IN a move to enhance sustainability at the Olympic Games, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has partnered with Alibaba Cloud to deploy artificial intelligence (AI) technology.
The move is aimed at providing a more accurate analysis and better-informed power consumption planning at all 35 Paris 2024 competition venues.
By consolidating all energy-related data — including electricity consumption, power demand, venue capacity, competition-related information and onsite weather conditions — into a user-friendly dashboard, the IOC will gain comprehensive insights into energy usage during both the Olympics and Paralympics.
For this Summer Olympics, the IOC will deploy the Energy Expert solution to help with the sustainability move at Future Olympic Games across all 35 Paris 2024 competition venues.
"Sustainability is one of the three pillars of Olympic Agenda 2020+5 alongside credibility and youth. With Energy Expert, we can now forecast our energy-related impacts well into the future and accurately measure our progress," said IOC chief information and technology officer, Ilario Corna.
"Electricity consumption is a large contributor to the Olympic Games' carbon emissions. The data-driven insights produced by Energy Expert will help us learn from each Games edition and apply that knowledge intelligently to make future events even more energy-efficient," he said.
HOW DOES IT WORK
According to Alibaba Cloud, Energy Expert leverages deep-learning AI to provide venue-specific forecasts and recommendations, such as optimising power demand to minimise wastage.
The solution will also employ 100 smart electric metres at selected competition venues to gather real-time electricity consumption data from various operational spaces, including playing fields, broadcast areas, and technology hubs.
"This will further prove its value in the most high-profile and challenging arena of all — the fast-paced and highly competitive world of international sports.
"The insights Energy Expert deliver will form part of the solution to assist the IOC and future Games in becoming more sustainable," said Alibaba Cloud intelligence and general manager for international industry solutions, vice- president, William Xiong.
He said these detailed datasets, taking into account temperature conditions and real-time occupancy, will provide a more accurate context for future organising committees for the Olympic Games.
OPTIMISING ENERGY USE
Beyond the competition venues, Energy Expert's AI-driven recommendations will help Alibaba optimise energy consumption and minimise carbon emissions at its temporary exhibition venues during Paris 2024.
For instance, at the Alibaba Wonder Avenue on the Avenue des Champs-Elysees, sustainable wooden materials and recyclable steel will be used to reduce the carbon footprint. The semi-open design of the space will leverage natural lighting and ventilation to further minimise energy consumption.
Energy Expert's application extends beyond sports. Introduced in June 2022, its first used at a sports event was at the 2023 Olympic Esports Week in Singapore. The solution measured and analysed carbon emissions from temporary constructions, generating insights on materials and equipment used. Metrics such as energy consumption, waste management, signage, and decoration were assessed to compare the environmental impacts of various materials and equipment.