Artificial intelligence is transforming our world. With capabilities that are constantly being enhanced, AI is disrupting industries and changing how we work, learn, and play. But one of the things we are most excited by at Budderfly is the way AI is aiding sustainability initiatives across the globe. 

New use cases are being discovered for AI every day, and this technology has the potential to have a huge impact on the planet. The application of AI could reduce worldwide greenhouse gas emissions by 4% in 2030, according to some estimates—an amount equivalent to the 2030 annual emissions of Australia, Canada and Japan combined. At the same time, using AI for environmental purposes could also boost the global economy by up to $5.2 trillion USD in 2030 and create 38.2 million net new jobs. Helping the planet and the economy is a win-win that Budderfly is super passionate about. 

In this blog post, we’re going to look more specifically at how AI is being used across the industry to help businesses improve their sustainability initiatives and reduce their carbon footprint, while also providing deep insights and operational benefits.  

1. Creating better measurement of energy consumption and emissions

AI technology can be used to get smarter, more accurate understandings of a company’s emissions and how much energy they’re consuming on average. This can help businesses have a better picture of their impact and create a true baseline by which to measure the success of carbon footprint reduction and energy saving efforts. 

2. Improving energy efficiency

AI is being used to improve efficiency and reduce waste. In fact, AI-enabled models can help businesses improve energy efficiency by 10-40%, according to a recent study. 

For example, smart meters measure a facility’s energy consumption and provide a lot of valuable insights. Smart meters are more accurate, and through automated readings, they can provide real-time data into energy consumption—not only to the utility company that charges you, but directly to customers as well. This facilitates a deeper understanding of when and how a location is consuming energy and insights about when energy usage is spiking or being used unnecessarily. 

These AI-powered tools can be used to monitor energy-consuming equipment such as commercial refrigerators or HVAC systems.  Smart energy monitoring software proactively identifies abnormalities, such as irregularly high consumption, to prevent costly breakdowns or inefficiencies. AI-enabled models can help businesses improve energy efficiency by 10-40%, according to a recent study. 

3. Managing supply and demand of energy

Virtual power plants can help make energy consumption flexible and responsive based on fluctuations in supply and demand, which can help reduce waste, energy costs, and emissions. Powered by AI, VPPs can use predictive and real-time data to optimize energy usage and renewable energy distribution. For example, AI tools can forecast where solar and wind power will be generated the most, or which areas will have the highest demand at a certain time. This can help enable the highest level of sustainability and savings.  

These are just a few examples of the ways artificial intelligence can be put to work to help improve sustainability and help reduce energy consumption and costs for businesses. At Budderfly, we’re on the forefront of sustainability, and constantly innovating new ways and developing new technologies to help businesses and the planet. To learn more about our suite of sustainable technology solutions , contact Budderfly today.