Schneider Electric has unveiled new integrated energy solutions for the next generation across multiple market segments at the Innovation Day Lagos 2019 event held on the 10th of October 2019 at Lagos Continental Hotel, VI Lagos.
In his opening remarks, the Managing Director Schneider Electric, Mr. Christophe Begat underscored the company’s interest in innovations for the future.
Expert learning sessions around issues including cybersecurity, end-to-end traceability for consumer-packaged goods and even smart, self-healing grids for electric utilities were held.
“Capable of note is the “Wiser” Smart Home Innovation. Imagine a home helps you regulate your room temperature and lighting, in it has a coffee maker that prepares your coffee for you just the way you like it, dressing your bed and securing your house and lots more with just the use of your “Alexa” app in your handy smartphone. The smart homes are not just smart but also help provide useful information to avert possible dangers or hazards.”
Schneider Electric seeks to digitalize and power the economy to keep the world connected efficiently thus reshaping how we live. This is coming at a time where smart devices have become more connected than any time in human history with over 17 billion connected devices and 7 billion IOT devices.
“The transformation the world has seen in the last 20 years, is far more than what the world saw 200 years preceding the last 20 years all because of tech innovation,” said Temitope Fasoranti, executive director at Zenith Bank.
He also testified that using smarter energy systems innovated by Schneider Electric has helped the bank save 60 percent on energy costs.
Schneider Electric Cluster President, Anglophone Africa, Albert Fuchet, in his keynote address, reinforced the company’s commitment to sustainability stating that over 60 percent of energy is lost in buildings and infrastructures due to inefficient use. Even though energy consumption is rising, over 2 billion people do not have access to energy.
“Schneider as a global company is addressing this challenge with stakeholders working on the climate challenge,” said Fuchet.
The disruptive technologies of the digital economy challenge companies to think and act differently “We are helping business and individuals unlock opportunities and make the most of the digital revolution across all market spares,’’ Begat told journalists.
Schneider Electric’s Digital Magic Wand – EcoStruxure
EcoStruxure is an open, interoperable, IoT enabled system architecture and platform that leverages advancements in IoT, mobility, sensing, cloud analytics, and cybersecurity to deliver innovation at every level.
Developed in numerous sites and with a large number of service providers in various utilities, the EcoStruxure architecture serves four end markets including building, data center, industry, and infrastructure.
Re-Invented Buildings
EcoStruxure for buildings is enabling sustainable design and active energy management in buildings. It is used in over 1million buildings including the Hilton Worldwide and the Malaysian Prime Minister’s office.
Schneider Electric believes buildings should provide a personalized experience to all occupants. In re-invented buildings, artificial intelligence will deliver data insights and help to build users and facility managers to operate their assets much more efficiently by knowing the life cycle of assets and when to repair or replace them. Faster and cost-effective installation can be achieved through open systems and APIs.
Digital Transformation
Over 20 of the largest oil and gas companies and 10 of the world’s top electric utilities have employed EcoStruxure to aid their digital transformation.
A representative from the Nigerian Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) also commended this stating that Schneider Electric helped the NLNG create a cohesive digital strategy.
Data Centers
Schneider Electric’s idea is to use cloud-based systems to manage hybrid IT environments. The process includes collecting and analyzing the massive amount of data, remotely monitor and manage all of a company’s sites from a single device and connect with outside experts to remotely monitor and service, then scale management systems leading to achieving better performance with predictive capability through big data analytics to spot trends and forecast failures.
Nigerian Market
Mr. Ifeanyi Odoh, Head Offer Management at Schneider Electric, noted the company launched the Global Access to Energy programme to ensure the availability and affordability to everyone, everywhere and at every time.
As part of its Community Social Responsibility, the company supports training opportunities designed to re-skill electricians, partnering with local training institutions to train over 200 electricians, it donated a fully-equipped JAMB center to the Bonny Kingdom and supports universities with training equipment. It has also provided 200 free modules and international certification online, of which over 1,000 Nigerians have benefited.
According to Viviane Mike Eze, Communications Manager at Schneider Electric; an inclusive nature of their service offering can be seen in that most installations in off-grid communities are powered by the company’s devices.
