IRENA underscores AI’s role in systemic energy innovation

It spotlights 40 innovations modernising grids and energy access.

The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) said during a Ministerial Dialogue on Artificial Intelligence (AI) that progress in the innovation landscape occurs when technology is integrated into policy, regulation, market design, system operation, and business models.

The report highlights 40 innovations, ranging from AI and digital applications to solutions for modernising grids through smarter planning and off-grid systems, as well as new business models.

Combining cost-competitive renewable technologies with decentralised solutions can expand energy access, support economic development, and strengthen grid resilience.

These innovations are being tested globally and can drive sustainable development when properly applied and scaled, the report said.

The IRENA report also cited case studies from Tanzania, Kenya, Colombia, and Malaysia, where residents of energy communities collectively own and benefit from local renewable projects.

In Uganda and Rwanda, battery-swapping stations are improving access to electric mobility, while pay-as-you-go business models have delivered affordable electricity to more than 500,000 residents in Sierra Leone and Liberia.

The agency grouped these innovations into four strategic toolkits, namely grid modernisation, decentralised solutions, inclusive local development, and energy access, to help policymakers tailor strategies to national, regional, and local contexts.