TEA-LP celebrates its first industry webinar: Powering the Future

On Wednesday 20 November, the Transforming Energy Access – Learning Partnership hosted an industry webinar titled “Powering the Future: The Integration of AI and Smart Grids in the Internet of Energy”. The webinar was well-attended by a diverse audience that included academics, students, professionals working in the energy and off-grid energy sectors, entrepreneurs, and others; and focused on forward-thinking innovations that are currently taking not only the energy sector by a storm, but most industries around the world.

The webinar explored topics pertaining to artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), big data and data analytics, and the Internet of Things (IoT) in the context of energy systems, with a particular focus on renewable energy. With the rapid rate of technological advancements, especially in the fields of AI, ML, big data, and renewable energy, it can be easy to feel left behind or out of the loop with the latest developments, making this webinar the perfect platform for our audience to learn about the innovations, opportunities, and challenges from some of the leading authorities in these fields.

The webinar, led by Kai Forster and Mascha Moorlach of TEA-LP, was co-hosted by three expert speakers – Ing. Addo Kwabena, Ing. Adekoyejo Kuye, and Ing. Arina Anisie. Ing. Kwabena is a senior lecturer at the Kumasi Technical University in Ghana, as well as an expert in the fields of machine learning and renewable energy, having dedicated much of his career in pursuit of furthering the knowledge within these fields. He is a well-known face within the TEA-LP network having contributed at the Course Uptake Workshop in Nairobi in 2023, the Energy Access Investment Forum (EAIF) in Lagos in 2024, and the recent Mini-Grids Training Workshop in Kigali. Additionally, he was also a content expert for a Continuing Professional Development (CPD) course that TEA-LP designed, developed, and delivered earlier this year, titled Integrated Data Energy Analytics (IDEA). Ing. Kwabena led an informative session during the webinar where he focused on the nexus between AI/ML, big data, smart grids, and renewable energy, and went on to explain how the renewable energy sector could be enhanced through the implementation of smart grid infrastructure, AI, ML, and the Internet of Energy (IoE). Ing. Kwabena’s presentation left a notable impact on audience members, with one of them asking for advice on how to pursue the same career path as Ing. Kwabena having come from a similar background in electrical engineering.

Ing. Adekoyejo Kuye of Nigeria is a clean energy specialist and director of Kamim Technologies Ltd, a Nigerian engineering, procurement, and construction company with core competencies in renewable energy applications. Ing. Koye was another expert speaker for the webinar and addressed the possibilities of harnessing smart grids and artificial intelligence in the renewable energy sector, and how their implementation can help unlock opportunities for energy access and economic growth, particularly in emerging economies. Ing. Kuye drew on his extensive experience working in the field in developing countries, and offered some valuable insights into how economic growth can be stimulated through the implementation of smart grids and AI, while drawing on a fascinating case study looking at the SoCool project, an AI-powered cooling solution designed for the agricultural sector. Ing. Kuye, like Ing. Kwabena, was also a contributing content expert for TEA-LP’s CPD course IDEA, where he developed and delivered a module on future trends and advanced topics, looking at some of the latest technological advancements that are likely to shape the future landscape of the energy and off-grid energy sectors.

Lastly, Ing. Arina Anisie of Romania – an energy analyst working for the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) – concluded the webinar presentation while speaking about the role of digitalisation in the energy transition. Ing. Anisie drew on extensive research that she has conducted with IRENA, sharing valuable insights into some of the reports that she has been involved with publishing, including looking at some of the emerging innovations for the integration of solar and wind power, the challenges and obstacles that need to be overcome in the digitalisation of the energy sector, and the application of the Internet of Things, AI, and big data. She stressed that these innovations go beyond just technology, hardware, and software, but extend into other areas such as the business models, market design, and system operations to form real, on-the-ground solutions.

The webinar concluded with a Q&A session, where participants had the opportunity to engage with the speakers and the TEA-LP host team. We appreciate the encouraging feedback that we have received so far and look forward to hearing your thoughts on the webinar and suggestions you might have for future webinar topics.

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We would also like to extend our thanks to our funders, who made this webinar possible through funding by UK aid from the UK government via the Transforming Energy Access platform.