AI Fundamentals: Energy Cost Optimisation

ENTIRE- UCC-003

€4,000*
(*100% discounted through de minimus funding for SMEs and public sector organisations)

The course will be delivered as an on-site, one day Skills Development Course.

• Date: Thursday, May 1^st 2025 – this is a provisional date, which is subject to change based on timely registration of the minimum required number of attendees.
• Location: Onsite in UCC – Room 2.26, Western Gateway Building, University College Cork
• To Register: https://forms.gle/5xCfafebgVb7RLBt6

About the tutor: This course will be delivered by Helmut Simonis from University College Cork. Helmut Simonis has been working in the field of Constraint Programming since 1986, when he joined the CHIP project at ECRC, an industrial research centre in Munich, Germany. He was technical director of COSYTEC in France from 1990 to 2000, a company focusing on constraint based applications for scheduling, personnel assignment, and transportation problems. In 2000, he joined Parc Technologies, a startup from Imperial College London as a senior research scientist. He also held an appointment at IC-Parc, Imperial College London, before becoming a co-founder of CrossCore Optimization in London. Helmut Simonis joined UCC in 2008.

Helmut Simonis won the best application paper award of the CP conference twice, in 2009 and 2013. He was application track editor of the Constraints Journal, and member of the Executive Committee of the Association of Constraint Programming (ACP). In 2013 and 2014, he served as president of the ACP. In 2022, he was awarded the Distinguished Service Award of the ACP. Helmut Simonis holds four patents on Network Management, which are now owned by Cisco Systems. 

Helmut Simonis has been providing training on Constraint Programming and Scheduling for industrial customers since 1988, he is the author on an on-line course on Constraint Programming, and recently finished a survey of training material for teaching Constraint Programming.

With rising energy prices, tightening sustainability targets, and increasing competition, optimising energy use is essential. For Munster’s industries and public sector organisations, smarter energy management unlocks financial savings, enhances resilience, and drives environmental leadership.

Economic Advantage: High energy costs place pressure on businesses and public institutions. AI-driven optimisation reduces expenses by minimising waste, predicting failures, and improving efficiency. Savings can be reinvested into operations, workforce development, and business growth.

Competitive Edge: Energy-efficient businesses attract investment, secure funding, and meet sustainability expectations. Whether in manufacturing, IT, public administration, or retail, those optimising energy gain a strategic advantage, strengthening their reputation and long-term viability.

Sustainability and Compliance: Ireland’s carbon reduction commitments and regulatory demands require decisive action. Integrating renewables, optimising consumption, and leveraging predictive maintenance help cut emissions and ensure compliance.

• The course will combine several industrial case studies and overview presentations. Lectures will explore Ireland’s energy landscape and demonstrate proven AI techniques for optimising energy use. Attendees will gain valuable insights through case studies and interactive discussions while networking with industry leaders and key decision-makers in the energy sector.

Participants will gain hands-on knowledge and skills to:

• Understand Ireland’s energy landscape and optimisation challenges.
• Improve data collection, reconciliation, and anomaly detection.
• Use energy use and price prediction models for smarter decision-making.
• Leverage renewables, storage, and load shifting to reduce costs.
• Analyse real-world case studies, including campus energy supply and data centre efficiency.

This course is ideal for professionals and organisations facing energy cost challenges, including:

• Building & Facilities Management
• Retail & Public Sector Organisations
• Small & Medium Enterprises (SMEs) Exploring Energy Efficiency Solutions
• Manufacturing & Industrial Operations
• IT & Data Centres
• Telecoms & Smart Infrastructure