By Ndubuisi Micheal Obineme
Schneider Electric, the foremost innovator and specialist in energy management solutions is making headway to providing companies with a digital solution called – EcoStruxure, designed to enhance profitability and optimize costs.
This was made known to our correspondent at a media chat with Schneider Electric’s Marketing Communication Manager, Viviane Mike-Eze in Lagos.
According to Viviane, Schneider Electric’s EcoStruxure Platform uses the Internet of Things (IoT) with Connected Products, Edge Control Solutions, Apps, Analytics & Services in order to provide greater value to maximize profit and increase energy efficiency.
“EcoStruxure is basically the foundation of all Schneider Electric Solutions. All our solutions are smart. We are really making our equipment work for companies and buildings in order to achieve greater efficiency,” she said.
“At the basis of EcoStruxure, it is an architecture that organizes into three layers. At the foundation, you have Connected Products. If we want operations to be smart, then, it needs to be connected. We are able to monitor what is happening. With all the sensors that are required, Connected Products will gather Data. We also have EcoStruxure for Building, Power, IT, Machine, Plant, Grid.
“For example, in Building, if there is a connected breaker and with EcoStruxure solutions in it, you will be able to monitor the energy usage and other components you would want to monitor such as the temperature, number of people inside the Building.
“At the second layer, we have the Edge Control. This includes Software that will enable you interface with the Data that is collected. At the first layer, the Data is collected. At the second layer, the Data is visible through an interface in the backend but it also enables you to monitor and control what is happening as you can also decide on the Edge Control Solutions maybe to setup an equipment so that when the office reaches such a temperature the ACs will start turning down and when there is no body in that place, the lights will go off. It can be done with the Software.
“At the third layer, we have Apps, Analytics & Services. At these layer, it is becoming really smart because in this layer we have EcoStruxure IT adviser, which is a software with all these data that is collected, it will Analyze it and provide more information on how you can increase your savings in your Building by 40%.
“If i take the example of a manufacturing plant in oil and gas to change segment. At this level, Apps, Analytics & Services, will be able to monitor what is happening in different plants but all the Data will be collected, analyzed, and the Software will provide more information about the plant or equipment that might go off in the next five months and informing you to change it much earlier to avoid future downtime. That’s what we call Predictive Maintenance because it will show you how to increase your profitability in the plant through making some updates via the settings,” she noted.
Schneider Electric also has service contractors that does the work for clients in a way of monitoring the plant and provide feedback in regards to any changes that is required.
In IT, Schneider Electric is involved in the 21st Century Project – Biggest IT Data Center to be built in Nigeria. All the equipment from the building of the Data Center to the UPS Solutions including the alternative power is EcoStruxure enabled. The Data Center will be built based on Schneider Electric’s EcoStruxure Technology.
Schneider Electric’s key clients include; with NLNG, LAFARGE, Nestle, I.T.B. Nigeria Limited, MTN, Ministry of Power River State, Zenith Bank.