Schneider Electric, a global provider of digital transformation of energy management and automation, has been recognized by independent analysis firm Verdantix as a leader in microgrid technology to enable advancement for decarbonization and sustainability.
According to the report, “Schneider Electric Leads The Charge On The Democratization Of Energy,” increasing the grid interactivity of facilities is becoming a key enabler for decarbonization as more renewables are onboarded. This stems from the grid, on-site generation, and as uptake of electric vehicles becomes more widespread. Verdantix recommends that customers required to adapt to a rapidly changing energy landscape and looking to implement on-site renewable generation and storage as part of wider corporate decarbonization goals should consider Schneider Electric’s microgrid offerings.
“Schneider Electric offers a comprehensive suite of hardware, software and services for energy management and automation in infrastructure to enable sustainable, reliable and efficient operations,” said Ben Hext, an analyst at Verdantix. “We think that they are well positioned to provide microgrid offerings that meet a variety of needs, including resilience, on-site renewable energy and energy savings.”
Schneider Electric provides the following microgrids offerings:
- Flexible energy consumption to reduce power costs: Firms must mitigate exposure to fluctuating energy prices by exploring on-site generation and storage. For example, Citycon, a real estate owner and developer, is developing a microgrid-enabled city center in Espoo, Finland in partnership with Schneider Electric. The program will save $352,000 in energy costs per year with an ROI of five years in conjunction with investment aid for new technologies.
- Increased resilience against grid failures: EcoStruxure Microgrid Advisor uses predictive analytics to carefully balance electricity consumption and generation for resilience. The platform can ingest historical data, weather forecasts, energy market pricing and scheduled operations to optimize energy flows in case of grid outages. For example, the US Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in San Diego installed a microgrid from Schneider Electric to ensure continued power access during sustained grid outages of up to 14 days.
- On-site renewable generation and storage for corporate decarbonization goals: Many businesses are pursuing net zero goals to align with governmental targets, such as the Paris Agreement. Lidl Finland installed a microgrid from Schneider Electric at a 60,000m2 distribution center. Projections estimate that the facility will reduce energy consumption by 50 per cent and enable 100 per cent renewable energy consumption through on-site generation and clean energy purchase agreements.
- Smarter use of renewable energy and EV charging to decarbonize operations: Governments worldwide are introducing a shift from fossil fuel vehicles toward EVs. Montgomery County is deploying a microgrid for EV charging at the Brookville Smart Energy Bus Depot through an EaaS agreement with Schneider Electric’s AlphaStruxure. The microgrid integration will deliver reliable charging to a fleet of 44 electric buses, cutting carbon emissions by 62 per cent and enabling the county to maintain bus services during power outages.
Having installed over 300 microgrids to date, Schneider Electric provides monitoring and predictive controls, comprehensive building automation, and de-risks the investment into microgrids with Energy as a Service joint ventures GreenStruxure and AlphaStruxure.
“Microgrids are a key enabler in the pursuit of a decarbonized environment and a more sustainable energy future, which is why Schneider Electric has built one of the best microgrid portfolios in the market,” said Bala Vinayagam, SVP, Microgrid Line of Business at Schneider Electric, which has offices in more than 100 countries, including Canada.
“Rising energy prices, the increasing frequency of grid outages, and the requirement to decarbonize have made energy challenges relevant and universal to all. As one of the most reputable global sustainability companies, Schneider has made it so that the benefits of microgrids can transform the energy profiles of a diverse set of infrastructure.”
Featured image: Schneider Electric head office. Image credit: SE.
