As the world shifts to renewable energy, one challenge persists: intermittency. Solar and wind are abundant but unpredictable. Intelligent storage, powered by AI, IoT, and predictive analytics, is emerging as the bridge between renewable generation and reliable supply.
At Cypher 2025, one of India’s largest AI conference organised by AIM from September 17-19, Dhanya Rajeswaran, global vice president and country managing director at Fluence India, explained how storage is transforming power systems.
Rajeswaran broke down the fundamentals: “Renewable energy, which is energy generated through solar or wind, is perishable. What you generate that particular day has to go into the grid,” she said.
India has pledged 500 GW of renewable capacity by 2030. Yet, without storage, much of that energy risks being wasted. The International Energy Agency (IEA) estimates that renewables already supply 30% of global electricity, underscoring the need for effective storage solutions.
Fluence’s Approach
Fluence, founded as a Siemens–AES joint venture and now a public company, operates in 48 markets. It has deployed more than 30 GW of storage and digital applications worldwide.
Rajeswaran described Fluence’s offering as a blend of hardware and intelligence. The system houses thousands of components and an operating system layered with AI. This enables market optimisation, predictive maintenance, and life-cycle management.
The company’s software platforms, Nespera and Mosaic, exemplify this. Nespera monitors components to predict failures, maintaining 99% uptime. Mosaic acts as a bidding platform. Rajeswaran compared it to financial markets: “In a stock market, anybody with more information than the other is the king. This software ensures our customers are king.”
Bottlenecks in Grid Integration
Storage deployment often faces regulatory delays of 12–24 months. Fluence has built intelligence into its modelling process, cutting this timeline to under six months in many markets.
“Certification calls for a whole ton of compliance because you cannot afford any sort of safety risk. With the intelligence that we have built into the system, we are now able to bring that down to less than six months,” Rajeswaran said.
Faster certification reduces capital tie-ups and makes projects more attractive for investors.
Safety, Reliability, and Scale
Battery safety remains a global concern. Fluence units, which weigh up to 90 tonnes, are designed with predictive safety systems. AI detects risks early and can shut down systems before faults escalate.
“Safety for us is paramount. There’s no way any government is going to allow us to work if it’s not built for absolute safety,” Rajeswaran said. She added that predictive analytics also prevent premature battery degradation.
Reliability engineering is central to Fluence’s model. System-level insights inform design improvements and strengthen supplier ecosystems.
Beyond renewables, storage also supports energy-hungry data centres. The IEA reports that global data centres consumed 460 TWh in 2022, equal to the UK’s total power use. Rajeswaran noted that Fluence’s storage does not generate energy but ensures predictable supply, a critical need for data infrastructure.
India’s Role in Global Storage
Although headquartered in the US, Fluence relies heavily on its Bengaluru innovation hub. Most product design, science, and delivery work originates there.
India’s ambitions are equally bold. The power ministry targets 47 GW of battery storage by 2030, up from 2 GW today. By 2032, total storage demand could reach 74 GW, including pumped hydro. Companies like Fluence are key to this growth.
The Future of Smarter Grids
The integration of intelligent storage is not just about grid stability. It enables decentralised systems, empowers communities, and supports net-zero goals.
Rajeswaran closed with a reminder: “AI is definitely solving very important problems for humanity. If we are not able to leverage the power of AI to make sure that these systems continue to support the evolution of the human race with renewable energy, we really have a huge opportunity to miss.”
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