Industrial Automation Magazine India

Schneider Electric unveils new research and IT innovation to meet the demands of a digital-first future

Published on : Monday 21-06-2021

The new Digital Economy and Climate Impact report recommends continuing efforts to achieve efficiencies on IT and energy sides, at component and system levels.

June 2021 – Schneider Electric, the leader in digital transformation of energy management and automation, recently released a research report to foster an understanding of how digitised and smart applications will be powered in the future. The report titled Digital Economy and Climate Impact predicts IT-sector related electricity demand is expected to increase by nearly 50% by 2030. Yet, as the electricity system decarbonises, emissions would not increase by more than 26% by that time. To help mitigate this rise in emissions, the Schneider ElectricTM Sustainability Research Institute recommends continued efforts in achieving efficiencies on the IT and energy sides at both the component and system levels. Released at an exclusive media event presented virtually from Schneider Electric's Boston Hub, the report highlights how the rise of edge computing requires a specific focus as these systems are expected to be less efficient than hyperscale data centres from a PUE standpoint.

"When the world locked down it also logged on and internet traffic soared," said Pankaj Sharma, EVP, Secure Power, Schneider Electric. "It's misleading to assume that digital activity will inevitably result in a deeply problematic increase in CO2 emissions. The analysis from the Schneider Electric Sustainability Institute puts to rest many of the worst-case scenario claims predicting IT-related electricity use will double every five years. That said, as an industry we must remain vigilant in finding new sources of sustainability gains while ensuring resiliency as digital keeps life moving forward."

Sharing his thoughts Mr Venkatraman Swaminathan, VP & Country General Manager, India & SAARC, Secure Power Division, Schneider Electric added, "The world has been experiencing an evolution in technological shift towards a sustainable model of operations. India is on a journey of transformation and businesses are embracing green energy supported by cutting-edge technology that aims at improving efficiency and business outcomes. At Schneider Electric, we believe in co-creating an ecosystem of growth and sustainability. Our endeavour is to innovate and build future ready solutions that can be leveraged by businesses to re-imagine their approach towards digital revolution and create a benchmark on the global map of energy efficiency."

In addition to releasing the research report, Schneider Electric also announced updates to its EcoStruxure™ IT data centre infrastructure management software and Galaxy™ VL 3-phase uninterruptable power supply (UPS). All introductions are designed to advance the industry forward in meeting sustainability goals while increasing resiliency of IT and data centre infrastructure.