Researchers from UEL (Londrina State University) are leading an AI (artificial intelligence) project to promote sustainability and technological innovation. The goal, according to professors Bruno Zarpelão and Sylvio Junior, both from the Computer Science Department of the Center for Exact Sciences, is to program a machine to collect information from the campus's photovoltaic plant to help manage the project's energy production.
“Every 15 minutes, the system collects data on the plant’s operation and stores it in a bank. Cross-referencing with other parameters, such as meteorological conditions, solar radiation levels, ambient temperature, period of the year, among others, makes it possible to predict the energy generation capacity, for example, for 24 hours and even a week”, explained Zarpelão.
According to the professor, this indicator is important because photovoltaic energy depends on radiation from the Sun. Furthermore, he highlighted that AI algorithms can also diagnose abnormal behavior.
“When we have real behavior deviating from the indicator, artificial intelligence will be able to compare the two automatically and alert us that something is wrong, since the energy generated is different”, he explained.
Artificial intelligence
For researchers, algorithmic systems are becoming increasingly important in various aspects of society, impacting people’s daily lives. “Human beings are still a fundamental part of this entire process. Many consider artificial intelligence as a substitute, and I would say that AI is a great support. People’s knowledge, creativity, and even ability to improvise are fundamental. And the human agent is central to all decision-making processes,” stated Bruno Zarpelão.
Student highlights project sustainability
The research project involves students from the postgraduate program in computer science and electrical engineering. “Our goal is to make the system available for greater management capacity of the resources provided by the plant, as well as to reduce costs related to electricity consumption,” emphasized student Ricardo Petri.
