Fjärrvärmedagarna is organised each year by the industry association Energiföretagen Sverige, a conference that offers a helicopter perspective on the most important and strategic issues within the district heating sector. During Fjärrvärmedagarna 2024, strategy consultant Niclas Sigholm opened the first day with a presentation on the challenges and opportunities for district heating and combined heat and power in the new energy landscape, sharing his insights on the topic. During the conference, Mattias Naarttijärvi, Cloud Engineer & Data Scientist, also held a presentation titled “What is AI and how can district heating companies benefit from it?”. In addition to the energy and urban development sectors, we at Sigholm closely follow developments within artificial intelligence and work continuously to integrate AI into our processes — especially our system developers working with our digital optimisation platform Aurora by Sigholm (AbS) and Data by Sigholm, which serves as a platform for data maturity and AI application. As AI can seem difficult to navigate and complex for many, Mattias’ session became an inspiring programme highlight that offered attendees both clear educational explanations and new insights.
AI-generated summary of the presentation
What is AI?
AI is a technology aimed at mimicking human intelligence and the ability to learn, adapt and make decisions. It is the driving force behind innovations that are transforming how we work, communicate and live.
The difference between machine learning & deep learning
Machine learning refers to computers learning from data and creating algorithms that can predict, classify or optimise. Deep learning is a more advanced branch of machine learning that uses neural networks to replicate the complexity of the human brain.
Key concepts
Data is the raw information that AI uses to learn and make decisions.
Algorithms are the instructions AI follows to analyse and process data.
Models are the results of AI’s learning process, representing patterns and relationships within the data.
How can AI be applied in the energy sector?
We have seen breakthroughs in areas such as integration of renewable energy, demand forecasting and predictive maintenance. These technologies have the potential to increase efficiency, reduce costs and promote a sustainable energy future for Sweden.
Conclusion
AI has enormous potential to transform the Swedish energy sector in many ways. But to realise this potential, we need collaboration, innovation and the ability to face challenges with open eyes. Let us continue to explore and invest in this exciting future together.
Key Takeaways from Mattias’ presentation:
- Understand your AI potential by hosting hackathons, allocating resources, mapping risks and experimenting.
- Ensure data quality and ask yourselves: Who is responsible for which data? Who corrects the data, and how? How will you handle a 100x increase in data volume?
- Ensure accessibility by having the right data available to the right person/system at the right time and in the right format.
- If you want to learn more about AI and how it can be applied in the district heating sector or in your organisation, explore Mattias’ full presentation via the link below and get in touch if you are also interested in a tailored lecture on the topic.
Fjärrvärmedagarna 2024 – What is AI and how can district heating companies benefit from it – Mattias Naarttijärvi, Sigholm.pdf
