Categoria: Energia

Author: Rinnovabili.it

La crisi idrica colpisce in modo particolare il settore dell’agricoltura. Senza acqua non ci può essere agricoltura, e senza agricoltura non c’è cibo. Dalla disponibilità di acqua dipende la sicurezza alimentare globale. I piccoli invasi possono essere un valido aiuto nei periodi di siccità

Foto di Steve Buissinne da Pixabay

La crisi idrica colpisce l’agricoltura

Crisi idrica, ovvero scarsità di acqua. Una carenza che si sperimenta con sempre maggiore frequenza anche alle nostre latitudini.

L’acqua è un bene prezioso sempre più raro ma assolutamente indispensabile per la vita dell’uomo e per la salute dell’ecosistema.

Alcuni settori produttivi risentono in modo particolare di una crisi idrica. Il settore che forse più di tutti è esposto alle conseguenze di una crisi idrica è l’agricoltura. Nonostante le grandi innovazioni che ormai caratterizzano l’agricoltura, come ad esempio l’agricoltura verticale, rimane innegabile un fatto: senza acqua non ci può essere agricoltura, e senza agricoltura non c’è cibo.

Pertanto, la disponibilità di acqua rappresenta un elemento indispensabile per la sicurezza alimentare globale.

Leggi anche Poca neve, niente piogge: l’inverno secco suona l’allarme per la siccità in Italia

Domande ancora senza risposta

Ricerca, innovazione e tecnologia sono aiuti preziosi per trovare soluzioni efficaci alla crisi idrica.

Molte sono le domande ancora in attesa di risposta: qual è l’utilità del telerilevamento? L’erosione idrica dovuta all’agricoltura incide sulla disponibilità d’acqua degli invasi? Le sostanze chimiche usate in agricoltura vengono immagazzinate dagli invasi? I piccoli invasi aumentano la resilienza delle aree rurali alla crisi climatica? Qual è il loro impatto sui servici ecosistemici?

Il progetto SIGHTING, lanciato da Università di Perugia, Università Niccolò Cusano e CNR-IRSA (Istituto di ricerca sulle acque) vuole rispondere a queste domande con la ricerca, l’innovazione e la tecnologia.

Finanziato da Unione Europea-Next Generation EU e cofinanziato da Università di Perugia, UniCusano e CNR, è rivolto espressamente al mondo dell’agricoltura per aiutarlo ad affrontare il problema della crisi idrica grazie alla realizzazione di strategie e tecnologie innovative.

Leggi anche La siccità nel Mediterraneo e l’impatto su agricoltura, ecosistemi e produzione di energia

I piccoli invasi come supporto in caso di crisi idrica

In particolare, SIGHTING studia i piccoli invasi collinari (Small Reservoirs – SRs) come soluzioni resilienti a supporto della gestione della risorsa idrica in ambito irriguo alla luce dei cambiamenti climatici.

Gli SRs offrono l’opportunità di affrontare la crisi idrica mettendo a disposizione riserve di acqua per uso irriguo nei periodi siccitosi: SIGHTING li studia in funzione della sostenibilità in agricoltura e dell’uso appropriato del suolo.

Tuttavia, non esistono dati certi sulle caratteristiche costruttive idrologiche, fisico-chimiche e socio-economiche dei piccoli invasi.  

Gli obiettivi del progetto SIGHTING

• Analisi della disponibilità d’acqua: censimento e studio dei laghetti di raccolta delle acque del loro potenziale contributo alla mitigazione degli effetti della crisi idrica sull agricoltura anche in aree vulnerabili e marginali.
• Resilienza ai cambiamenti climatici: definizione di indicatori per quantificare il potenziamento della resilienza delle risorse rurali e idriche al cambiamento climatico, e analisi della qualità dell’acqua e dei sedimenti.
• Servizi eco-sistemici: sviluppo di un tool di supporto decisionale multi-criterio per valutare l’offerta di servizi ecosistemici dei laghetti collinari basato sugli indici.
• Tecnologie avanzate: utilizzo di tecnologie di modellazione avanzata e di dati satellitari per l’individuazione dei laghetti e per la loro caratterizzazione in termini di volumi immagazzinati e di qualità delle acque. 
• Sviluppo di soluzioni sostenibili: ricerca e valutazione di soluzioni per la gestione sostenibile dei laghetti, comprese pratiche di gestione dei sedimenti e di programmazione delle azioni di manutenzione.
• Formazione e sensibilizzazione: promozione di programmi educativi e campagne di sensibilizzazione per agricoltori e comunità locali sulla gestione sostenibile delle risorse idriche.

Author: Schneider Electric

This audio was created using Microsoft Azure Speech Services

Nearly everything we touch generates data. In the modern industrial landscape, with sensors, connected devices, smart buildings, and digital platforms, there has never been so much available raw data. In fact, the volume produced and consumed globally is expected to triple between 2020 and 2025.

Data is valuable capital to drive company innovation, agile decision-making, and growth opportunities. Yet its true power isn’t fully realized by simply accessing it — it must be transformed and enriched to deliver actionable and easy-to-understand insights. So, how can we harness the full potential of data? The answer is Data as a Service (DaaS), a transformative data management technology that is becoming essential for the future success of any organization.

Defining Data as a Service (DaaS) and APIs

DaaS enables businesses to access large amounts of data via the cloud without the burden of managing processing operations or physical infrastructure. By utilizing open APIs – interfaces that allow software applications to interact – DaaS allows users to seamlessly request, retrieve, and integrate data into applications or systems, fostering efficient and flexible access.

It also provides exclusive and confidential data aggregation, transformation, and formatting without needing local resources. It’s like a library of high-quality, relevant information accessible to clients anytime, anywhere.

Why utilize DaaS?

Organizations are using DaaS to define their competitive advantage. Using customer information to enhance products and services has been a long-standing practice, now amplified by the rise of DaaS. Being part of a data-driven platform that acts as an intermediary between sellers and buyers also boosts competitiveness in the marketplace.

DaaS enables data-driven organizations to achieve over 30% annual growth by providing transformative impacts across businesses by:

• Enhancing decision-making
• Improving operational efficiency
• Promoting innovation by more easily sharing diverse and powerful data
• Empowering them to be more agile, customer-centric, and competitive

Different users have different data needs

A key DaaS strength is its ability to provide customized data insights. For example:

• Commercial industrial site owners can specify business, sustainability, and operational intel.
• Facility managers can access real-time data on energy usage, occupant well-being, and equipment performance.
• Maintenance crews can use real-time information for targeted interventions, minimizing downtime and improving productivity.

The power of DaaS enabled by EcoStruxure

EcoStruxure is our IoT-enabled, plug-and-play, open, interoperable architecture and platform. It collects, connects, and analyzes data in real-time and now brings DaaS to life thanks to open APIs that allow it to uncover actionable insights.

Sets of data gathered and enriched through DaaS accelerate operational and maintenance efficiency, including energy and sustainability performance in targeted industrial and building applications.

Getting started with DaaS begins in our Schneider Electric Exchange Developer Portal, where partners and end users can connect various APIs to access raw and custom data supporting:

• Energy and sustainability
• Asset and equipment
• Power and electrical
• Buildings and facilities
• Risk management

DaaS in action

Let’s take a look at DaaS in action. One global technology company affiliated with Green Business Certification and the U.S. Green Building Council needed to consolidate data from various building and energy management systems to help meet their sustainability goals. They used DaaS with EcoStruxure, using open APIs to collect, refine, and expose energy, water, waste, and indoor air quality sensor data. This allowed the company to consolidate operational technology (OT) and information technology (IT) to enhance visibility into KPI tracking and more effectively monitor progress toward certifications.

Unlock business potential with DaaS

As businesses adapt to exponentially growing data, DaaS helps bridge the gaps between approaches and strategies to enable predictive analytics, custom automated processes, remote control, and new operational efficiencies. DaaS is a vital approach to confidently navigating the complexities of our digital age.

Download our eGuide to learn how to experience the power of Data as a Service and unlock the full potential of data for your business.

Tags: APIs, DaaS, DATA, Data as a Service, EcoStruxure

Author: Rinnovabili.it

Fumata bianca per la revisione “rafforzata” della Direttiva sulla Prestazione energetica degli edifici, c.d Case Green. Prepariamoci a ridurre gli sprechi energetici ed emissivi, a riqualificare 5 mln di edifici, a dire addio alle caldaie a gas, a diventare solar ready

Immagine di freepik

A partire dal 1° gennaio 2030 tutti i nuovi edifici dovranno garantire emissioni zero in loco

La Commissione accoglie con favore l’adozione definitiva della direttiva rafforzata sulla prestazione energetica nell’edilizia, un’altra pietra miliare del Green Deal europeo. Esordisce così il comunicato stampa che, finalmente, annuncia l’approvazione definitiva della cd. Direttiva Case Green, un processo lungo due anni e mezzo, e non senza colpi di scena.

Italia vota contro le Case Green

L’ultimo via libera è arrivato oggi dal Consiglio Ue Ecofin. Nonostante l’unanimità portata a casa con il voto di ieri, in quest’ultimo step l’Italia ha deciso di votare contro, ribadendo la sua antipatia nei confronti del testo ribattezzato a suo tempo quale “patrimoniale europea”.

Ma il tempo del dialogo è scaduto: è ora di passare alla pratica mettendo mano ad un patrimonio immobiliare europeo estremamente energivoro, vetusto e poco sicuro. Attualmente infatti, circa il 35% degli edifici dell’UE hanno più di 50 anni e quasi il 75% del parco immobiliare è inefficiente dal punto di vista energetico. E, purtroppo, il tasso medio annuo di rinnovamento energetico è solo dell’1% circa, un range estremamente basso.

Ridurre il consumo medio del 16% entro il 2030

L’obiettivo della Direttiva Case Green sarà quello di ridurre le emissioni e il consumo di energia negli edifici in tutta l’UE per migliorare la qualità della vita e la salute dei suoi cittadini. Come ampiamente già ricordato, il testo rafforzato della nuova Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD) perde la sua rigidità a favore di una maggiore flessibilità degli Stati Membri. Complessivamente le nuove politiche energetiche dovranno portare ciascun Paese UE a ridurre del 55% i consumi energetici, riqualificando almeno il 43% degli edifici più energivori che, nel caso dell’Italia, significherà intervenire su circa 5 milioni di immobili.

Per gli edifici residenziali l’obiettivo sostanziale sarà la riduzione del consumo medio di energia primaria del patrimonio immobiliare:

• del 16% entro il 2030
• del 20-22% entro il 2035
• progressiva riduzione con revisione ogni 5 anni fino alla decarbonizzazione totale al 2050.

Gli edifici non residenziali invece dovranno ristrutturare:

• il 16% degli immobili con le prestazioni peggiori entro il 2030
• il 26% degli edifici con le peggiori prestazioni entro il 2033.

Edifici storici, case di vacanza, immobili utilizzati per brevi periodi potranno rientrare in particolari categorie di esenzione che ciascuno Stato membro avrà la possibilità di redigere.

Nuovi edifici a emissione zero dal 2028 e addio alle caldaie a gas

La Direttiva Case Green EPBD rafforzerà l’indipendenza energetica dell’Europa. Tutti i nuovi edifici residenziali e non residenziali dovranno avere zero emissioni in loco da combustibili fossili: 

• dal 1° gennaio 2028 per gli edifici di proprietà pubblica
• dal 1° gennaio 2030 per tutti gli altri nuovi edifici.

Dovremo dire addio ai sistemi di riscaldamento alimentati da combustibili fossili per far spazio ad impianti rinnovabili, garantendo che i nuovi edifici siano “Solar ready“. 

Dal 1° gennaio 2025, inoltre, non saranno più consentiti sussidi per l’installazione di caldaie autonome alimentate da combustibili fossili. Un tema, quest’ultimo, molto discusso ma che non deve spaventare i proprietari che dovranno ristrutturare, come ricorda Riccardo Bani, Presidente ARSE (Associazione per il Riscaldamento Senza Emissioni). 

“È incoraggiante vedere che le caldaie alimentate esclusivamente a combustibili fossili si avviano a essere sostanzialmente ‘rottamate’  poiché il prossimo divieto alla loro incentivazione fiscale e la fine della produzione e commercializzazione segnano la fine pratica di questo tipo di riscaldamento. La riduzione del costo delle bollette e dell’inquinamento delle aree urbane dipende dall’abbandono del riscaldamento a gas e dall’efficientamento del parco immobiliare, in linea con gli obiettivi stabiliti dall’Europa. 

Aggiungiamo inoltre, cosa importante, che la sostituzione della caldaia con la pompa non è eccessivamente costosa, è agevolabile ancora con incentivi importanti e accresce il valore dell’abitazione: uno studio della Banca d’Italia sottolinea come le case appartenenti alle 4 classe energetiche migliori sono messe in vendita a prezzi di circa il 25% più alti rispetto a quelli di classe G”.

I prossimi step

L’entrata in vigore della Direttiva Case Green sulle Prestazioni Energetiche degli edifici avverrà dopo la sua pubblicazione in Gazzetta Ufficiale dell’Unione entro le prossime settimane. Gli Stati Membri avranno tempo fino al 31 dicembre 2025 per trasmettere alla Commissione la prima proposta di piano di ristrutturazione degli edifici. Entro 24 mesi dall’entrata in vigore delle Direttiva EPBD si dovrà stabilire una traiettoria nazionale per la ristrutturazione progressiva del parco immobiliare in linea con la tabella gli obiettivi 2030, 2040 e 2050.“Migliorare la prestazione energetica degli edifici è fondamentale per raggiungere la nostra ambizione di neutralità climatica e per rafforzare l’indipendenza energetica dell’Europa. Le ristrutturazioni sono investimenti per un futuro migliore”, ha commentato Kadri Simson, commissario per l’Energia a chiusura dei lavori sulla rinnovata Direttiva Case Green.

Author: Schneider Electric

This audio was created using Microsoft Azure Speech Services

As we move into 2024, many businesses around Australia are looking to improve their environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG) initiative targets, while also reducing their rising energy costs. Facility managers (FMs) are squarely in the target as the people who will help businesses make this happen.

With increasing cost pressures and higher expectations from building occupants and broader stakeholders, facility managers find themselves faced with implementing new operational initiatives – all while reducing their overall spending. Although a challenge, the good news is that both initiatives can be solved by pulling one lever – improved sustainability.

Rising costs and pressures

Approximately 40% of the world’s energy consumption is attributed to buildings[1]. What this means from an emissions reduction standpoint, is that for Australia to reach its environmental and sustainability goals, we need to focus on accelerating our smart and sustainable buildings.

Over the past five years, average energy costs in Australia have increased by around 66%[2]. This sharp increase means facility managers have been tasked with finding efficiencies to reduce the bottom line and help meet sustainability targets. Improved technologies in building automation, energy monitoring, software and analytics can help FMs identify where reductions can be made as well as provide advice based on near real-time data about how to make these changes a reality – resulting in significantly lower utility and maintenance costs. AI-enriched solutions can deliver data-driven guidance empowering teams to act responsibly, efficiently, and quickly, eliminating waste and supporting business objectives.

Better use of data and technology

Incorporating data and unleashing creativity are essential for addressing the greatest challenge of our time – the need to drive sustainability while growing profitability.

Optimising energy use, reducing costs, and improving building performance – these are all made easier by leveraging data, advanced analytics and software. Sustainability goals can be achieved without sacrificing comfort or convenience, and proactive/predictive maintenance can be employed to save costs and improve occupant satisfaction.

Schneider Electric’s EcoStruxure solutions can be leveraged to collect, manage, and share data related to building performance, environmental impact, and resource consumption for example. This data can be leveraged for business insights and automation. It can be used to tweak operations in real-time, or remotely intervene to resolve an issue. AI-enriched solutions can then provide teams with data-driven guidance, enabling responsible, efficient, and prompt action.

The right technologies can apply business process rules to automate many manual tasks to enable faster decision-making and optimise operations. They can leverage advanced fault detection and predictive maintenance to help prioritize improvements, reduce energy and carbon using AI-driven optimization, streamline troubleshooting, and suggest actions based on prioritized impact.

They all allow facility managers to act quickly and sustainably to ensure the health, safety, comfort and productivity of the building occupants. This in turn, can result in greater efficiencies and cost reduction. With Integrated Workplace Management Systems (IWMS) software from Schneider Electric’s software partner Planon, all aspects of the building’s data can be further integrated and easily connected to ERP finance and HR systems data to track progress, enable next level of business process automation, and empower new and innovative data-driven use cases.

This data-driven approach becomes especially relevant as Australia witnesses an increasing awareness of the economic impact of climate change. Using AI-driven analytics with intelligent business responses, the software can assist FMs in making small changes and adjustments that can have a large impact.

Aspiria modernises energy management for greater results

Aspiria, an innovation campus in Kansas, USA, partnered with Schneider Electric and C&C Group to modernise its buildings and achieve sustainability goals. Their high energy costs and carbon footprint, coupled with their complex campus and diverse needs meant they needed a solution that would improve operational efficiency and tenant comfort.

Choosing to work with Schneider Electric, FMs at the unique ClassA office space and campus implemented EcoStruxure Building Operation, with EcoStruxure Building Advisor and Power Monitoring Expert for data analysis and proactive maintenance. As a result, the campus saw some outstanding results, including:

• 16% reduction in annual energy consumption
• 36% reduction in carbon footprint
• $1.5 million annual energy cost savings
• $700k annual labour cost savings.

As a result of this optimisation, the campus was able to move to 100% renewable energy sourcing. They also improved their occupant comfort, achieving a 65% reduction in temperature calls, reducing the need for outside labour by 61%, and improving problem detection and resolution rates.

The payback period for the technology was just two years, and Aspiria’s success story demonstrates the potential of smart building technology to create a more sustainable and efficient future.

The future of facility management

Sustainability and environmental goals can be achieved, and with the right mix of technology, they can be implemented quickly and within a short payback period. Leveraging smart building technologies to collect, manage, and share data related to building performance, environmental impact, and resource consumption will increase awareness of the economic impact of climate change, as well as improve performance, sustainability and resiliency.

This is why our facility managers are the new sustainability champions. The key to success is in our FMs – tapping into their knowledge, their expertise, their insight across the entire ecosystem so that we can overcome today’s challenges and deliver creative solutions at scale. Digital can empower our teams to do this, giving us the knowledge we need to turn today’s volatility into an opportunity.

The technologies exist today which enable sustainable buildings at scale, with the added benefit of significantly reducing utility and maintenance costs. Our time to act is now.

For more information about Schneider Electric’s solutions, visit our Schneider Electric Australia website.

[1] https://planonsoftware.com/uk/resources/white-papers/facility-management-and-sustainability-a-fundamental-alliance/

[2] https://www.aer.gov.au/documents/jgn-aa-review-7-opex-appendix-72-operating-expenditure-forecasting-method-and-base-year-efficiency

Tags: #sustainability, asset management, Building Management, Digital transformation, Facility management

Author: Schneider Electric

This audio was created using Microsoft Azure Speech Services

It has been 16 years since I left Schneider Electric and here I am, writing this blog with Schneider after all these years, but now as part of the Alumni Network. I guess some connections are not that easy to break!

6 years of constant changes and excitement

My journey with Schneider began in 2002 and continued until 2008. It was an exciting period, and I have many fond memories of the experiences and challenges I encountered.

I joined Schneider as a Nordic Baltic Group Controller. At that time there were about 60 plus legal entities in the Nordic and the Baltic zone, and the head office was transitioning from one city in Sweden to another and eventually to Denmark due to changes in leadership. Those changes have influenced a lot my work since I was managing insurances and cashflow, and even simplification of the legal structure, a task that I found particularly rewarding. During my 6 years in the company there were always new challenges and opportunities for me.

In my final year at Schneider, I took on the responsibility of the employee stock program, which involved addressing numerous legal, finance, and tax issues. I worked alongside a team of 3 controllers, supporting the CFO of the Nordic Baltics. My experiences were diverse, and I had the chance to visit different Schneider Electric sites in Denmark, Poland, and France.

Traveling can provide valuable insights and for me that offered numerous benefits for personal and professional development, it has broadened my cultural understanding, enhanced my adaptability, and fostered my global awareness. Additionally, it provided me opportunities to build a global network, develop problem-solving skills, and gain diverse perspectives.  This international culture that Schneider has, where you have an opportunity to work with people from different countries, is truly remarkable.  It fosters an open and inclusive work environment, where everyone feels valued and respected and enjoys being part of the positive workplace culture.

My journey after Schneider

After six years with Schneider, and with the arrival of two wonderful additions to my family, I started contemplating my next career move. I had an option to work as a CFO for one of our operational entities in Sweden or to relocated to the HQ in Rueil Malmaison but I realized it wasn’t aligned with my personal circumstances. This led me to accept an offer from another company which was Phillips. That was the next step of the career path that has led me to my current role as a Group CFO at Arelion.

Why have I joined Schneider Alumni Network?

Today, as a member of the Schneider Electric Alumni Network, I value the sense of the community and the opportunity to stay connected. Despite moving on to new opportunities, Schneider had a significant role in my career. Also, sometimes I can be a bit nostalgic to the good old things, for example I still use only Philips toothbrush, even though I have left the company many years ago, so when the chance to reconnect to Schneider popped up, I had to take it! I see the Alumni Network as an initiative that creates opportunities for future collaborations and endeavors. It’s a great way to maintain relationships, share knowledge, and stay updated on the latest developments in the industry. Plus, for me it provides a sense of community and support beyond your current workplace.

The importance of keeping connections

As I look ahead, I am considering the possibility of serving as a board member for a company that has ties with Schneider Electric, thus I truly understand the significance of maintaining an open and active network. With the network growing further I see that for the members it can be a valuable source of industry-specific advice, job leads, and a platform for sharing and receiving professional insights. And of course, it is so nice to see people, that you have not seen in years, like for example when I was attending Alumni breakfast in Stockholm office, I met my colleague Svetlana after about sixteen years ago and that was super exciting!

I really enjoy the network with the blend of digital and physical events and really want it to grow more, thus, if you, the reader, is a Schneider Electric Alumni, I invite you to join the Network right away, so we can see together how the network evolves in the future!

Interested in a career with us? Start by checking our website.

About the author

Sophie Reinius

Sophie is a Schneider Electric alumni who was managing insurances, cashflow, and even simplified the legal structure – a task she found particularly rewarding. During her 6 years at Schneider, there were always new challenges and opportunities for her.

Tags: alumni, career