Connect - Schneider Electric
Connect - Schneider Electric
Connect - Schneider Electric
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3.2 A platforms strategy<br />
The growing digitalisation of products, which provides for more<br />
fl exibility and the growing share of software within solutions, open new<br />
perspectives on the development of shared technological platforms<br />
for different businesses. This possibility, already demonstrated by<br />
the new components of StruxureWare, can be extended to other<br />
<strong>Schneider</strong> <strong>Electric</strong> product/solution portfolio domains.<br />
Ambitious programmes were initiated in 2011 to create shared<br />
platforms in the embedded control domain and the SCADA (control<br />
and monitoring systems) or in the user interface domain, with major<br />
innovations such as augmented reality.<br />
3.3 Projects with significant impact<br />
Parallel to the cross-cutting programmes such as EcoStruxure and<br />
long-term investments such as the platforms, <strong>Schneider</strong> <strong>Electric</strong>’s<br />
R&D still strongly contributes to the success of the Group’s products<br />
and solutions.<br />
Large scale collaborative programmes<br />
HOMES is Europe’s most important innovation programme for<br />
the energy effi ciency of buildings. Led by <strong>Schneider</strong> <strong>Electric</strong> and<br />
supported by OSEO, an agency that supports entrepreneurship<br />
and innovation; it involves a total of 13 companies and research<br />
laboratories.<br />
The aim of HOMES is to fi nd a number of coherent solutions to<br />
improve energy management for buildings without reducing<br />
comfort. Covering both new and existing residential and commercial<br />
buildings, the program’s goal is to produce prototypes ready for<br />
manufacture.<br />
In addition, testing has been carried out under the programme at<br />
fi ve pilot sites since February 2010, in conjunction with the FFIE<br />
(French Federation of <strong>Electric</strong>al Engineers). The aim is to devise a<br />
method for effectively measuring performance for existing buildings,<br />
to enable ways of reducing energy consumption to be identifi ed in<br />
each case.<br />
At the end of 2011 the programme was used to assess a potential<br />
gain of around 20% to 50% on the pilot buildings by using the<br />
building energy simulation tool of the CSTB (Building Scientifi c and<br />
Technical Centre). These remarkable results are accompanied by a<br />
description of a control functions library to be implemented in order<br />
to achieve these gains; this library will be gradually integrated into<br />
the <strong>Schneider</strong> <strong>Electric</strong> solutions.<br />
The programme has also shown the ability to move directly from the<br />
CAD drawings of a building to the simulation of the building’s energy<br />
performance, thus providing a view of an uninterrupted chain from<br />
conception to control.<br />
Finally, one of the major results from the HOMES programme is<br />
the completion of a new type of wireless comfort sensor with an<br />
autonomous energy supply. The fi rst prototypes for tertiary sector<br />
and residential buildings have been completed; they measure<br />
temperature, humidity, luminosity and carbon dioxide. This result<br />
allows a measurable understanding of the dynamic compromise<br />
between energy effi ciency and comfort.<br />
DESCRIPTION OF THE GROUP, AND ITS STRATEGY, MARKETS AND BUSINESSES<br />
R&D STRATEGY<br />
In addition to effi ciency gains, the platform strategy has major<br />
advantages:<br />
• faster integration of acquisitions, as demonstrated by<br />
StuxureWare;<br />
• increased ease of integrating outside products into<br />
<strong>Schneider</strong> <strong>Electric</strong> solutions due to the defi nition of<br />
interoperability standards;<br />
• and therefore, faster innovation.<br />
The Innovation and Technology Board, which was created<br />
in 2009 and has strongly contributed to the success of the<br />
EcoStruxure programme, is behind this strategy and responsible<br />
for its management.<br />
MIRTIC is an ENIAC European cooperative programme launched<br />
in 2011 with the company Ulis. It responds to a need highlighted<br />
by the results of the HOMES programme: the need for a presence<br />
sensor (not a movement sensor) for the best possible adaptation of<br />
the building control for work, or even for the activity in the different<br />
zones. The aim of the programme is to supply a new type of sensor<br />
that will use affordable, low resolution infrared technology.<br />
SCUBA is an FP7 European cooperative programme launched in<br />
2011 with the Universities of Cork and Dresden, Philips and the<br />
CEA. The SCUBA project aims to defi ne the tools for conception,<br />
confi guration and the associated integration technologies in order<br />
to guarantee interoperability and fl exibility of the building control<br />
systems. It will use a test platform and a pilot site of the HOMES<br />
programme.<br />
MIND aims to improve the productivity of embedded software<br />
developments and critical components of “intelligent” products.<br />
The component assembly construction technology allows for<br />
effective development of reliable and fl exible products.<br />
<strong>Schneider</strong> <strong>Electric</strong> complements the results of this project with its<br />
own research into combining within the same product certifi ed<br />
embedded software, which ensures safe operation, and open<br />
software enabling related, evolving functions to be developed<br />
more rapidly.<br />
The MIND programme also passed from concept to rollout in 2011<br />
with an initial prototype phase underway through the ADN4SE<br />
project before a larger rollout of this technology in the embedded<br />
control platform mentioned below.<br />
Projects around Smart Grids<br />
2011 saw the start of two major projects involving the smart grids<br />
Greenlys and Millener.<br />
GREENLYS: the fi rst large scale demonstrator offering a global<br />
vision (www.greenlys.fr). The four-year project will test and rollout<br />
innovative solutions for the whole electrical system: decentralised<br />
electricity production, communicating meters, distribution network<br />
management, new demand reduction programmes, in-home<br />
energy management solutions, etc.<br />
2011 REGISTRATION DOCUMENT SCHNEIDER ELECTRIC<br />
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