OREANDA-NEWS. April 18, 2017. Further reiterating its commitment to energy efficiency and access to clean energy, Schneider Electric India, today showcased a range of low-cost clean technologies which were on display at the catamaran as part of the Nomade des Mers (Nomad of the Seas) expedition. The expedition – which began in 2015 at Brittany (France) and will conclude in Indonesia – arrived at the Chennai port on April 11, 2017, after passing through Morocco, Senegal, Guinea Bissau, Cape Verde, Brazil, South Africa, Madagascar, Mozambique, the Maldives and Sri Lanka. The Schneider Electric Foundation, under the aegis of Fondation de France, is a key patron of the expedition to aid research and promote low technologies (low tech).

The mission of the Nomade des Mers project, is to showcase useful, simple and accessible technologies that are also environmentally friendly: low technologies. The catamaran will spend three years travelling the globe testing independent technologies and developing the international low-tech stakeholder and user community. On board, low-tech devices will be put to the test, optimized and linked to others to assess synergies toward achieving a self-sustaining ecosystem.

Speaking about the expedition, Nadine Bouquin, Vice-President Offer Creation & Governance, Schneider Electric said, “Schneider Electric Foundation is delighted to act as main patron of this project and support the expedition which is very much aligned to our commitment towards promoting sustainable low cost technology and solutions for a greener future. We believe such iconic projects have a profound effect on people and are stepping stones to address the worldwide challenge of climate change.”

The arrival of the ship at the Chennai port was celebrated by Schneider Electric at its Chennai plant with a contest amongst chosen employees, trainees and engineering students on innovative technologies. The objective of the event was to create innovative low tech solutions for a greener future. The winning solution would be displayed and showcased in the ship and will be a part of it in the rest of its expedition.

Present at the occasion, Mr Ramesh Phatak, R&D Head, Schneider Electric India said, leveraging scale economies with low technologies is a powerful answer to bolster energy access for a country like India, which has one of the lowest per-capita energy consumption. “These low-cost technologies are simple, cheap and easy to build system designed to tackle basic needs while respecting the environment. The prototype low-cost technologies can play an important role in meeting energy needs in isolated and off-grid areas as well as further add to the momentum established with regard to making India a net exporter of power”, added Mr Pathak.

Describing a phenomenon of “Energy Dilemma”, Mr Phatak said that the fastest growing sources of environmental impact are not necessarily the tangible, visible ones; although they may dominate the debate and agenda. Increasingly significant are the ‘unseen’ consequences of technology like e-commerce, virtual reality, remote services, big data, remote collaboration, mobility, the Internet of Things etc.; all of which are instinctively perceived as comparatively ‘environmentally friendly’ but whose impacts – often, far away from the end user - can be equally pervasive.

The solutions achieved through the research will be prototyped and submitted for approval by a jury of experts with the long-term ambition of creating a veritable "library" of tutorial videos open to everyone (individuals, NGOs in the field and local entrepreneurs, etc.). As a financial, technological and human patron of Nomade des Mers, the Schneider Electric Foundation will harness the skills and expertise of Schneider Electric employees for the expedition. At each stop, volunteers of the Schneider Electric Teachers association will be able to take part in events, share their knowledge and pass along their skills. In addition, recognized technical experts who have been granted Schneider Electric's "Edison" label will be invited to participate actively in LowTech Lab by collaborating on studies on selected technologies and sharing results from some of their research.

About the Schneider Electric Foundation
Created in 1998, the Schneider Electric Foundation, under the aegis of the Fondation de France, has worked together with its partners to implement solutions to address the energy issues faced by the world’s most underprivileged people. In emerging economies, the Foundation supports professional training programs in energy-related trades, thereby contributing to the Schneider Electric Access to Energy program. In mature economies, the Foundation fights against fuel poverty by offering training and awareness-raising programs for the concerned households. The Schneider Electric Foundation pays special attention to the involvement of its employees across all programs. For more information about the Schneider Electric Foundation and its work, please visit: http://www.schneider-electric.com/en/about-us/sustainability/foundation.jsp.

www.foundation.schneider-electric.com

About Schneider Electric
Schneider Electric is the global specialist in energy management and automation. With revenues of ~€25 billion in FY2016, our 144,000 employees serve customers in over 100 countries, helping them to manage their energy and process in ways that are safe, reliable, efficient and sustainable. From the simplest of switches to complex operational systems, our technology, software and services improve the way our customers manage and automate their operations. Our connected technologies reshape industries, transform cities and enrich lives. At Schneider Electric, we call this Life Is On.
www.schneider-electric.com 

Energy Dilemma
Today’s energy demands on the planet are enormous. Yet everyone has an indisputable right to energy. Energy efficiency and sustainability are at the heart of a growing world-wide debate towards creating technologically advanced solutions and address this growing imbalance.

A new theory of energy consumption and consequent environmental pollution postulates that the fastest growing sources of environmental impact are not necessarily the tangible, visible ones; although they may dominate the debate and agenda. Increasingly significant are the ‘unseen’ consequences of technology like e-commerce, virtual reality, remote services, big data, remote collaboration, mobility, the Internet of Things etc.; all of which are assumed to be inherently ‘environmentally friendly’ but whose impacts can be equally pervasive.

This, in essence of the Energy Dilemma - neglect of the latter, will mitigate all progress made with respect to the former. The environmental impact of the technological, virtual world, may be even more pervasive than that of the physical, mechanical one. What this means is that in the chain of environmental pollutants, the first (rather obvious) element is the visible or tangible pollution - all the energy produced from burning of fossil fuels and the consequent pollution. The second element constitutes the unseen / invisible / intangible components which emanate from increasing use of technology and digitization.