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A consortium of international experts, including a team from the University of Adelaide, has received funding to spearhead research into how data-driven modelling and control can be used to make power grids more resilient.

The more than $350,000 in funding over two years from the Franco-Australian Centre for Energy Transition (FACET) will allow researchers from the University of Adelaide and Université Grenoble-Alpes to collaborate on human-centred artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) solutions for trustworthy and resilient management of complex power systems.

Professor Anna Ma-Wyatt and her colleagues at the University of Adelaide will work on how to leverage human performance for effective modelling of human consumption for resilient management of power systems.

“Our collaborators in Grenoble are world leaders in power systems and grid management,” said Professor Ma-Wyatt.

“As the world moves away from fossil fuels for power supply, conventional grids need to evolve to facilitate the integration of multiple sources of renewable energy.

“One of the main challenges in this transition is to find ways of coping with the increasing variability of renewable-based energy production.

“To ensure the stability of the grid, it will be necessary to have enough controllability of consumption so that it can better follow production of energy, while also storing excess during times of lower demand.”

The University of Adelaide multidisciplinary team includes Professor Matthew Roughan, from the School of Computer and Mathematical Sciences, and Dr Ehsan Abbasnejad, a Future Making Fellow from the Australian Institute for Machine Learning.

Professor Ma-Wyatt, who is Director of Astronaut-Autonomy Teaming at the University’s Andy Thomas Centre for Space Resources, said the consortium will work with industry stakeholders to build effective artificial intelligence/machine learning models of control.

“Our approach combines human factors, AI and ML techniques to better model energy consumption,” said Professor Ma-Wyatt.

“Sociotechnical frameworks that support the development of trust in this teaming will play a key role in its success.

“We aim to improve artificial intelligence-driven management systems to support more resilient grids through data-driven modelling and control.”

The University of Adelaide’s Professor Anton Middelberg, Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Vice-President (Research) welcomed the FACET funding.

“This collaboration demonstrates the University of Adelaide’s ongoing commitment to deliver world-class research into artificial intelligence that aims to support a more sustainable future,” said Professor Middelberg.

“I congratulate our team on the start of their collaboration with Université Grenoble-Alpes. The links formed through this agreement will have a global impact.”

Professor Ma-Wyatt and the team will also work closely alongside the French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS’ international research laboratory CROSSING ETAP and Schneider Electric as industry stakeholders as well as CEA (France) and CSIRO.

FACET is an historic, climate change focused partnership between France and Australia, co-led by CEA, Université Grenoble-Alpes and Swinburne University of Technology. This project was made possible with funding from the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Federal Department for Foreign Affairs and Trade.