APC 2010 Annual Report Download - page 18

DESCRIPTION OFTHEGROUP, ANDITSSTRATEGY, MARKETS ANDBUSINESSES
1GLOBAL SPECIALIST IN ENERGY MANAGEMENT
>
1. Global specialist in energy
management
Schneider Electric offers integrated products and solutions that wake energy safe, reliable, effi cient, productive and
green.
As a global specialist in energy management, with operations in over 100 countries, the Group enjoys leadership
positions in Utilities and Infrastructure, Machine Industry and Manufacturers, Non-residential Buildings, Data Centres
and Networks, and Residential.
1. 1 Energy efficiency, a global challenge
With economic growth and the increase in the world’s population,
the need for energy is rising exponentially, along with CO2 emissions.
Today, out of the world’s 6 billion inhabitants, 2 billion have access to
adequate energy infrastructure and 2 billion will attain middle class
status in around ten years, while 1.4billion people – 300million
homes – still have no access to electricity. In addition, the planet
could have 2 billion additional inhabitants by 2030. The increase in
the global demand for energy seems set to carry on rising.
At the same time, renewable energy sources are still insuffi cient and
the energy mix is unlikely to change much over the next 25years:
unless radical changes are made much faster than expected, two-
thirds of energy will continue to be produced from fossil fuels.
By 2050, the energy equation will therefore be: a doubling of
worldwide energy demand, and at the same time, a need to halve
CO2 emissions at the global level in order to combat climate change.
In these conditions, energy management and energy effi ciency
will be required for economic growth to be achieved. This is the
business of Schneider Electric.
(Source: International Energy Agency, 2009)
1. 2 Towards smart energy management
The electricity grid is becoming smarter, and users need to be
connected simply and safely.
From mobile telephones to the internet to home automation,
technology is constantly making communication easier and faster.
This trend towards connectivity is growing throughout the world.
But no matter how technical products or solutions may be, users
want them to be easy to install, use and maintain. They want to
have access to reliable and safe energy that keeps their installations,
infrastructure and equipment operating at an optimal level.
A new electricity grid is emerging that is more “intelligent”: the
smart grid. The traditional grid, which was simple and linear, with
centralised energy output and passive consumers is now changing
into a more complex, interconnected and active model.
With renewable energies each consumer can produce his or her
own energy, but the various and irregular sources now have to be
connected to the central grid.
Demand response makes energy visible and offers everyone the
chance to affect their own consumption.
Electric vehicles are revolutionising the perception of mobility, both
in terms of access to energy, and its use and storage.
Real-time grid management allows consumption levels to be
anticipated and supply to be adapted accordingly.
To meet regulatory, environmental and profi tability requirements,
energy must be safe, reliable, effi cient, productive and green. This
will require integration: an entire system, not just the individual
components have to be taken into account. The era of intelligent
energy management has dawned, and Schneider Electric has the
vision, products and services and ambition necessary to play a
major role in this energy revolution.
2010 REGISTRATION DOCUMENT SCHNEIDER ELECTRIC16