Today, a groundbreaking partnership was announced in the US energy sector. The US Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and Atom Computinga leader in quantum computing technology, has teamed up to investigate how quantum computers can improve the efficiency of power grid operations.
In tandem with the decarbonization and energy transition process being driven by multiple forces in today’s US society, power grids are becoming increasingly complex as we add various new energy generation resources such as solar and wind.
We are reaching the point where power grids have more inputs and outputs than our classic computer models can handle.
– said dr. Rob Hovsapian, Research Advisor at NREL.
Many industry experts are looking for new, innovative solutions to address this critical issue in order to ensure a reliable power grid while ensuring a smooth energy transition process, thereby laying the foundation for strong, healthy economic growth.
quantum computing It is believed to have exponentially greater computing power compared to classical computers. It is an emerging field with the potential to revolutionize computer science and enable breakthroughs in various scientific, technological and industrial fields.
In the General Assembly of the IEEE Power and Energy Society This week, NREL researchers showcased the use of Atom Computing’s atomic array quantum computing technologies in the lab Advanced Research on Integrated Energy Systems (ARIES) research platform and Power Hardware-in-the-Loop (PHIL) testing. The integration has resulted in a unique “quantum-in-the-loop” capability to solve specific optimization problems with a quantum computer. This is considered a crucial step in understanding how quantum computers can better balance the energy loads in a power grid.
At present, optimization issues such as managing supply chains, developing more efficient transportation routes, and improving power grids and telecom networks largely depend on operator experience when making decisions. But actually they are considered “killer applications“for quantum computing because it excels in these large-scale programs that involve numerous factors and variables.
Rob Hays, CEO of Atom Computing, stated that public-private collaborations like this are extremely important to drive innovation in solving society’s most pressing problems while advancing quantum computing and scientific research.
“NREL is a global leader in renewable energy and power grids. We are proud to work with them to advance their research.”