Automation: An opportunity for Australia’s clean energy future
The Australian Government's "Future Made in Australia" policy is gaining momentum, promising a clean energy future and revitalising local manufacturing. But as with any ambitious endeavour, the path forward comes with challenges, from climate change and escalating geopolitical risks to an ageing population and a productivity slump. The question remains – can Australia truly harness these challenges to lead in the global clean energy race?
The real opportunity lies in embracing automation – a driving force that can turn these challenges into catalysts for innovation and growth. Automation, particularly integrated with artificial intelligence, offers a powerful lever to enhance productivity, streamline operations and unlock efficiencies that are critical to achieving Australia's clean energy goals. Agentic AI is the next frontier of AI innovation because it possesses the intelligence and judgment to autonomously plan and execute intricate workflows. This is not just a vision for the future; it's a practical approach that is already being realised across industries worldwide.
Government-led momentum
The Australian government recognises the strategic importance of AI-powered automation in accelerating the local clean energy sector, with the Department of Industry, Science and Resources highlighting these technologies as a key player in enabling better management of the nation's environment and resources. This is further supported by the recent $3.2 million investment from the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) in AI-powered solar projects, which follows a government commitment in May to use funds from the National Reconstruction Fund, the Industry Growth Program and a clean energy fund to support the growth of Australia's automation industry.
Yet despite these government initiatives, the potential for AI-powered automation remains largely untapped in Australia.
Unlocking the potential of automation in clean energy
AI-powered automation offers far-reaching benefits that extend beyond efficiency gains. It enables precise data capture and reporting for Environmental and Social Governance (ESG) compliance, as well as streamlines production lines, and enhances supply chains.
Through the capabilities of automation, Australia's journey towards a sustainable energy future can be fast-tracked by revolutionising the way organisations create more efficient and eco-friendly business practices. Here are three key areas where AI-powered automation can make a significant impact.
1. Optimising energy use with automation
AI-powered automation can improve energy use by streamlining processes that require significant manual labour. For example, automating tasks such as invoicing, customer communication, metre reading and data extraction can help enterprises manage resources more efficiently, which minimises their energy waste. By reducing human errors and speeding up data handling, automation leads to more accurate energy consumption tracking, which is important for sustainability efforts. Global environmental solutions company Siram Veolia is one example of how an enterprise is implementing automated technologies to ensure the efficient management of energy and waste.
2. Automating solutions reduce carbon footprints
Companies typically begin their automation journeys with process mining, which gathers data from existing processes to create visual workflows. This allows them to pinpoint inefficiencies, identify bottlenecks, and uncover opportunities to eliminate waste. By analysing the current state of operations, businesses can streamline workflows and implement automation more effectively.
Automation can also reduce carbon footprints by decreasing computing energy, saving paper by restricting excessive printing, automating and streamlining supply chain operations and optimising purchase orders and invoice processes.
3. Supporting ESG reporting and compliance
AI-powered automation tools can streamline ESG reporting by automatically collecting and analysing data from an organisation's supply chain in near real time. This level of automation gives teams deeper insights into their ESG footprint, allowing them to identify areas needing improvement. Additionally, it ensures ESG reporting is both accurate and compliant with regulations, promoting best practices in sustainability.
One example of this in action is a major global furniture retailer, which has committed to reducing its greenhouse gas emissions by 80% by 2030. To achieve this, the company implemented guidelines for the responsible use of robotics and the ethical management of data and digital technologies, ensuring that automation contributes to its sustainability goals.
By embracing AI-powered automation, Australia can achieve its sustainability goals, create new jobs and power up the clean energy and manufacturing sectors. The future of the nation's energy landscape is bright, and with the right technologies, it can also be sustainable, resilient and globally competitive.
