Bertrand Cornélusse: an electric world

The energy transition requires us to turn massively to electricity to power our cars and homes. It's a challenge that the power grid specialist wants to turn into a tremendous opportunity: enabling citizens to take back control of their energy consumption. All with the help of artificial intelligence.

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The momentum is undeniably there. Electric cars, solar panels and other charging stations have finally entered our daily lives, and their presence is gradually gaining momentum. there's a real increase in public awareness in this area," enthuses Bertrand Cornélusse. This is obviously a very good thing, since electricity produced and consumed locally goes hand in hand with reduced losses and therefore increased efficiency. It's quite a challenge for our distribution networks, and will pose many difficulties... But it's also an intellectually exciting time for my work," he adds with a smile.

The researcher, a lecturer at the Faculty of Applied Sciences, knows all about this, as he works to develop our energy systems for the energy transition, as well as to improve the management of power grids so that they can integrate renewable energies. In fact, he worked on power plant planning in France and in the major energy markets before returning to the University. my interests have gradually shifted towards more local projects, such as small distribution networks and energy management within the home," he says. For example, how do you ensure that the output from solar panels on your roof benefits your neighbor in your absence, rather than sending it far out into the grid, with all the losses that entails? This is the principle of the energy community, where energy producers join forces with consumers, all at a local level, like the project MeryGrid in the province of Liège. I'm convinced that a lot will happen at this level

To achieve this, the researcher is counting on the deployment of artificial intelligence tools that will enable citizens to improve their own energy management. we can't expect people to spend all their time managing their own consumption, from generating solar power to recharging their cars," he says. These are complex tasks that need to be automated, and today we have all the tools available for that. "

Collective awareness

According to Bertrand Cornélusse, better energy management also requires greater awareness of how we use energy. i have the feeling that just a few years ago, we didn't pay much attention to the energy we use, for example, to heat our homes or get around," he says. This current preoccupation is an opportunity to improve things, to learn to consume energy at the right time, by not recharging all our electric vehicles at the same time, for example, or by spreading this recharging out over the night... In other words, to take back control of our energy consumption. "

This collective awareness is all the more necessary in view of the colossal task ahead. the energy transition requires us to electrify our energy on a massive scale," he warns. While this means major investment in distribution networks, we also need to manage flows more intelligently. And to do that, we need to measure and act on our individual consumption, and be aware of the consequences our actions can have at local level, because eliminating superfluous consumption reduces the pressure on the network. "

Personal action

The specialist draws his conviction from both his research and his personal actions, having invested in monitoring tools for his home. i've turned my house into a kind of pilot project for my research," he says with amusement, " which allows me to really test what could be implemented on a population scale. For example, I installed remote-controlled thermostatic valves connected to all my radiators, which enabled me to halve my gas consumption!

Bertrand Cornélusse also uses this civic-minded research to illustrate the teaching he gives to his students, a role he fulfils with great pleasure. i try to develop students' critical thinking on these issues," he explains. And we have to admit that more and more of them are asking questions about the societal impact of technology. This often leads to very stimulating discussions And one hope: that, once they've graduated, these young people will continue to question and change the business world from the inside. In short, to create new possibilities.