Digital
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Cellular networks: how much energy consumption?
The energy consumption of global cellular networks is estimated at 250TWH pa in this data-file, by tabulating the deployment of 5G base stations, and other cellular towers, region-by-region. This matters as physical AI may require more cellular connections, across autonomous vehicles, drones and robotics.
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Delivery drones: flight trajectory?
Delivery drones are finally taking off? Pilot projects in the US are achieving strong safety records, exciting consumers and raising the prospect of sub-$1 deliveries within 10-minutes. This 13-page report explores the future impacts of delivery drones in energy, materials and capital goods.
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Zipline: drone delivery technology?
Details of Zipline drone delivery technology are derived in this data-file, based on reviewing over 15 highly detailed patent families from the company. We see a moat around specific hardware innovations, a low cost sensor suite, inherent safety from seven layers of safety protections, and a sophisticated fleet management system.
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Costs of delivery drones: the energy economics?
The energy economics of delivery drones, which can travel autonomously, over 30km at 100kmph, are captured in this data-file. In our base case, a delivery drone that costs $20k, and makes 8 deliveries per day, must charge a fee of $3/delivery to generate a 10% IRR. Costs, speeds and energy use can be 5-20x superior…
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Heat potential: what if AI can load-shift hot water tanks?
Residential heat is 13% of global energy. So what if AI could optimize residential electric heating? This 16-page report finds that load-shifting hot water tanks can unlock 1.5-8.5% additional flexibility in grids and make air source heat pumps the lowest cost option for heat in Europe, eclipsing gas-combi boilers, saving $300 per household per year?
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The AI energy transition: technologies collide?
Great industrial leaps often occur when technologies collide. Hence this 20-page report explores how AI, solar, batteries and robotics might all collide together. This is transformative for the world. It represents the next “energy transition”. Hence this also becomes our new roadmap for the evolution of the global energy system.
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Internet energy consumption: data, models, forecasts?
This data-file forecasts the energy consumption of the internet, rising from 800 TWH in 2022 to 2,000 TWH in 2030 and over 4,000 TWH by 2050. The main driver is the energy consumption of AI, plus blockchains, rising traffic, and offset by rising efficiency. Input assumptions to the model can be flexed. Underlying data are…
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Seismic shift: how is AI reshaping oil exploration?
The global seismic industry is worth $10bn pa. But an additional $10bn pa of value could be unlocked by AI. This 19-page report finds promising progress with AI in seismic, uplifting the value of seismic hardware and multi-client libraries. But the theme is still in early innings. Who benefits?
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Flexible data centers: can AI load shift?
It can take 4-12 years to expand the grid and accommodate large new AI data centers. But what if more flexible data centers could be energized mostly via the pre-existing grid? This 15-page report shows how flexible AI data centers, which engage in demand shifting, are technically feasible, economically justified, and accelerating?
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Fiber optic data transmission costs?
The costs of fiber optic data transmission run at $0.25/TB per 1,000km in order to earn a 10% IRR on constructing a link with $120 per meter capex costs. Capex is 85% of the total cost. This data fiber breaks down the costs of fiber optic data transmission from first principles, across capex, utilization, electricity…
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