dan Clarke (Head of Innovation at Energy Networks Association) and Ed Sharkey (Director, AI & Solutions at Baringa).

  • Presenter 3 Bios: Dan is Head of Innovation at ENA, and will be presenting their new AI-powered tool, which utilises installer images to streamline the approval process for domestic low-carbon technologies. Ed joined Baringa in 2020. He has extensive experience building AI-enabled solutions with clients across multiple industries and worked extensively on the ENA tool.

  • Date: 22nd January 2025
  • Talk Description This final ADViCE webinar considers how to best use AI to support the challenge of enabling the development of Net Zero infrastructure. To meet our green energy targets we’ll all be required to drive significant expansion and acceleration of both our electricity networks and increased renewable infrastructure connections. This webinar will discuss the challenges to build and connecting the assets required to meet Net Zero and some of the AI solutions which can be used to support this mission. We will also have presentations from Continuum Industries, Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks, the Energy Networks Association and Baringa, demonstrating innovative AI use cases from the energy sector.

Relevant Sub Challenges

This grand challenge has several related sub-challenges (a full list of which can be found in here, or in the appendix of the challenge report. The main problems include:

  • Challenge 6: Designing Optimal Network Plans
  • Challenge 7: Feasibility assessment for new renewable generation.
  • Challenge 8: Routing new network infrastructure
  • Challenge 9: Wind farm design
  • Challenge 10: Deploying new EV charge points
  • Challenge 11: Disaggregating network planning solutions
  • Challenge 12: Multi-sector coordination
  • Challenge 13: Connections Assessment and Approvals
  • Challenge 28: Network Modelling with Missing and Sparse Data
  • Challenge 42: Network Connections for Industrial Consumers

Updated: