Unlocking Energy Efficiency
Arcus Power is Using Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning to Unlock Energy Efficiency
tl;dr
Crisis Response: Amidst Alberta’s energy crisis due to extreme cold, Arcus Power is addressing capacity and efficiency issues by using AI and machine learning to optimize energy management, helping clients reduce costs and enhance performance.
Founder's Vision: Dan Erhardt, leveraging his background in power trading, founded Arcus to offer scalable, cost-effective energy management solutions, including software for optimizing energy use and storage.
In the depths of Alberta winter, a prolonged cold snap and spiking energy use recently put major pressure on the province’s power grid, creating the threat for rolling blackouts. While an emergency alert pleading for Albertans to reduce their energy use helped avert a crisis, the episode cast a spotlight on energy capacity and the need for innovative solutions in the sector. Enter Arcus Power, a company using artificial intelligence and machine learning to help its customers optimize energy consumption using advanced energy management solutions.
The Arcus Power story begins with founder and CEO Dan Erhardt’s extensive experience in power trading, where he recognized the untapped potential in battery storage economics. Despite the initial cost barriers, Erhardt saw an opportunity to help large commercial and industrial users to make informed energy decisions without a major capital investment. This realization laid the foundation for Arcus's approach to energy management.
“I saw an opportunity to deliver a scalable software as a service application for some of the largest consumers and producers of power in the world who are looking to better utilize their assets” Erhardt says of his vision.
At its core, Arcus Power offers a comprehensive suite of solutions tailored to the needs of diverse clientele, from hybrid solar storage facilities and natural gas-fired power generators to municipalities and data centres. Leveraging advanced technology, Arcus helps its customers optimize energy from generation to consumption, taking a holistic approach by addressing the entire energy chain.
Central to Arcus's offering is its proprietary database, Nrgstream, which provides real-time power market information. Building upon this foundation are two other core products Pwrstream, focusing on energy cost management and efficiency, and Crbnstream, supporting emissions measurement and sustainability goals.
As it continues to grow and develop its technology, Arcus is looking to continue building on its successes with an aim to expand into all deregulated energy markets in North America, and eventually extend its reach globally, Erhardt says.
“In a world where we're looking at continued constraints on our energy resources, we need technologies like Arcus to help solve these challenges.”
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