La Trobe Energy AI Platform (LEAP)

LEAP (La Trobe Energy AI Platform) is La Trobe University’s flagship Artificial Intelligence (AI) program for achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2029. LEAP harnesses the power of Predictive, Explainable, Generative and Causal AI to process, extract and analyse a billion data points to generate actionable insights that inform human decision-making for net zero emissions, cost-effective energy management and optimised space utilisation. LEAP can be further described by its core technical and operational capabilities:

  • Artificial Intelligence: Custom built Predictive, Explainable, Causal and Generative AI models are used for short to long term energy consumption forecasting, prediction of renewables generation, anomalous energy usage detection, data quality monitoring, and insights generation for human decision-making.

  • Data Lakehouse: Single-version-of-truth for energy data streams and data sources, a centralized repository of internal data streams on consumption, generation, utilization, events, and external data streams of weather, climate, tariff, and energy market metrics.

  • Comprehensive Monitoring: LEAP tracks energy consumption patterns and performance of diverse buildings across La Trobe’s five campuses. This includes real-time monitoring of lighting, heating, and cooling systems to optimize energy and space use.

  • Actionable Insights: LEAP provides actionable insights to the La Trobe facilities management team for space optimisation and the implementation of energy-saving measures in real time.

  • Sustainability Goals: LEAP informs La Trobe’s goal to achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2029. The platform plays a crucial role in reducing the university’s carbon footprint by improving energy efficiency and resource utilization. For example, the platform aids in managing renewable energy sources like solar PV systems, which are integral to La Trobe’s sustainability strategy.

  • Collaboration and Innovation: Designed and developed by staff and students at La Trobe, LEAP embodies the university’s innovative approach to tackling environmental challenges. The platform has been recognized for its excellence with awards such as the 2021 Clever Campus Innovation Award by TEFMA and the Best Paper Award at the 15th IEEE Human System Interaction Conference 2022.

  • Learning and Research Enabler: LEAP serves as a living lab for students and researchers, providing a real-world environment to study and innovate in energy management. The platform also facilitates hands-on learning and research opportunities, enhancing the educational experience at La Trobe University.

Awards

  • 2021 Clever Campus Innovation Award by the Australasian Tertiary Education Facilities Management Association (TEFMA)
  • Best Paper Award at the IEEE 16th International Conference on Human System Interaction (HSI 2022): Mills, N., Rathnayaka, P., Moraliyage, H., De Silva, D. and Jennings, A., 2022, July. Cloud edge architecture leveraging artificial intelligence and analytics for microgrid energy optimisation and net zero carbon emissions. In 2022 15th International Conference on Human System Interaction (HSI) (pp. 1-7). IEEE.

LEAP Team

  • Project Sponsor: Andrew Jennings
  • Project Leader: Professor Daswin De Silva (https://scholars.latrobe.edu.au/ddesilva)
  • Principal Technical Architect: Dr Nishan Mills
  • Lead Technical Architect: Dr Harsha Moraliyage
  • Sachin Kahawala
  • Gihan Gamage
  • Dilantha Haputhanthri
  • Chamod Samarajeewa
  • Vidura Sumanasena
  • Lakshitha Gunasekara
  • Amali Mathararachchi
  • Dr Prabod Rathnayaka (former Tech Lead)
  • Dr Thimal Kempitiya (former member)

LEAP Partners

  • Virginia Commonwealth University, USA
  • Coventry University, UK
  • Lulea University of Technology, Sweden
  • Aalto University, Finland
  • RMIT University, Australia
  • C4NET, Australia

LEAP Datasets

The following datasets are publicly accessible:

Contact Us

Please contact us if you would like to learn more about our innovations in Energy AI for net zero emissions and sustainability: cdac@latrobe.edu.au