Schneider Electric and Solairedirect on joint solar project in Morocco

Casablanca (Morocco), Schneider Electric, the global specialist in energy management, and Solairedirect, energy expert and leader in solar photovoltaic power in France, will travel to Morocco on an important visit from May 12th through 14th 2010 to present their joint project in solar energy.

During this major visit, they will meet with local authorities to gather information about the Kingdom’s energy strategy and will present their energy development projects for Morocco to key decision makers. This visit represents a unique opportunity for a potential partnership with several Moroccan institutions for the Moroccan Solar Plan, especially concerning the project of a 2 GW generation capacity using solar solutions by 2020.

Schneider Electric and Solairedirect are recognised as leaders in the solar and photovoltaic energy sector and have demonstrated their industrial and innovative expertise through major projects using the most advanced products and solutions:
- Schneider Electric’s portfolio provides end–to–end renewable energy solutions from generation to distribution.
- Solairedirect manufactures quality photovoltaic infrastructures that adhere to the highest performance and security standards

Schneider Electric, which has been operating in Morocco for 60 years, and Solairedirect, are committed to collaborating with local industrial resources and to providing Morocco with their wide range of expertise, from energy generation to distribution.

Representatives for Schneider Electric, Karim Belcadi, President for Schneider Electric (Morocco), and Jean-Claude Estival, Energy Business Manager, and for Solairedirect, Thierry Lepercq, CEO, and Younes Slaoui, President Advisor will form the delegation.
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Alstom and Schneider Electric are considering making a joint bid for Areva T & D

Schneider Electric and Alstom are considering making a joint offer to acquire Areva Transmission and Distribution (T&D), recently put up for sale by its parent company.

In order to achieve this, Alstom and Schneider Electric would create a common structure which would bid for Areva T&D and, if this offer is accepted, would ultimately transfer the transmission activities to Alstom and the distribution activities to Schneider Electric. Such a transfer of activities would have no social consequences.
This offer will optimise the strategic, industrial and commercial strengths that both Alstom and Schneider can bring to each of the two areas of T&D and maximise the value of the business. This offer would consequently be more attractive for the vendor.

The high voltage Transmission (T) part of Areva T&D is very close to Alstom’s own activities in power generation. Alstom will bring to Areva T&D its expertise and knowledge in power networks and automated systems, its know-how in the management of large projects and the full benefit of Alstom’s worldwide commercial network which is particularly focused on power generation utilities, the primary market for high voltage activities.

The medium voltage Distribution (D) part of Areva T&D is a business in which Schneider Electric is very active and that it would like to reinforce. Schneider Electric would bring to Areva T&D its considerable technical and operational strengths in automation and medium voltage, its worldwide sales network, as well as a complementary access to Industry, Building and Infrastructures, major markets for medium voltage activities.

This consolidation around two major worldwide industrial groups, specialised in their own fields, would represent a considerable development opportunity for Areva T&D’s employees.

A world technological first for Schneider Electric with the introduction of a ZigBee-based wireless, batteryless switch

Schneider Electric unveiled the prototype of the world’s first ZigBee-compatible self-powered switch at the ZigBee European Forum in Munich, Germany, on June 29.

With this wireless, batteryless switch based on ZigBee technology, Schneider Electric is responding to market expectations for a product that is:
- easy to install, as it is wireless,
- reliable, as the switch operates continuously and requires no maintenance,
- green, as there are no batteries to recycle.

The switch illustrates two aspects that Schneider Electric feels are indispensable in the design of more energy efficient solutions for residential and commercial buildings: true interoperability of networked equipment and the confidence and foundation for upgradeability provided by a shared technological standard.

“With this world first, Schneider Electric’s Innovation Department has achieved a real technological breakthrough, made possible by an intense development effort,” notes Philippe Delorme, Executive Vice President, Strategy & Innovation of Schneider Electric. “By using an open global standard, we are making communication less complex and contributing to the emergence of ambient intelligence in buildings.”

A key leader of the ZigBee Alliance, Schneider Electric took a stand very early on to promote this wireless technology as a standard that would allow different radio frequency applications to communicate and enhance everyday life.

Simple, open technological standards are the best way to foster the emergence of new, more effective applications. As the world’s energy management specialist, Schneider Electric is actively committed to developing these kinds of standards in energy and automation, as well as in communication and IT. For this reason, the Group is involved in numerous local and international standards organizations, including the IEC, ISO and ODVA.

The prototype presented in Munich grew out of Schneider Electric’s involvement in the HOMES program (http://www.homesprogramme.com/), a European project comprising 13 manufacturers and researchers that is designed to create solutions for achieving optimal energy performance in all buildings. Emulation and knowledge sharing within this ecosystem considerably speeded the development of the ZigBee-compatible self-powered switch.

In working to meet the major challenge of energy efficiency, Schneider Electric’s R&D teams are guided by a shared commitment to reducing energy consumption, optimizing connectivity and offering simple solutions. By delivering the necessary breakthrough technologies expected by its core markets while making customer satisfaction the key focus of innovation, Schneider Electric is helping to bring forward the energy solutions of tomorrow.

Schneider Electric provides a Madagascan village access to renewable energies through its BipBop program

On May 27, Schneider Electric presented an off-grid solar photovoltaic facility to local officials in Marovato, on Madagascar’s east coast, as part of its in-house BipBop energy access program for people at the bottom of the pyramid.

Schneider Electric deployed its full range of skills and competencies to offer Marovato’s 120 residents access to energy that is safe, reliable, efficient, productive and green. To carry out this project, the Group forged an innovative partnership with businesses, associations and residents within the Jirano association, whose mission is to set up a sustainable electricity supply system for isolated villages in Madagascar.

Schneider Electric and its partners developed a dedicated solution tailored to the nature and size of this project. The solution’s components ensure that the system operates smoothly, at top efficiency, and protect the solar installation. The Group provided a Xantrex by Schneider Electric photovoltaic inverter and charger, circuit breakers, and remote supervision and monitoring of the electrical enclosure via the GSM network. The facility generates peak power of 1,400 watts. In comparison, the village currently uses 490 watts. Schneider Electric and the Jirano association also developed a program to teach residents how to maintain the facility. In all, 12 jobs in electricity-related fields were created. In 2009, projects supported by Schneider Electric in Madagascar are expected to electrify 1,000 households, train 100 people and create 50 additional jobs.

Claude Graff, Executive Vice President, Renewable Energies, Schneider Electric said: “The electrification of Marovato demonstrates Schneider Electric’s ability to deploy a sustainable system that provides access to renewable energies and meets the region’s accessibility constraints.”

In a country with a limited power grid where only 20% of the population has access to electricity, off-grid clean energy solutions are a simple and efficient way to meet the development needs of disadvantaged communities. By helping these communities tap into renewable energies, Schneider Electric is reaffirming its socially responsible commitment to helping improve quality of life for people at the bottom of the pyramid and facilitating access to healthcare and education.

Gilles Vermot Desroches, Senior Vice President, Sustainable Development, Schneider Electric explained: “The key success factor in this project lies in a new type of cooperation in which businesses and village associations work together towards a common goal. We intend to pursue this initiative in the new economies that are the target of our BipBop energy access program.”

The Marovato electrification project is the first initiative to come out of Schneider Electric’s BipBop program, which stands for “Business Investment People at the Bottom of the Pyramid”. The program covers three strategically-related areas:
- Business - Build and deliver electrical distribution solutions for people at the bottom of the pyramid.
- Investment - Create an investment fund to develop electrical businesses.
- People - Help provide electrical training for young people looking to enter the workforce.

Helping customers consume less, produce more effectively, improve energy efficiency, protect the environment and contribute to the development of renewable energy sources is an integral part of Schneider Electric’s business and strategy. The BipBop initiative to electrify Marovato illustrates Schneider Electric’s desire to create a virtuous circle combining business, innovation and social responsibility.

Find the press kit on the electrification of the village of Marovato in the Press Area of Schneider Electric website.

The Vinon-sur-Verdon Solar Park showcases Schneider Electric’s unique expertise as a solutions provider for renewable energies

On May 15, Schneider Electric inaugurated the Vinon-sur-Verdon Solar Park in southeastern France, in partnership with SolaireDirect and Caisse des Dépots.

With the Vinon-sur-Verdon photovoltaic solar farm, Schneider Electric sets the standard for safe, reliable, efficient, productive, green energy. Its ability to offer an array-to-grid solution and related services to manage and convert the electricity produced by the photovoltaic modules and feed it to the grid makes Schneider Electric the only market operator to provide end-to-end management of solar array intelligence.

Henri Lachmann, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Schneider Electric said: « The Vinon-sur-Verdon Solar Park is a tangible example of how we implement our ‘One’ company program. It combines all of the Group’s products and services in a seamless, end-to-end solution tailored to the customer’s specific needs. »

The Vinon-sur-Verdon photovoltaic solar park will produce enough energy to meet the needs of 4,000 people, without the 2,800 metric tons of carbon emissions an equivalent fossil fuel-fired power plant would produce. Built for Solaire Durance, a joint venture between Caisse des Dépots and SolaireDirect, the park sits on nine hectares of land and consists of 19,000 photovoltaic panels, for an installed capacity of 4.2 MW.

Claude Graff, Executive Vice President, Renewable Energies of Schneider Electric explained: « The park demonstrates Schneider Electric’s renewable energies strategy, consisting of an end-to-end solution and related services to convert and manage the electricity generated by the photovoltaic solar panels and ensure a reliable connection to the power grid. »

By offering an integrated, end-to-end solution and acting as the sole contact for plant management for Solaire Durance, Schneider Electric has demonstrated unique know-how that complements the expertise of solar panel designers and sets it apart from rivals. Its products and services cover every requirement, from photovoltaic solar cells to connection to the French national 20 kV grid. They include feasibility studies, power distribution architecture design, the supply of all types of equipment including junction boxes, inverters, prefabricated transformer substations, MV transformer substations, the supervision system and video surveillance, as well as operating and maintaining the site for 20 years.

Through its operating and maintenance services, Schneider Electric can guarantee Solaire Durance 97.5% availability, leveraging both preventive maintenance to anticipate problems and monitoring equipment installed at critical locations in the park. The monitoring devices provide a variety of data on the array’s operation — the status of the photovoltaic modules and inverters, the production modules, fault reporting and alarms — and enable Schneider Electric to respond in real time to correct malfunctions and resume operations as soon as possible.

Renewable energies are the key to meeting changing energy demand while reducing carbon emissions. Over the last several years, the Group has added to its stature as a major provider of renewable energy solutions, notably by acquiring companies such as Xantrex, a world leader in the inverter market for the renewable energies sector.

In addition, venture capital fund Schneider Electric Ventures is responsible for identifying new growth and innovation opportunities, focusing on emerging market and technology trends early and cultivating partnerships with startups on the cutting edge of their fields. For these reasons, it acquired a 20% interest in SolaireDirect.

The major sustainable development issues of lowering consumption, producing more efficiently, enhancing energy efficiency, protecting the environment and helping to drive renewable energy development are core focuses of Schneider Electric’s businesses and strategy. The Vinon-sur-Verdon Solar Park demonstrates its ability to deliver appropriate, integrated solutions and showcases its unique position in providing access to renewable energies.