Attendees at IoT World Europe (part of TechXLR8 and London Tech Week) heard about work that the leader in energy management and automation does to help digitise, decarbonise and decentralise the grid
Worldwide energy consumption is expected to increase by 50% in the next twenty years, rising to over 38,000 terawatt-hours by 2050. Current government goals state we must cut carbon emissions in half in the same timeframe. To deliver on both, energy efficiency must be increased three-fold over the next two decades.* Now, Theresa May’s proposed target to achieve zero net emissions by 2050 is set to only further increase expectations on the UK’s utilities sector.
In a bid to support the shift to a more sustainable and efficient energy landscape, David Hall, Schneider Electric Power Systems VP for UK & Ireland, visited IoT World Europe (part of TechXLR8 and London Tech Week) last Thursday. He delivered a talk outlining the transformations and innovations that will help the utilities market meet the energy efficiency challenge, while also developing a competitive edge in an increasingly complex and competitive environment.
During the talk, David Hall, Power Systems VP UK & Ireland at Schneider Electric said:
“The emerging game changer in the UK market currently is electric vehicles. Every stakeholder in the electricity value chain will be affected by this fundamental shift towards ‘prosumer’ behaviour.
“We know that increased adoption of renewables is coming; the UK energy mix is already using on average 30% renewable energy. Prosumer behaviour, including the adoption of electrical vehicles, is having its influence – both at home and in business. Growing demand for accessible, reliable and decarbonised energy is creating a blur between supply and demand, pushing the grid to become smarter.
“Automation is starting to become the norm in utilities, the next step is to move towards predictive and proactive management of the grid. In the future, Schneider Electric believes every company will be an energy company – but to take advantage of opportunities presented by current disruption in the industry, utilities players must start to act now.”
The talk also outlined the new three-layered models of IoT deployment being adopted in the utilities sector, including the trademarked Schneider Electric offering tailored to utilities, EcostruxureTM Grid. This three-layered model focuses on bringing connected products under edge control, meaning they can then be monitored and optimised through a suite of apps, analytics and services.
David Hall’s ‘Digital Grid Unleashed’ talk went on to outline:
How utilities players can manage increasing complexity in their energy networks and transform disruption into opportunity:
- The opportunities to benefit from the energy shift for both consumers and operators
- The opportunities utilities can seize to digitise and improve competitiveness
- Why winning companies build strong energy strategies to support their business purposes
More information about the EcostruxureTM Grid product and how it is transforming utilities can be found here: https://www.schneider-electric.co.uk/en/work/campaign/innovation/energy.jsp
* = Source: IEA and Schneider Electric’s forecast for 2050 compared to 2009 level
