Enel and Schneider Electric participate in the World Economic Forum (WEF): the international organization for public-private cooperation, in order to announce the launch of the beta version of the “Net Zero Carbon Cities Toolbox” at the Sustainable Development Impact Summit (20-23 September 2021).
This digital platform contains a range of decarbonisation solutions to foster urban transformation, through the management of energy, buildings, mobility, water and waste. This tool guides users through a process aimed at identifying and prioritizing the solutions that best meet their specific needs. This solution database includes policy, business and finance models that result in reduced emissions as well as local value creation such as the creation of “green” jobs and improved air quality.
Enel and Schneider Electric: the “secrets” of the Toolbox
The beta version of the Toolbox has collected over 200 real case studies and solutions from more than 110 cities around the world. The Toolbox is open to any user and in particular to major city and state authorities and businesses. It allows users to browse the database and search for needs-based solutions, and solve the most pressing local challenges.
“As this tool and the solutions it contains show, the technology to decarbonise our cities already exists. When it comes to its use, we need to think beyond just public infrastructure and focus on all buildings, especially our existing building stock. Modernization programs play an important role in the transition of cities in achieving carbon neutrality, said Jean-Pascal Tricoire, president and CEO of Schneider Electric.
“Clean electrification is paving the way for the decarbonisation of the economy by promoting sustainable urban transformation and, with today’s technologies and know-how, we have the tools to succeed and a unique opportunity to make a difference”, he has declared Francesco Starace, CEO and General Manager of the Enel Group. “The Solutions Toolbox is a great tool for business and policy makers, as it provides integrated energy solutions to contribute to a more prosperous and resilient society. As a global leader in the energy sector, Enel is constantly working with global partners to help guide large-scale actions towards a more sustainable and inclusive future ”.
Included in the Solutions Toolbox, users will find Enel’s integrated solutions that aim to deliver decarbonised, sustainable and resilient urban ecosystems in cities around the world. With a particular focus on intelligent energy infrastructures, Enel’s Open Meter is the new generation of smart meters that reflects the most recent developments in the market and technology in the field of advanced metering and remote management of electricity grids.
In Italy alone, where the technology will reach over 35 million customers by 2025, this second generation smart meter allows the collection of more than 7 trillion data annually, including using near real-time data and electrical parameters to enable big data analytics for the network. It is a digital medium that improves customers’ awareness and understanding of their electricity consumption habits and favors more efficient and sustainable consumption patterns.. It also allows consumers to take a proactive role in monitoring and controlling solutions such as solar roofs, home automation and electric mobility, encouraging the spread of new advanced energy services. In line with the Group’s circular economy approach, the Open Meter is designed and manufactured using regenerated plastic, emitting 6% less CO2 and producing 122g less waste per Open Meter than a conventional meter.
The platform also provides several solutions successfully implemented by Schneider Electric. The company’s solutions specifically highlight how energy efficiency can drive energy and material savings that can be reinvested in city infrastructure and community projects, including infrastructure upgrades and improvements to municipal buildings, such as HVAC systems and building controls. intelligent automation. For example, in Holland, Michigan (USA), city authorities collaborated with Schneider to include energy targets in the broader master plan, on how to use energy savings to address infrastructure upgrades in order to achieve sustainability goals. helping all residents to reduce energy consumption by 30% to 50%.
Net Zero Carbon Cities
The Toolbox is the third final product of the program “Net Zero Carbon Cities”, a WEF initiative whose goal is to align and scale the efforts between companies, cities and governments nationwide to provide sustainable, resilient and equitable urban ecosystems. The Program is co-chaired by Jean Pascal Tricoire, President and CEO of Schneider Electric, and Francesco Starace, CEO and General Manager of the Enel Group.
Last week, the initiative also published an information note “Urban Transformation: Integrated Energy Solution”, which shows how the built environment and mobility can serve as a basis for initiating urban transformation and decarbonisation in any part of the world.