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Digitalisation experiences in the water sector

  • Digitalisation experiences in the water sector
Content by:Carmen de Miguel

About the entity

Schneider Electric
Schneider Electric is leading the Digital Transformation of Energy Management and Automation in Homes, Buildings, Data Centers, Infrastructure and Industries.

Themes

Schneider Electric has been working for a decade now on the digital transformation of the water industry. Although at the beginning this only meant collaborating with a few 'visionary' clients, currently we are experiencing a technological revolution at a global scale, and no one argues the need for it. In 2018, our Smart Water business increased by 15 per cent compared to the previous year, thanks to innovation, strategic partnerships, and the good results obtained with our clients.

Every innovation must have a purpose, and at Schneider Electric our reason for being is our clients. Therefore, our solutions focus on equipment with enhanced connectivity, operations that are better informed, more efficient and sustainable, and enhanced energy management to ensure savings and optimise investments.

Concerning technological development, and starting with the basic pillar, without reliable data in a safe environment, we will not be able to build anything. Hence, we have enhanced the EcoStruxure platform, so that it has all the required connectivity, data processing and cybersecurity tools.

EcoStruxure Pumping Performance Advisor is a service with expert advice for efficient management of pumping stations

From this EcoStruxture architecture, we have expanded our offering of digital water and waste water services, incorporating solutions for:

  • Cloud connectivity: thanks to EcoStruxure IoT Box, a device to connect field equipment with the cloud, to make data available for analytics applications and digital services.
  • Remote and safe asset connection: incorporating tools such as EcoStruxure Secure Connect Advisor, to carry out an easy assessment and maintenance of equipment, reducing travel costs and service interruptions.
  • Management of pumping stations: we have launched EcoStruxure Pumping Performance Advisor, a service with expert advice for efficient management of pumping stations that allows saving 15% of the total energy, operating and maintenance expenses.
  • Continuing with asset management, EcoStruxure Power Advisor is a new service to monitor the power system, providing recommendations to optimise it, thereby reducing problems related to energy quality, and ensuring the power distribution network and equipment connected to it are in good health.
  • Energy management: EcoStruxure Microgrid Advisor is a new tool for proper management of energy production, consumption and storage, something increasingly more important in our sector, thanks to the energy generation capacity of water treatment plants.

We are implementing these and other digital services in countries such as Saudi Arabia, The UAE, Mexico, Colombia, Chile, Spain, the United States and Australia. We apply these solutions to help water companies and EPCs ensure their facilities run with no downtime and to improve the productivity, safety and mobility of staff, the efficiency of operations and the quality of services.

Concerning cybersecurity, Schneider Electric has recently joined the Global Cybersecurity Partnership created by the ISA (International Society of Automation) as a founding member, to foster awareness about cybersecurity and collaborate to fight cyberattacks.

Exchange is the first cross-industry ecosystem, dedicated to solving real-world sustainability and efficiency challenges

Through AVEVA, an independent software company we hold a majority stake in, we outsource the development and sales of industrial software, with a current portfolio that covers the entire life cycle of industrial facilities (design, construction, operation, maintenance and optimisation). An independent software company allows attracting appropriate talent and it can be more easily financed in the market.

Finally, as no company can drive the digital economy by itself, we are expanding substantially our network of technology partners at the global level. To this effect, Schneider Electric launched this year the Exchange platform, the first cross-industry ecosystem,  dedicated to solving real-world sustainability and efficiency challenges. It is a collaborative environment to support technology development and co-innovation, focused on providing solutions to real problems.

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