Employer Spotlight: BluWave-ai
By Arjun Bhatia
To avert Earth’s climate crisis and provide everyone with clean energy, it is going to take a joint effort between many different industries. Energy generation, electricity transmission, transportation, and manufacturing, as well as policy-making and economics are innovating and adapting to meet these challenges, but what about artificial intelligence (AI)? As AI becomes more prevalent in our day-to-day, might it be possible to use advanced data processing and modelling to fight climate change? BluWave-ai is an Ottawa-based startup leveraging computing and neural networks to better understand and manage our carbon footprint and energy consumption [1].
What does BluWave-ai do?
BluWave-ai provides products and services to a range of customers, basically anyone who utilises a power distribution system. These range from the power producers and grid operators that let us access electricity from the comfort of our homes, down to hospitals, government offices, and corporate offices that act as microgrids. Their products come in three distinct categories: Energy optimisation, EV fleet orchestration, and Atlas [2].
The first of the three, energy optimisation, or BluWave Edge and Center, uses neural networks to monitor and learn about a power grid’s usage patterns. Using this data, the system is able to direct the grid’s operations to produce more or less electricity as needed. This results in less waste due to excess power while maintaining the amount of power needed to service all the grid’s users. This product can be scaled as needed, all the way down to microgrids, and all the way up to nation-spanning grid networks. The main benefit of this system is savings. The typical California municipality is likely to save $2 million each year after implementing such a system, making electricity costs cheaper for consumers. When used on grids that rely on carbon-emitting power generation, there is also a significant reduction in the grid’s carbon footprint [3].
BluWave’s second main product is the EV Fleet Orchestrator. This system runs on the same foundation as Edge and Center, but lets companies apply those benefits to a fleet of electric vehicles. This is especially important for shipping or taxi companies looking to convert their fleets away from gasoline. BluWave’s system monitors and learns about a company’s EV movements and activities, and directs power generation and storage to minimise wasted energy. Even more impressive, the AI can monitor weather patterns, temperature, delivery schedules, local energy costs, and grid makeup. For mixed fleets (with gasoline, electric, and hybrid vehicles), the system is able to use these factors to determine which vehicles should be mobilised at which times to reduce carbon emissions, costs, or a combination of the two [4].
Finally, Atlas is BluWave-ai’s suite of data visualisation tools. This product works in tandem with Edge and Centre and/or Fleet Orchestrator as a way of presenting the data it already uses. The data an AI utilizes is astounding, and on its own, it would make little sense to a human. Atlas curates this data and uses a series of dashboards, charts, and other tools to show the numbers in a way humans can understand. This system is useful to both companies and researchers alike, allowing us to understand how we can continue to build and maintain better power production and delivery systems [5]. If you’re interested in learning more about how artificial intelligence is used in the energy sector, make sure to check out this article!
What opportunities does BluWave-ai offer McMaster students?
BluWave is only four years old and is always looking for creative, motivated individuals to join their team. They offer both remote and in-person positions, both co-op and graduate, primarily related to software and machine learning. The company’s head office is in Ottawa, a city becoming known as Canada’s tech hub [6].
BluWave-ai is certainly a unique opportunity, at an intersection between clean energy and advanced computing systems. If this sounds like your ideal career, be sure to visit their website to check out the available postings and learn about current openings and co-ops [7].
References
[1] “About Us.” https://www.bluwave-ai.com/about-us (accessed May 02, 2021).
[2] “Solutions.” https://www.bluwave-ai.com/solutions (accessed Apr. 29, 2021).
[3] “Edge-Center Platform.” https://www.bluwave-ai.com/edge-center-platform (accessed May 02, 2021).
[4] “EV Fleet Orchestrator.” https://www.bluwave-ai.com/ev-fleet-orchestrator (accessed May 02, 2021).
[5] “Atlas.” https://www.bluwave-ai.com/atlas (accessed May 02, 2021).
[6] “15 Reasons Working in Ottawa is Better than Anywhere Else in Canada.” https://www.lrostaffing.com/15-reasons-working-ottawa-better/ (accessed May 02, 2021).
[7] “Careers.” https://www.bluwave-ai.com/careers (accessed Apr. 28, 2021).