About the Twin Transition

Michele Cucuzzella, Associate Professor of Energy Systems & Nonlinear Control, joined the Jantina Tammes School and the Wubbo Ockels School, where he focuses on the ‘twin transition’ — the interplay between the digital and energy transitions.

Twin transition highlights the interplay of digital technologies and energy systems in the transition to a sustainable society. Michele Cucuzzella is aware that the use of digital technology is both an opportunity and a threat.

An example of this is artificial intelligence: on the one hand, it is a major consumer of energy, but on the other hand, AI plays a crucial role in making predictions that can optimize energy efficiency. He stresses that AI should not be used to control systems. ‘It is not sufficiently robust for that. But it doesn’t have to be 100 percent accurate for predictions. If we can optimize our energy efficiency at least partially, that’s already a win.’

In the coming years, Cucuzzella aims to collaborate with the Schools to gather information. ‘Based on this, we will develop a roadmap for the twin transition in the province of Groningen.’ Cucuzzella dreams of creating fully autonomous energy systems. This could lead to significant improvements in comfort, efficiency, sustainability, and affordability of energy. ‘It is important that this is tailor-made. Everyone has their own needs: one person may set the temperature to 19 degrees, while for others, that would be too cold. It’s crucial that people don’t lose control and can set their own boundaries.’