Schneider Electric’s New Energy Center to Boost DG for Homes

The technology that homes have to adopt as a result of advances in clean energy is growing rapidly. Distributed generation-based solar, energy backup in the form of batteries and an electric vehicle (EV) charging station are some examples. Rather than just one or two technologies, the total load can become a lot to take care of, opening the door for new solutions such as Schneider Electric’s (SE) Energy Center to help manage it.

GreenTech Media reports that SE’s solution, named the D Energy Center, is to be unveiled at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) taking place this week in Las Vegas. The Energy Center aims to cater first to markets where solar plus storage and EVs are already well-established, such as in California. Nevertheless, markets where these trends are growing steadily, such as Mexico, could benefit from the solution, as well. The D Energy Center is an electrical service entrance box that combines what would otherwise be several installations through the company’s Wiser Energy platform.

The French multinational has already been selling its ‘Wiser’ platform for approximately ten years. Nevertheless, the technology and its benefits were more or less reserved for those who had lots of money to spare. Experts now believe this trend is changing since more consumers are moving toward the smart house trend, often starting with basic blocks like Amazon’s Alexa or Google’s Assistant. Furthermore, with battery storage for home solar installations bringing enough benefits for solar-owners to consider adapting their installations, a further incentive to modernize management systems comes into play.

In an interview with GTM, Richard Korthauer, VP of Schneider Electric’s Home and Distribution business, mentioned another important incentive. “You are going to pick up the ability to do distributed energy, energy monitoring via the Wiser app, the ability to automatically switch loads and you are going to be adding literally only US$1,000 to your initial investment,” he said. Schneider can expect stiff competition in the budding market, however. Other important players such as Tesla, Sunrun, Sonnen, Generac and Enphase are offering solutions to the same needs as well.

In a 2019 MER interview, Enrique González, Zone President Mexico at Schneider Electric, outlined the company’s mission regarding energy efficiency in Mexico. “We must continue working to raise awareness about the importance of energy efficiency among the pool of final users across all scales: small, medium and large consumption. To be empowered, they need to be aware of the means at their disposal to invest in energy efficiency. Final users are gradually being made aware of this critical issue as it is now impacting their budgets. Mexico’s new energy model now shows the real costs of generating, distributing and transmitting electricity and is acting as a conscience trigger. It encourages energy savings and there is a wide array of options to attain them,” he said.