This summer, the high temperature in many parts of the world and the intensification of climate change are enough to make people think: Is our survival and development within the capacity of the earth? It is imperative for mankind to accelerate carbon reduction. As an industry with high energy consumption and high emissions, the sustainable development and transformation of the building sector is arduous, long-term and complex. How can we gain the upper hand?
Recently, Schneider Electric won the “2022 World-Changing Innovation Award – Honor Award in Architecture” issued by the world-renowned business magazine “Fast Company” for its latest IntenCity project. It is a forward-looking and successful attempt on the road to achieve the goal of net zero carbon in a sustainable, more efficient and more people-oriented way, and it is also a strong proof of the application of Shijia’s net zero decarbonization strategy in the building industry.
Building future buildings – low carbon, sustainable development
Relevant data points out that the construction industry, as a “big carbon producer”, accounts for nearly 40% of global carbon dioxide emissions. Of the energy supplied to buildings, more than 30% is wasted. It can be seen that in order to realize the efficient use of building energy and speed up the decarbonization process, it is imperative to implement more digital and intelligent solutions.
IntenCity was officially put into use at the end of 2020, setting a benchmark for sustainable development and efficiency for the “building circle”. IntenCity integrates multiple sites in the project into an integrated space of 26,000 square meters. While reducing its own carbon footprint, it provides a safe, comfortable and pleasant office guarantee for more than 5,000 employees.
The Wisdom of Net Zero Carbon Buildings – Improving Efficiency from the Inside Out
According to statistics, the energy consumption of the IntenCity project is less than one-tenth of the average energy consumption value of European buildings, and has achieved net zero carbon emissions since the day of trial operation. So how does IntenCity achieve this?
1. Clean energy accelerates electrification
The IntenCity project actively adopts measures such as reducing energy use and replacing fossil fuels with renewable energy to reduce carbon dioxide emissions generated during the operation of the project. Equipped with 4,000 square meters of photovoltaic panels, 2 wind turbines and 300 kilowatts of on-site battery energy storage, the project can generate 970 MWh of energy per year to power up to 200 homes.
Solar and wind roof at the IntenCity factory in Grenoble, France
2. Digitalization facilitates high-quality development
With the help of Schneider Electric EcoStruxure™ solution and end-to-end digital open architecture, the IntenCity project has fully opened up the interconnection products, edge control and applications, analysis and services in the building power distribution system, and realized the digital monitoring and control of energy and carbon key performance indicators. analyze.
Intelligence and resilience go hand in hand
The building management solution adopts Shijia’s EcoStruxure™ Building Operation Building Operation System (EBO), EcoStruxure™ Power Monitoring Expert Power Management System (PME), EcoStruxure™ Microgrid Advisor (EMA), etc.
- EBO realizes real-time monitoring of equipment and environment by integrating building equipment, lighting control and other systems, and helps achieve strong openness, full integration and strong resilience through four major advantages.
- PME realizes data analysis and exchange by monitoring, tracking, analyzing and managing energy, electricity and other assets, and integrating with the building operation system, and provides optimization suggestions for energy visualization management;
- Through artificial intelligence technology and algorithms, EMA optimizes the strategy of new energy grid connection, and uses photovoltaic power generation as an energy supplement to ensure the power supply reliability of on-site power generation assets, reduce energy costs, and reduce carbon emissions. Provide IntenCity with a safer, more reliable, more efficient and intelligent digital power distribution system;
people oriented
The building management system can perform intelligent analysis based on the detailed data of 60,000 data points in the building, and adjust the operating status of the regional environmental system in real time according to the specific usage of the room or area, ensuring building efficiency, flexibility and comfort are “online at any time”.
We are honored to receive the “Creativity to Change the World Award” for the IntenCity project. The energy management solutions applied in the IntenCity project are based on Schneider Electric’s advanced energy performance model, which has become an integral part of the future energy landscape. With innovation at its core, the IntenCity project represents our eagerness for the arrival of a new world of full digitization and electrification.
—Andre Marino
Senior Vice President, Digital Buildings, Schneider Electric
The Links: SGMSH-15A2A-YR31 JZRCR-XSU02 ELECTRONIC