Telus and Vector Institute launch Energy Optimization System for datacentres across Canada

Telus and the Vector Institute for Artificial Intelligence yesterday announced the launch of the Energy Optimization System (EOS), with the aim to help reduce operational costs and minimize electricity use in commercial buildings, such as datacentres, across Canada.

This collaborative development uses model-based reinforcement learning (MBRL) to fine tune the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems across network locations, allowing for energy-efficient temperature control.

“In MBRL, we train an agent to learn from the environment it resides in, and based on a reward/penalty system, the agent selects the most appropriate action to execute,” Jaime Tatis, vice-president, Data Strategy and Enablement at Telus, told IT World Canada

Annually, an estimated 40 per cent of the energy consumed across Telus network locations is directed towards cooling telecommunications equipment, which is critical to maintaining optimal network performance. Telus team members collaborated with the Vector Institute to build and test this solution to reduce the number and create a more sustainable use of HVAC equipment in 24/7 datacentres.

“For our system, we used a complete year of data to train and simulate the environment, which allowed us to develop a good understanding of how it will react in the live environment,” said Tatis. “The advantage of this approach is that temperature is a slow-moving variable, but with a simulator, we can train it quickly and therefore confidently deploy it in a critical live environment more efficiently.”

By optimizing HVAC systems with this new artificial intelligence (AI) technology, it is possible to achieve significant energy savings in datacentres and other network locations, reducing the overall environmental impact. Results from a pilot test showed a decrease of almost 12 per cent in reduced annual electricity consumption in a small datacentre. These results are based on a summer test completed in a small Telus datacentre (equipment room) in Cambridge, ON from June to July 2021 and a winter test done in the same centre in Jan. 2022, said Tatis. 

In addition, the algorithm considers the weather forecast to help it make a decision on when to run cooling (either more expensive compressor cooling or less expensive free cooling) or heating to ensure a consistent temperature and better regulate temperatures during shoulder seasons. 

Telus and Vector say they have elected to open source this new algorithm as a contribution to the energy conservation community. More information on how the algorithm works can be found here.

“After three years of working on EOS with a focus on using AI for good, this partnership recognized the value of open sourcing the MBRL algorithm for cost reduction and to create efficiencies for other industries and organizations,” said Deval Pandya, Director of AI Engineering at Vector. “This is a brilliant example of how, together, our expertise in research and engineering can create value and make it easier to deploy leading AI research outcomes. Now we want to amplify the project’s value by open sourcing it for others to adopt.”

“At TELUS, we are making choices and taking actions on our commitment to protect our planet. We are working to achieve our goal to be net carbon neutral by 2030, while also procuring 100 per cent of our electricity requirements from renewable or low-emitting sources by 2025,” said Tatis. 

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Jim Love, Chief Content Officer, IT World Canada

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Pragya Sehgal
Pragya Sehgal
Born and raised in the capital city of India - Delhi - bounded by the river Yamuna on the west, Pragya has climbed the Himalayas, and survived medical professional stream in high school without becoming a patient or a doctor. Pragya now makes her home in Canada with her husband - a digital/online marketing fanatic who also loves to prepare delicious meals for her. When she isn’t working or writing around tech, she’s probably watching art films on Netflix, or wondering whether she should cut her hair short or not. Can be contacted at psehgal@itwc.ca or 647.695.3494.

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