Artificial Intelligence (AI) continues to drive innovation across the power sector, gaining even more traction in recent years. Advances in smart grids and autonomous networks have increasingly incorporated AI to optimize electricity distribution, reduce losses, and better integrate renewable energy sources—all while helping companies meet their ESG and sustainability goals.
Below, we explore eight powerful applications of AI in the energy industry and how they’re helping utilities and consumers alike boost efficiency, lower operational costs, and move toward a cleaner, more sustainable energy future.
1. Detecting Non-Technical Losses (Energy Theft)
Energy losses caused by theft or tampering—commonly known as “gatos” in Brazil—remain a persistent challenge for utilities, undermining both efficiency and sustainability goals. AI has refined the detection of these so-called non-technical losses by analyzing consumption patterns and identifying anomalies, much like fraud detection systems used in the financial sector.
As smart meters and IoT devices become more widespread, AI algorithms now have access to high-resolution data, making it easier to:
- Flag suspicious deviations in real time
- Prioritize inspections with greater accuracy
- Save time for field teams
- Recover lost revenue
- Improve service delivery for all consumers
2. Smarter Energy Consumption Management
For both consumers and businesses, understanding how energy is used is now as important as knowing how much is used. Traditional utility bills don’t break down usage by individual appliances or systems, making it harder to take effective action on energy savings.
AI addresses this through energy disaggregation techniques, which analyze an installation’s load profile and estimate how much energy each device or department consumes. This enables insights like:
- How much of the bill comes from air conditioning or industrial machines
- Which areas are driving peak consumption
- How to implement targeted efficiency measures
For utilities, it also helps manage demand spikes more effectively.
3. Forecasting Renewable Energy Generation
Renewable sources like wind and solar have seen rapid growth—Brazil alone surpassed 37 GW of installed solar capacity in 2023. However, their intermittency creates challenges for system stability and planning.
AI plays a vital role in this scenario. Machine learning models can forecast the output of solar and wind farms by combining historical plant data with satellite imagery and weather predictions. In Brazil, AI-assisted forecasting has become a strategic tool, enabling operators to:
- Anticipate fluctuations days in advance
- Schedule backup generation more precisely
- Optimize energy storage use
- Avoid blackouts
- Maximize clean energy integration into the grid
This predictive intelligence is a critical enabler for decarbonization goals.
4. Managing Distributed Energy Resources and Autonomous Grids
Distributed generation—rooftop solar panels, small wind turbines, EVs, and battery systems—has fundamentally changed grid architecture. While it democratizes energy production and reduces transmission losses, it also introduces operational complexity. Utilities must now balance supply and demand across dispersed, intermittent sources in real time.
This is where AI-powered Distributed Energy Resource Management Systems (DERMS) come in. These platforms monitor thousands of devices in real time and make autonomous decisions to stabilize the grid.
A related and emerging concept is the autonomous grid—self-regulating networks that can detect and respond to faults. In the event of a local outage, AI can reconfigure the system instantly (a process known as self-healing), isolating the faulty section and rerouting power from other sources.
5. AI-Driven Customer Service and Experience
Digital transformation has also reshaped how energy companies interact with customers. Today, intelligent chatbots, virtual assistants, and AI-driven analytics are commonplace tools for enhancing service and support.
With advances in Natural Language Processing (NLP) and, more recently, generative AI, virtual agents are increasingly capable of understanding complex queries and engaging users in more human-like interactions. Many utilities now offer 24/7 support through WhatsApp, websites, or apps—handling tasks like bill re-issues, outage reports, billing questions, and distributed generation support.
Beyond chatbots, AI is also used for sentiment analysis and insight extraction. Massive volumes of customer feedback—emails, call center recordings, social media comments—are automatically analyzed to uncover trends and recurring pain points. This enables companies to act proactively, such as investigating localized complaint spikes for potential technical issues.
6. Smart Charging for Electric Vehicles
Electric vehicle (EV) adoption is booming. In 2024, global EV sales topped 10 million units, setting new records. But as mobility goes electric, the pressure on power grids is growing. The key to meeting this demand lies in smart charging—AI systems that optimize how and when EVs draw power.
Smart charging platforms connect charging stations (public or residential) to vehicles and manage load distribution based on:
- Grid demand peaks
- Renewable energy availability
- Each battery’s status and requirements
- Driver preferences
- Real-time energy pricing
AI can stagger charging sessions to ease demand—for example, slowing down or pausing charging during peak hours and accelerating it when demand drops or renewable energy becomes abundant.
At Venturus, we’ve worked on this in practice with the Voltta app, developed in partnership with Eneva, Entech, and Mirrow. Check out the video to learn more about the project.
7. Cybersecurity for the Power Sector
As critical infrastructure, the energy sector faces escalating cyber threats. Since the 2015 Ukraine blackout caused by a cyberattack, global awareness around energy security has increased dramatically.
In Brazil and beyond, the sector’s digital transformation—spanning advanced SCADA systems, millions of IoT devices, and smart meters—has expanded its attack surface. Robust solutions are now essential.
AI is emerging as a key ally in energy cybersecurity. Machine learning models can detect anomalies in network traffic and device behavior, spotting subtle signs of intrusion or malware that traditional systems might miss.
For instance, an AI system can learn a transformer’s normal operating pattern and trigger an alert if it detects unusual commands or fluctuations. These intelligent detection tools operate 24/7, reacting in milliseconds and even initiating automated responses to contain threats.
8. Predictive Maintenance and Failure Prevention
Delivering reliable energy means maintaining robust infrastructure—and AI is revolutionizing predictive maintenance in the power industry. Instead of reacting to failures or following rigid schedules, utilities can now anticipate issues before they happen.
Smart sensors gather real-time data on temperature, vibration, voltage, current, and more. AI models learn the “heartbeat” of each asset—transformers, turbines, substations—and flag subtle anomalies, such as overheating or irregular rotations, that may signal future failures.
When irregularities are detected, the system alerts maintenance teams for early intervention, reducing the risk of blackouts and costly repairs. Studies show predictive maintenance can cut downtime by 30–50% and extend equipment life by 20–40%, delivering both cost savings and reliability.
Conclusion
AI applications in the energy sector have not only multiplied—they’ve matured into critical components of enterprise strategy. These innovations directly support operational efficiency and ESG goals by minimizing waste, cutting emissions and costs, and improving service quality.
At Venturus, we closely follow these trends and believe deeply in AI’s transformative power for the energy sector. Our Center of Excellence in AI, Machine Learning, and Big Data is ready to meet the growing demand for innovative energy projects.
If your organization is exploring AI-driven innovation in energy, we’re here to help you turn that vision into reality. Let’s talk.
