A Hybrid Machine Learning Approach: Analyzing Energy Potential and Designing Solar Fault Detection for an AIoT-Based Solar–Hydrogen System in a University Setting

This research aims to optimize the solar–hydrogen energy system at Kangwon National University’s Samcheok campus by leveraging the integration of artificial intelligence (AI), the Internet of Things (IoT), and machine learning. The primary objective is to enhance the efficiency and reliability of the renewable energy system through predictive modeling and advanced fault detection techniques. Key elements of the methodology include data collection from solar energy production and fault detection systems, energy potential analysis using Transformer models, and fault identification in solar panels using CNN and ResNet-50 architectures. The Transformer model was evaluated using metrics such as Mean Absolute Error (MAE), Mean Squared Error (MSE), and an additional variation of MAE (MAE2). Known for its ability to detect intricate time series patterns, the Transformer model exhibited solid predictive performance, with the MAE and MAE2 results reflecting consistent average errors, while the MSE pointed to areas with larger deviations requiring improvement. In fault detection, the ResNet-50 model outperformed VGG-16, achieving 85% accuracy and a 42% loss, as opposed to VGG-16’s 80% accuracy and 78% loss. This indicates that ResNet-50 is more adept at detecting and classifying complex faults in solar panels, although further refinement is needed to reduce error rates. This study demonstrates the potential for AI and IoT integration in renewable energy systems, particularly within academic institutions, to improve energy management and system reliability. Results suggest that the ResNet-50 model enhances fault detection accuracy, while the Transformer model provides valuable insights for strategic energy output forecasting. Future research could focus on incorporating real-time environmental data to improve prediction accuracy and developing automated AIoT-based monitoring systems to reduce the need for human intervention. This study provides critical insights into advancing the efficiency and sustainability of solar–hydrogen systems, supporting the growth of AI-driven renewable energy solutions in university settings.