National science agency CSIRO and property data analytics company CoreLogic Australia are trialling a new artificial intelligence (AI) system to estimate energy efficiency for homes across Australia.
Understanding the energy efficiency of homes can help the industry and homeowners to improve energy performance and lower power bills, but before the trial, data on the energy efficiency of homes was limited or not readily accessible.
Related article: Climate Council launches energy savings guide and calculator
The pilot project combines CoreLogic’s 40 years of comprehensive property data with CSIRO’s RapidRate artificial intelligence model to produce an estimate of heating and cooling load, and an energy efficiency star rating for homes.
The insights from CSIRO’s RapidRate will initially be made available to CoreLogic’s core banking and finance customers, with plans to make it available to other market segments in the future.
CSIRO CEO Dr Larry Marshall said the new artificial intelligence system is another example of the practical solutions from science CSIRO has delivered to help Australians achieve net zero emissions by 2050.
“Improving the energy efficiency of homes right around the country can reduce emissions and translate to longer-term energy and cost savings on their energy bills,” Dr Marshall said.
“Achieving net zero emissions by 2050 is one of Australia’s greatest challenges, but collaborative science and technology holds the key to creating solutions that will get us there,” he said.
CoreLogic International CEO Lisa Claes said there was an urgent need to fill knowledge gaps around energy performance of existing property that would result in more efficient, sustainable and comfortable housing that cost less to run.
Related article: CSIRO report highlights need for renewables storage
“It is a thrill to be at the vanguard of revolutionising energy efficiency with Australia’s national science agency, CSIRO, to use innovative technology and data, to develop a solution for one of this generation’s greatest challenges,” Claes said.
“Combining our considerable breadth and depth of knowledge and respective industry expertise gives us the power and the privilege to make a real and significant difference towards improving energy efficiency performance across the entire residential sector,” she said.
