Energy Systems & Smart Grids

The energy transition is creating an electricity grid that is far more complex than the one it is replacing. Renewable energy sources like wind and solar are variable - they produce power when conditions are right, not necessarily when demand is highest. Managing a grid that balances variable generation, fluctuating demand, battery storage, electric vehicle charging, and distributed energy resources is a problem that is increasingly beyond traditional control systems. AI is becoming essential for forecasting renewable generation, predicting demand patterns, optimising energy storage, managing grid stability, and coordinating the millions of distributed devices that make up the modern energy system. AI also helps energy companies optimise trading, manage asset maintenance, and plan infrastructure investments. For consumers, AI-powered smart home systems can shift energy usage to times when power is cheapest and greenest. The stakes are high: reliable, affordable energy is foundational to everything else, and the complexity of managing the transition to clean energy is one of the most consequential optimisation problems AI is being asked to help solve.