Project 2: Thanks to AI and Power BI: Standard Met and Production Knowledge Increased
Data
scientist Marcel Dembek approaches his job differently, but also with
the help of AI. Four years ago, when the requirements for the ISO 50001
standard were increased, Dembek was faced with a new challenge. The
standard stipulates that companies must carry out an energy assessment
that proves that energy use has continuously improved compared to a
baseline level. This assessment must be verifiable and is reviewed by
certification bodies.
Together with Stefan Geißler, Senior
Officer Energy Management, PTSE GF, and the sites in the field of energy
efficiency monitoring, Dembek developed models for this. The sticking
point was the initial data. “It is influenced by many different
factors,” says Dembek. “With the help of DIAP, Power BI, and the use of
artificial intelligence, we ultimately succeeded in defining it. We
have now created over 3,000 baseline data points,” he explains, pointing
to a poster. “Here we see the modeled curve for the energy consumption
of a system that our AI has calculated from the baseline. And here we
can see the system’s actual energy consumption. Actual energy
consumption was lower than the calculated estimate.” That’s a win. But
is this credible proof that energy consumption is actually lower? “If we
assume that, together with the process experts, we were able to
identify all the variables relevant to energy consumption, such as
temperature or production quantities, then yes.” But what if the
baseline year was mild and the year being calculated was extremely cold?
Is the data still comparable in this case? “Yes,” says Dembek. “Our
models take precisely this into account and adapt the calculation to the
different conditions. The result is put into context to enable reliable
comparisons.” Particularly in the current challenging times with
reduced production quantities, the AI provides a fair assessment of
energy performance. What employees previously had to tediously compile
and prepare in Excel spreadsheets now comes together automatically in a
Power BI dashboard via DIAP. “In the meantime, we have created models
for 20 sites together with the process experts,” says Dembek. Some of
the process experts were amazed at how significantly the outside
temperature, for example, influences the amount of energy used to heat
buildings and run production processes. This influence can now be
precisely quantified. The tool therefore not only helps us meet the ISO
standard and pass its audits, it also gives the experts deeper insights
into the processes. And this is precisely what is often the first step
towards implementing further energy-saving measures...