Sustainable grids 'support better energy management'

The adoption of more renewable energy facilities in daily life like solar panels highlights the importance of sustainable grids, which can effectively manage challenging energy transmissions.

Mario Haim, vice president of Schneider Electric, speaks at the main forum of the 2023 International Digital Energy Expo held at the Shenzhen Convention and Exhibition Center in Futian District on Thursday. Wang Haolan

Mario Haim, vice president of Schneider Electric, made the remarks during the main forum of the 2023 International Digital Energy Expo held at the Shenzhen Convention and Exhibition Center in Futian District on Thursday.

Haim noted a scenario where a household has solar panels installed on its rooftop. During sunny periods when energy production is high but the occupants are not at home, grids can facilitate the movement of the surplus energy to other locations. Similarly, when cloud cover reduces energy production, grids can respond in real time to effectively manage the energy distribution.

Haim added that if households can produce and consume their own energy, the potential costs could be lowered. When households don’t need the energy they generate, they can feed it back into grids, benefiting their neighbors as well.

Haim said that the forum plays a vital role in bringing together different companies. “We (Schneider Electric) come originally more from the hardware side and have evolved much into a software company with artificial intelligence management systems and so on. I am sure there are some areas where we could create synergies. One plus one is maybe three instead of only 1.5,” he said.

“Shenzhen has achieved a lot in terms of battery storage and electrical vehicle integration. Every company has different advantages so why not bring certain things each is good at together?” Haim added.