APC 2014 Annual Report Download - page 95

SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
SCHNEIDER ELECTRIC, AN ECO-CITIZEN COMPANY
International investments
Action plans
One transaction was concluded as part of the SEEA international
Offer a wide range of services for all energy access
portfolio in2014:
needs
SunFunder is an innovative financing company specializing in
l
Individual lighting: In a program to extend access to energy,
companies seeking to increase energy access in sub-Saharan lighting is one of the first vital needs expressed by population
Africa and emerging countries. It has a range of unique and groups denied access or reliable access to the electricity grid.
diverse funding offers through an online platform for Lighting makes it possible to study after the sun has gone down
participatory financing and debt funds for institutional investors. and to extend entrepreneurial activities into the evening. Building
It has recognized expertise in monitoring and selecting projects on its success in 2010 with the development of Homaya In-Diya, a
based on a rigorous selection process and measurement of the low-power, very low cost, solar home lighting system, the offering
2
social impact through an online platform. was completed in 2013 with the launch of the Mobiya TS120S
This was an investment of EUR1,900,000 as part of the SEEA lamp, which resulted from collaboration on technical specifications
international portfolio, or about 80% of the allocation. SEEA is not with the Total Access To Solar teams. Mobiya TS120S is a
planning any further investment in this portfolio but will continue to portable solar light-emitting diode (LED) lamp that is both robust
support the development of the companies in the portfolio. and affordable and offers up to 48 hours of lighting without
recharging. Its shape and ergonomic grip allows you to position
This international investment follows up on transactions carried the lamp in seven different ways to adapt to various situations in
out since2011: daily life: practical activities such as lighting a room or a targeted
Kayer SARL, a Senegalese company involved in the distribution
l
area, marking a route, cooking, sewing, reading and charging a
of solar systems in rural areas. Its offering includes solar homes cell phone. Its original design has already won three awards.
systems (SHS) as well as collective systems for supplying Individual electrification: Solar Home Systems (SHS) guarantee
irrigation pumps or agricultural windmills; domestic households and small entrepreneurs’ access to
Simpa Networks, a company based in Bangalore (India) whose
l
electricity for their day-to-day or income-generating activities. The
business is to make individual solar systems available to central component of the SHS is the solar charge controller for
disadvantaged people through a specifically developed connecting photovoltaic cells and batteries for powering small
prepayment system. Simpa relies on a network of partners direct-current devices such as fans, radios or televisions, as well
such as Selco to distribute the systems; as low-consumption LED lamps and cell phone recharging. In
One Degree Solar, a company that designs and distributes
l
2014, the Access to Energy program extended its offering to
small, inexpensive solar systems in Kenya. These systems provide a range of SHS dedicated to individual income-generating
enable users to benefit from lighting and to recharge their cell activities requiring higher-power alternating-current equipment
phones; (miller, tailor, hairdresser, restaurant, grocery, cinema, etc.).
Fenix International, a company that designs and distributes
l
Collective electrification: Schneider Electric originally developed
solar systems in Uganda, enabling users to develop a cell Villaya Villasol, a micro solar power plant dedicated to the
phone charging business. This company has established electrification of remote villages to meet collective needs, both
distribution agreements with mobile operators and has domestic and entrepreneurial. In 2012, its range was extended
developed a prepayment offering; with Villaya Villasmart, a micro hybrid power plant for optimized
Lumos International, a company that designs and distributes
l
management of an energy source derived from an
medium-power solar systems intended to provide users with engine-generator through a combination of photovoltaic cells.
enough energy to power household appliances such as fans or The collaborative MiCROSOL research project, which began in
televisions. These systems are intended to be distributed by November2011, aims to develop a unique and modular standard
mobile operators. technology for the simultaneous production of electricity, potable
Offerings and business models
water and heat primarily for the benefit of micro-industries located
in rural areas in countries with strong sunlight and direct radiation,
with Africa as the top priority. The project, led by Schneider
Approach
Electric, brings together nine public and industrial partners and is
supported by ADEME. Based on solar thermal technology, this
type of micro power plant has the advantage of being
Innovation for Schneider Electric starts with the local needs and environmentally friendly. In November2013, the MiCROSOL
the socio-economic context of those with little or no access to project consortium opened the CEA (Atomic Energy Center) in
clean, healthy and reliable electricity. With this in mind, the chief Cadarache, the demonstrator of its energy access solution. While
aims of its offerings and business models are to: capitalizing on the three years of the project, the first live pilot site
respond to the energy needs of villages to support sustainable
l
on the African continent is planned for 2016.
economic and social activity; Community energy services: The development of energy
include and involve local populations in projects to guarantee
l
services helps bring added value to the users in a community.
their sustainability in the long term. With its range of charging equipment for the Homaya In-Diya
Schneider Electric sets out to provide comprehensive energy lighting systems, Schneider Electric has extended its offering with
access solutions that support revenue-generating entrepreneurial solar water pumping solutions and public lighting.
activities, foster community services or meet domestic needs. The Villaya Water of the Sun solution, launched in 2012, is an
Products and solutions are developed to meet a range of both automatic solar water pumping system designed to provide water
individual and community needs across the energy chain, from at a reasonable price to people with limited or no access to
lighting systems and charging equipment to decentralized small electricity. It uses an advanced ATV312 Solar variable speed drive
power plants and water pumping systems.
93
2014 REGISTRATION DOCUMENT SCHNEIDER ELECTRIC