100% renewable electricity supply goal by 2030

Schneider Electric has announced plans to double its productivity as it commits to 100% renewable energy.

Schneider Electric emphasizes that renewable energy systems must first be optimized before they can be put into practical use. Today's announcement signals Schneider Electric's new journey to achieve carbon neutrality by 2030.

Schneider Electric has decided to participate in two global collaborations led by The Climate Group, a global non-profit organization, which bring together global companies to take action on climate change.

First, 'RE100' is a campaign aimed at achieving 80% renewable electricity use by 2020, with a final goal of 100% renewable electricity use by 2030. Furthermore, 'EP100' aims to double the economic output of each energy facility, doubling energy productivity by 2030 compared to the 2005 baseline.

Schneider Electric is committed to solving the world's new energy challenges by improving energy efficiency everywhere—from homes and buildings to cities, industries, and grids. As decarbonization, digitalization, and decentralization become more widespread, we must use energy in more productive ways.

Schneider Electric plans to leverage its technology solutions, EcoStruxure Power and EcoStruxure Grid, to deliver on its new commitments and achieve sustainable energy efficiency. This solution has enabled a 10% reduction in energy consumption every three years over the past decade. Schneider Electric's headquarters building in France, Le Hive, saw its energy consumption drop by one-sixth between 2008 and 2017.

Schneider Electric plans to scale this impact across its 1,000 power-consuming locations worldwide, including 200 factories, and will leverage a wide range of renewable energy sources, including solar, wind, geothermal, and biomass.

Schneider Electric aims to achieve 80% renewable energy use by 2020 as an intermediate goal, and plans to pursue the following three approaches to ultimately achieve 100% use by 2030.

First, we are implementing regional projects at Schneider Electric facilities around the world. Currently, Schneider Electric is implementing projects around the world to promote its renewable energy campaign, including installing solar rooftops at its operations in Vadodara, India, and Bangpoo, Thailand, and installing a geothermal and solar rooftop at its iconic Hive building in France.

Schneider Electric plans to activate renewable energy projects around the world to achieve its 2030 goals. While these projects will only meet a portion of the renewable energy demand, they will enhance the company's renewable energy capabilities while demonstrating energy-efficient technologies and serving as a model for companies considering renewable energy adoption.

It also procures long-term power purchase agreements (PPAs) offsite. A PPA is a long-term (12-20 years) contract between a renewable energy developer and a professional and reliable buyer. Through a PPA, developers can secure financing for new wind, solar, or other renewable energy projects, while buyers can gauge pricing based on forecasts from clean energy sources.

Finally, we will use Energy Account Certificates (EACs) and green electricity pricing. An EAC is a free-market certificate that certifies that 1 megawatt-hour (MWhr) of renewable electricity was generated and added to the grid from a green power source. Schneider Electric will use the EAC as a flexible and agile way to acquire and track renewable energy.

“We live in a new energy world where we need more electricity, and where decarbonization, decentralization, and digitalization are becoming more widespread,” said Emmanuel Lagarrigue, Chief Strategy Officer and Executive Vice President at Schneider Electric. “Our mission is to provide the technologies that support, drive, and accelerate the transition to this new energy world. As announced today, Schneider Electric has joined the RE100 and EP100 programs to deliver on our commitment to sourcing 100% renewable energy and pursue projects to double energy productivity, enabling consumers and businesses to use energy affordably, resiliently, sustainably, and securely.”