Project Description
Pain Point
New Zealand is dealing with some of the highest electricity prices in the developed world, compounded by declining gas supplies and low hydro lake levels. These issues, along with the unpredictability of climate change, are making the energy landscape more unstable and less reliable. Managing energy demand and supply is becoming increasingly difficult for both consumers and government agencies.
Problem Severity
The combination of high energy costs and an unstable supply affects both homes and businesses. As energy demands grow, the risk of grid instability increases, while fluctuating prices make energy planning challenging. The problem is urgent as it impacts daily energy consumption and overall grid reliability across the country.
Project Solution
EnergyCast is an AI-powered platform that helps users manage energy more efficiently. It offers real-time data on energy conditions across New Zealand, providing insights on current loads, historical trends, and potential issues.
The platform also predicts future demand and pricing, helping users plan and avoid high spot prices. EnergyCast is designed to integrate with smart grid technologies, making it adaptable to different regions and evolving energy policies.
User Value
EnergyCast helps users save on energy costs by offering data-driven insights and forecasts. It also contributes to better grid reliability by preventing demand spikes and supply shortages. The platform is a valuable tool for anyone looking to manage energy usage more efficiently while keeping costs down.
Data Story
Data Story Overview
Land Information Data from LINZ is rich, established and widely available. This data is highly suitable for this project which requires information about the geometries of the property, environmental factors and energy use.
The following includes the data attributes that were extracted from this data
Energy Usage Estimates
Historical energy consumption data is matched with LINZ property characteristics to estimate energy use for each suburb, considering factors like property size and type.
Application
The suburb-specific energy estimates are used to offer localized insights on demand, helping users plan their energy use, avoid shortages, and manage costs more efficiently.