- Scheneider Electric is transforming energy use for a sustainable future
- Electricity 4.0 addresses and overcomes dual climate and energy crises
- Modernizing electric grids will help phase out fossil fuels and enhance renewable energy adoption
Global energy demand is projected to grow between 11 percent and 18 percent by 2050 especially from emerging economies, where growing populations and a strengthening middle class will result in higher energy demand, particularly ASEAN countries, India, and the Middle East, and Africa which is steadily urbanizing.
However, 60% of global energy production is currently lost or wasted before it even reaches consumers, making it harder to meet the growing demand of energy globally. Scheneider Eelctric says to transition to cleaner energy and better optimize energy use, priority should be on our buildings, industry, transport and people. Almost all (94%) energy-related emissions: buildings, industry and transport. Scheneider Eelctric is therefore providing smart energy everywhere in homes, buildings, data centers, industries, infrastructure, and grids. Combining electricity and digitization or Electricity 4.0, is the only way of addressing the climate crisis for more sustainable, more resilient, and more efficient future.
By leveraging Electricity 4.0, Scheneider Eelctric aims to help address and overcome the dual climate and energy crises, paving the way for a more sustainable future. Schneider Electric is championing the energy revolution, through Electricity 4.0, which the company says is the fastest way to achieve net-zero. Electricity 4.0 is the convergence of electric and digital to become greener and smarter to unlock a flexible, reliable bidirectional grid infrastructure and efficiency measures to avoid energy waste.
Modernizing electric grids will help phase out fossil fuels and enhance renewable energy adoption. Digitization will also help ensure that energy systems can integrate new technologies and meet future demands effectively.
1. Modernize buildings
Digitalization of old buildings and installing low-energy solutions to improve energy efficiency by introducing energy-efficient lighting, insulation, sensors and optimizing energy use of any new buildings. Buildings can also have microgrids installed to produce their own renewable or recoverable energy, such as solar panels or wind turbines.
2. Decarbonization
Decarbonization allows for cleaner and smarter operations by significantly reducing or eliminating carbon dioxide (CO2) and other greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from the atmosphere. Firms can switch from fossil fuels to electricity thereby cutting direct emissions combined with various digital power management tools and softwares to curb emissions.
Decabornization van be looked at at various points across the supply chain, from sourcing raw materials, to manufacturing, logistics, storage and more. Replacing of carbon-intensive fuel sources and adopt renewable energy.
3. Transport and infrastructure
Industrialization and urbanization has led to a growth in the world’s population leading to a heavy dependency on fossil-fuel powered transport and infrastructure in form long-distance trucks, airports, railway, or shipping ports, among others. Adoption of electrified personal and public transportation will reduce carbon emissions and help expand the EV charging infrastructure worldwide.
Organizations can produce and resell solar power back to the main grid for their own growth or enhance heir green energy dreams. Digitization of transport and infrastructure can lead to remote management leading to more reliable, sustainable and secure.
4. Skills & Capacity building
The firm is working various organizations to partners with learning institutions, support groups and startups for capacity building to help in the sustainable efforts. The firm is working players from all aspects of life from the boardroom, students, activists to bodaboda riders to help them play their part. Bottom-up approach on climate action efforts will involve more people in policy making and intervention.
According to Ifeanyi Odoh, the country president of East Africa, Schneider Electric, speaking on Tuesday during a media roundtable on efficient energy utilisation and greening solutions in Kenya said there is need to identify the right partners so that no one is left behind. The firm is working with schools, parastals, government agencies and the private sector to onboard as many as possible into the conversation.
“We are doing workshops with stakeholders at all levels of the society. Local training and upskilling initiatives are proving to be instrumental in fostering community development and enhancing economic stability. By investing in local talent, these programs strengthen local economies, allowing skilled workers to contribute meaningfully to businesses and create a more vibrant job market,” Odoh said.
According to Odoh, there is need to merge greening actions with existing technology to reduce carbon emissions by at least 70 per cent.