Smart green energy may just help solve the escalating power crisis

With the ongoing energy crisis having a huge impact on the supply chain, it may be time for businesses to look at alternative green energy sources.
14 October 2021

Despite the advancements in green energy today, many organizations still rely heavily on traditional power sources simply because it’s the way they have been doing things for years. But with the unfolding energy crisis affecting the UK, China, and other parts of the world, the domino effect it brings along is causing problems no one was really prepared to deal with.

In the UK, increasing gas prices caused many food manufacturers and supply companies to face shortages, thanks to increasing costs and the lack of energy. According to CNN, British companies affected may be forced to close factories or pass on the rising costs to consumers unless the UK government provides some relief.

As major users of natural gas and electricity, most of these companies are reeling from a meteoric increase in wholesale energy prices that could continue deep into the end of 2021. The crisis is also making UK companies less competitive compared to international rivals that have received help from their governments.

It’s not just the UK that’s facing an energy crisis. In China, there have been reports of worsening power deficits despite government efforts to boost coal supply and manage electricity use. The crisis clearly highlights the global problem of energy shortage.

For Jean-Pascal Tricoire, CEO and Chairman of Schneider Electric, companies need to increase their mix of energy on the supply side, that is not a constraint on resources and renewable sources. “Companies can consider mixing material sources of energy to be more resilience when a climate disorder or problem leading to supply of the usual grid,” he added.

Electric 4.0 and green energy

To address this need, Schneider Electric also unveiled digital innovation for carbon abatement, not just for power grids and industries, but also for homes, buildings, and data centers. Called Electricity 4.0, the for a new electric world, the convergence enables green energy and the best vectors for decarbonization.

For data centers, the new APC Smart-UPS Ultra 5kW is the industry’s first 5kW Uninterruptable Power Supply (UPS) — designed to deliver more power, flexibility, and intelligent monitoring in the smallest footprint, freeing up valuable IT space for edge applications. Schneider data center customers have reduced their carbon footprint by 37%.

In smart homes, Schneider announced a series of smart sustainable home solutions including Wiser that help fight energy waste. By 2050, households are expected to be the single largest consumer of electricity, and the biggest contributor of CO2 emissions, with as much as 34% generated by homes.

To create resilient digital grids, Schneider’s range of pure air SF6-free technology for net-zero grids is extended with the RM AirSeT Ring Main Unit and Modular Switchgear and the MCSeT Active Medium Voltage Air Insulated Distribution Switchboard. While smart electrical distribution rethinks Schneider’s low voltage digital products will deliver a simpler, more sustainable, safe, and secure user experience for installer and service partners to enhance the resiliency of the world’s growing digital economy.

With new solutions advocating green energy sources, businesses should look to having more alternatives in the future to ensure there is minimal disruption to their production. If remote work was a possibility during the peak of COVID-19, using alternative green energy roadmap should also be achievable in the long run.