Buildings and the electricity grid are inextricably linked. The building sector represents up to 75% of all electricity usage and is also a disproportionately large contributor to peak energy demand, according to our recent report. The electricity grid, including power generation, must serve that demand, and to do so efficiently, it must develop a deep understanding of energy demand in our ever-evolving buildings. These two traditional industries are gradually exploring the potential of artificial intelligence (AI) to create efficiency and flexibility for their individual needs, but the true potential lies in the deep interconnection of intelligent energy supply with intelligent energy demand. That potential can only be reached with the convergence of data and energy. “If you step back for a moment you realize there are two (separate) trillion-dollar industries—the energy industry and the data and information industry—which are now intersecting in a way they never have before,” said Arun Majumdar, Stanford University Jay Precourt […]