The Journey and Vision Behind Reimagine Energy
Today’s issue marks a month since the first release of Reimagine Energy. We’ll take a break from the usual deep-dives as I share more about the motivation behind Reimagine Energy and the community that I plan to build around the newsletter.
Who am I?
Firstly, let me share a some info about the person behind the wheel: I'm an energy engineer by background, who over the years developed deep interest for data science applications in the energy field. That led me to pursue a Ph.D. that focused on researching the implementation of Machine Learning algorithms to improve energy efficiency in the built environment.
As of today, I’m working as Senior Data Scientist at Ento, where we're building an AI-powered energy optimization platform to decarbonize the buildings sector. For the past few years, I worked as an energy researcher and data scientist in academic and business settings. My investigations have focused on many different topics in the field, ranging from wider themes such as sustainable action plans at urban level, to specific, technical applications such as distributed energy resources management, or the evaluation and recommendation of energy efficiency projects through machine learning.
I recently found interest in sharing my ideas and insights with a broader audience of professionals in the fields of data science and energy, as well as anyone who may be curious about this world. Through this newsletter, I'd like to provide insights into innovative AI solutions that are being developed in the energy sector, and potentially help professionals interested in moving their first steps in this exciting field.
Why This, why Now
If you're reading this post, chances are you have some level of interest in the applications of AI within the energy sector. Over the last year, AI has made headlines and quickly become a part of our daily lives, with products like ChatGPT, which saw an incredibly steep rate of adoption since their release. Generative AI is disrupting the way we interact with two fundamental aspects of human civilization: language and images. These elements, each in their own unique way, allow us to convey ideas, emotions, and knowledge, fostering profound connections and interpretations of the world around us.
Energy, in its essence, is akin to these foundational elements. It is the invisible force that drives progress, innovation, and the very rhythm of daily life. Just as language and images have evolved through the ages — from the spoken word to written texts, and from rudimentary drawings to complex digital visuals — our use and understanding of energy have transformed dramatically. From the discovery of fire to harnessing the power of wind, water, and fossil fuels, and now the shift towards renewable resources, energy's evolution mirrors humanity's relentless pursuit of advancement.
From an economic standpoint, energy is a fundamental driver of growth in almost all sectors of modern economies. And although a number of countries have managed to decouple energy use from gross domestic product (GDP) growth1, there is still a very clear correlation between GDP and energy use per capita.
Over the last decades, wide access to electricity and increasing energy usage have translated into substantial quality-of-life improvements for a large part of the world population. At the same time, the growing energy needs of modern society are putting a strain on the planet’s resources. An alarming rise in greenhouse gas emissions, and increasingly frequent extreme weather events are becoming of great concern for scientists and policymakers worldwide. The scientific consensus is that we have but a narrow window before catastrophic consequences ensue, and the urgency of the situation is a call for us to find new ways of managing energy.
AI-powered solutions have the power to be one of the key breakthroughs we need to solve this extremely complex problem in the short time left. Investing in the right climate and energy solutions over the next decade might have a substantial impact on our fate as a species.
Behind Reimagine Energy is a desire to help readers gain a deeper understanding of how AI can be implemented to transform the energy sector and address many of the challenges it’s facing.
The Community
Word is when you start a Substack you are not just starting a newsletter, you are creating a community and a space for people to interact. My vision for Reimagine Energy is to build a community where seasoned professionals can keep up do date with latest developments, and enjoy sharp analyses within a field that moves extremely quickly.
The focus of the posts will be to highlight the essence of significant innovations in an intuitive manner, offering clear, concise, and insightful analyses. During my academic research I dedicated hundreds of hours to writing scientific articles that were then only accessible to a limited number of people, meaning they also had limited impact. One of the goals of this newsletter is to change that and to focus on providing insights in an intuitive way, without giving up scientific rigour and deep knowledge. Science and technology should not be synonyms for unnecessary jargon.
Another pillar of the community will be to provide support to professionals in early stages of their career, or looking to switch their focus to energy and climate tech. Pursuing a career as an energy data scientist is an exciting and challenging prospect that requires a multidisciplinary skillset. As the field is relatively new, there isn't a well-defined and organized list of essential subjects to implement AI solutions in the energy secto. Many different skills from various fields are required, such as knowing the physics behind energy processes, the theory of math and statistics, and how to practically implement ML models in a programming language, as well as having an understanding of the current trends of the energy sector. No university degree can cover all these skills in depth, so a great way to enter the field is by familiarising oneself with the different concepts, tools and techniques through self-study and practical projects.
Some of the posts in Reimagine Energy will be aimed at supporting aspiring energy data scientists in their self-study journey in the field, while also providing more advanced content for expert readers.
Final thoughts
Throughout my university, research, and professional life, I learned a lot from free content on the internet, and now I feel like it’s my turn to contribute by creating valuable content for others. This becomes even more crucial as we enter the generative AI era, in which we’re flooded by content which most of the time lacks substance and meaning. The majority of that content has no actual research and dedication behind, and is just a ChatGPT regurgitation. I can assure you that you won’t find any of that here.
During the last month you received one new issue of Reimagine Energy every Thursday. Moving forward, we'll shift to a biweekly format. This adjustment ensures that each piece receives the attention it deserves, maintaining the quality and depth you've come to expect.
Looking ahead, I'm excited about the possibility of introducing a monthly column dedicated to the latest news in AI, further enriching our community's discourse. The aim is for this newsletter to become more than just a series of articles: to foster a community eager to engage with the most pressing challenges and opportunities at the intersection of AI, energy, and climate technology.
Stay tuned for what comes next and thanks for your support!
https://ourworldindata.org/energy-gdp-decoupling