Categorie
Categoria: Energia
Author: Schneider Electric
Building are responsible for 37% of global CO2 emissions, and are a key target in the fight against climate change.
The fastest path to decarbonizing buildings requires an emphasis on technology-first approaches and building retrofits.
Buildings play a critical role in the race to meet science-based climate targets
Climate change is one of the biggest challenges to human and planetary well-being. With 37% of global CO2 emissions coming from buildings, it is crucial that buildings are decarbonized in the race to meet science-based climate targets. And, 50% of today’s buildings will still be in use in 2050. The most significant opportunity to accelerate carbon reduction in the building sector is to retrofit existing buildings. It’s the fastest path decarbonizing buildings. Science also shows that sustainable renovations not only deliver sizable energy savings, but they can also deliver significant ROI in less than a decade – as well as attract tenants, preserve asset value, and mitigate financial risk.
50% of today’s buildings will still be in use in 2050.
Tackling the climate challenge through retrofits
First, it’s important to realize that we are at a crossroads, with a short-term global energy crisis intersecting a longer-term global climate crisis. Energy prices are becoming more volatile while energy supplies are becoming less certain. Meanwhile, maintaining our current pace in tackling climate change means that we will fail to limit global temperature rise to 1.5°C.
While statistics reveal some progress, the pace of carbon reduction is not proceeding rapidly enough.
To stay on track and limit global temperature increases to 1.5°C, we must halve emissions by the end of this decade and reach net zero by 2050. This means we must move 3 times faster to achieve this global target. A pivotal piece to this puzzle is reducing operational emissions caused by building energy consumption by 5% annually between now and 2050.
While progress is being made in the fight to reduce carbon emissions,
there is more work to be done to reach the required 1.5°C in carbon savings by 2030.
The path to decarbonizing buildings
Accelerating climate action begins with a stronger focus on retrofitting existing buildings. If we break this down, we find that:
- 30% of carbon emissions are attributed to “embodied carbon” (carbon that is a result of the design and build phase)
- 70% of carbon emissions are attributed to “operational carbon” (carbon that is a result of the operations of a building)
There is a need to balance the reduction of operational carbon emissions without increasing embodied carbon emissions.
Retrofitting is essential to preserve the value and lease-ability of existing buildings and can meet sustainability standards, attract tenants, and maintain their value in a greener economy. As the large corporations inhabiting these areas strive for net-zero status, they will inevitably demand that the buildings they lease align with their net-zero objectives and demonstrate a tangible progression toward achieving them.
Keep in mind, 90% of existing buildings that fail to decarbonize will become a financial risk and face an asset value discount. This discount could reduce the value of these assets by as much as 30%, making them less attractive to potential investors and tenants.
Although every building is unique, retrofitting an existing building versus building a new design can cut lifetime carbon emissions in half. While a new building may be able to achieve slightly better operational carbon performance than a retrofit, the embodied carbon is typically much higher than a retrofit building where the core and shell are retained.
So, where do you begin?
To meet emissions targets, we must focus on measures with a low carbon footprint, a quick return on upfront emissions, and a low operational profile. These solutions must be adaptable to various building types and climates and rapidly deployed in existing buildings.
Technology-first retrofits. This is where Schneider Electric leads the industry in the path to net-zero building solutions. A digital technology-first approach that relies on modern digital and power management solutions is fastest to implement, lowest in upfront carbon, and most effective from both an ROI and lifecycle carbon perspective.
Our research shows that deploying digital building and power management solutions[i] in existing office buildings could reduce their operational carbon emissions by up to 42% with a payback period of less than 3 years.
Now, let’s look deeper into how we arrived at these numbers.
Science-based study to quantify emissions impact
Schneider Electric partnered with WSP, a global design and engineering firm. Together, we quantified the impact of various efficiency, electrification, and renewable energy building decarbonization retrofit options. We also determined which approaches attain the fastest emissions reduction outcomes.
Our analysis involved the building performance modeling of a baseline office building built to ASHRAE 90.1-2004 standards across various climate zones and with varying grid emissions intensities. The baseline model in New York City, for instance, emits 18.7 kg of CO2 per square meter per year of operational carbon emissions, as the baseline building prototype analyzed (like most existing buildings) relies on fossil fuels for heating and exhibits low rates of electrification and inefficient operations.
Our methodology combined public data sets, Schneider Electric proprietary research, and a parametric modeling approach. This enabled us to understand the trade-offs, benefits, and interactions between a range of office decarbonization strategies, focusing on the solutions from the table below.
To quantify the carbon emissions associated with each measure, we adopted the EN 15978 framework for whole lifecycle impact assessment, and the GWP100 EF6 emissions measure.
This process enabled the comparison of 4,096 variants of the energy model, adding a range of energy conservation measures (ECMs) in different combinations to recreate every possible permutation.
Schneider Electric compared 4,096 variants of the energy model, adding a range of energy conservation measures (ECMs) in different combinations to recreate every possible permutation.
Define your retrofit decarbonization strategy
Schneider Electric has the technologies available today to help you on your path to decarbonization and net-zero buildings.
A critical success factor in achieving rapid building decarbonization involves assessing and prioritizing retrofitting efforts. In our research, three clear categories of opportunity emerged. We refer to these three categories as light, medium, and deep renovations. In defining the right retrofit strategy, it is crucial to consider the entire building and portfolio ownership period, as well as the potential risks associated with asset stranding due to local market conditions, and other factors beyond ROI and carbon footprint.
A critical success factor in achieving rapid building decarbonization involves assessing and prioritizing retrofitting efforts, and determining whether light interventions, medium renovations, or deep retrofits are needed.
Let’s take a closer look:
Light Interventions: Compliance & Efficiency
Light renovations are inclusive of 100% digital solutions. They are characterized by high ROI with low up-front investment and low disruption to building occupants. Building owners should start by monitoring and measuring building energy consumption. Establishing a baseline is essential before reducing carbon emissions. These initial steps can result in a 45% reduction in operational carbon emissions.
The primary gains come from automated building controls, particularly involving HVAC system controls optimization and sensors that help to regulate HVAC equipment settings (39.6%). The remaining savings from light interventions come from monitoring and measuring energy consumption, making usage more visible to identify waste (5.3%). Light interventions help meet reporting and compliance needs and reduce energy and carbon emissions. The cost for implementing such renovations will range between 20€ and 35€ per square meter (m2), with an ROI between 1 and 3 years.
Medium Retrofits: Compete in the Market
Medium retrofits are more intensive, cause more disruption to operations, and have higher embodied carbon, but deliver greater operational carbon reductions. These include onsite renewable energy solutions, battery energy storage, and microgrids, with electrical distribution solutions that deliver additional efficiency gains and improve power quality. Coupled with light intervention solutions, medium retrofits can reduce operational carbon emissions by up to 85%.
Medium renovations involve the implementation of onsite renewables like rooftop solar panels (PV) and managing energy generation and storage with a microgrid, which can generate 10.2% in annual operational carbon reduction. Where onsite renewable potential is constrained to the rooftop, additional emissions reductions can be achieved through offsite renewables solutions like Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) or carbon offsets, if needed. The model used these solutions to address residual emissions and contributed 21.4% potential annual operational CO2 emissions reduction. With more electrified loads and dynamically changing loads, power factor correction and harmonic filtering may be required and can contribute an additional 7.5% in operational carbon emissions reduction. The cost for implementing such medium retrofit solutions will range from 115–175 €/m2, with an ROI between 6–10 years.
Deep Renovations: Lead the Market
At some point, achieving net zero carbon emissions will also require deep renovations. At this stage, full electrification and building envelope improvements are implemented. These changes will be even more disruptive, take longer to implement, and typically involve temporarily relocating tenants. Such renovations include upgrading roof and wall insulation, converting windows from single to triple-paned glazing, modernizing elevators, and electrifying the building’s heating system, reducing emissions the rest of the way to reach net zero after medium retrofits. The cost for implementing such renovations will range from 500–1.300 €/m2, with an ROI of 25+ years.
A discussion with Forbes
Mike Kazmierczak participates in an interview with Diane Brady, Assisting Managing Editor at Forbes.
During the 2023 Forbes Sustainability Leaders Summit, I had the honor of sitting with Diane Brady, Assisting Managing Editor at Forbes to give my perspective and share our science-based knowledge and digital technology-first methodology.
I invite you to listen to these brief excerpts from our interview:
Let’s get started
The results of our science-based research, backed by the collaboration with WSP, provide a fundamental and data-proven foundation for building owners to act and reap the benefits – all while contributing to a more sustainable future.
To learn more about our science-based research and data, download the following white papers:
Contact Mike Kazmierczak, VP of Schneider’s Decarbonization Office, or Schneider’s Sustainability Consulting Team to engage in a more in-depth discussion.
[i] Schneider Electric solutions include EcoStruxure Building Operation, EcoStruxure Building Advisor, Connected Room Solutions, Accusine power factor correction and harmonic filtering, PowerLogic submetering
Author: Schneider Electric
Author’s Note: I recently had the pleasure of speaking about inclusion at Schneider Electric at the Society of Women Engineers’ WE23 conference — the world’s largest conference for women in engineering and technology. What was striking about that experience was just how important inclusion is to everyone, regardless of age, gender, specialty, or role. In this blog, I share some of the main takeaways of my presentation and offer insights on Schneider’s journey to build a more inclusive and caring culture.
Employees are 9.8 times more likely to look forward to going to work if they have this one thing.
It’s not unlimited breakroom snacks. It’s not a ping-pong table. It’s trust that they’ll receive fair treatment.
Employees have an intrinsic right to inclusion and care in the workplace. And companies are rapidly enhancing their vision of the ideal employee culture with new benefits and policies that shape a culture of empowerment. Schneider Electric is one of those companies.
Building a foundation of inclusion and care
To understand our inclusion and care journey, it’s important to know what Schneider does and what we stand for. To start, we’re a technology company, providing energy and automation digital solutions. And our purpose is to empower all to make the most of our energy and resources, bridging progress and sustainability for all. This means developing sustainable solutions to help our customers overcome their energy and operational challenges. By leveraging our expertise in these areas, we strive to make a positive impact.
Of course, accomplishing our purpose and mission isn’t possible without our people. That’s why we at Schneider prioritize inclusion as we build and sustain a workforce ready to tackle the energy transition head-on.
In fact, we are committed to hardwiring inclusion and care into every level of our culture and the employee experience. From the very beginning, we instill in our employees the importance of equal opportunities for everyone, everywhere so they feel uniquely valued and safe to contribute their best.
In Schneider, our employees know that we approach our work through the lens of “we, us, and our,” rather than “I or me.” This mindset allows us to embrace diverse perspectives, foster collaboration, and create an environment where everyone can thrive. We actively encourage co-creation, valuing the input and contributions of each team member. We firmly believe that every voice matters and should be heard, as it is through the collective intelligence of our diverse perspectives that we drive innovation and high performance.
Journeying toward greater inclusion
Our journey toward greater inclusion involves strong commitments and ongoing initiatives at every level of our organization, from the shop floor to the top floor.
Our efforts began in 2006 when we began to prioritize gender diversity to drive meaningful change. This marked a pivotal turning point in our commitment to creating a more inclusive environment. We implemented our first-ever diversity policy, joined partnerships like UN Women HeForShe, and set a Global Pay Equity Framework.
In 2016, we took a significant leap forward by expanding our efforts to foster inclusion and psychological safety. We implemented comprehensive programs designed to support our employees in achieving a healthy work-life balance. Looking ahead, we remain dedicated to continuously strengthening our inclusive environment, striving to create a positive impact not only within Schneider but also extending beyond our organization and making a difference in our communities through the Schneider North America Foundation.
Listening and acting to reach greater inclusion
Our inclusion and care journey has been an iterative process, guided by an agile approach. We understand that fostering inclusion is an ongoing effort that requires continuous learning and adaptation. As we listen to thought leaders, employees, and stakeholders, we embrace feedback loops, which allow us to refine our strategies and actions along the way.
We leverage surveys, meetings, polls, discussions, and deep dives to gather insights, ensuring that we account for a wide range of perspectives. This iterative process enables us to be flexible, make informed decisions to identify the most impactful programs and adjust our course as needed.
We collaborate closely with leaders and employee groups, securing executive buy-in and reinforcing the importance of our inclusive initiatives for both our people and our business. Through this approach, we are hardwiring inclusion and care into our organizational DNA, promoting a culture of continuous improvement and forward momentum towards a more inclusive future.
Implementing programs to support progress
Through these efforts, we’ve begun implementing impactful programs that foster a culture of inclusion and care.
Flexibility@Work ensures our employees can best manage their unique work and life with hybrid working options, flexible schedules, backup child and elder care, voluntary part time, mental health resources and more.
Over 200 leaders have already completed the Inclusion for Impact leadership development program, enabling them to build high performing, diverse teams and properly care for their unique needs. From here on out, 600 leaders will receive this training annually.
Through our Returnship Program, we offer experienced professionals who have taken a break from the workforce an opportunity to reboot their careers via a six-month professional program that combines skill polish, personal development, and hands-on training. It serves as a bridge to help professionals re-ignite their careers and regain their confidence, ultimately embarking on a revitalized professional journey.
And with our Pronouns in the Workplace program, employees can elect to display their preferred pronouns with a sticker, pin, or on their virtual background. An employee told us this small step helped her better understand how to navigate her daughter’s pronoun preferences.
An Inspiring Conference
As mentioned earlier, I recently spoke about inclusion at Schneider Electric at the Society of Women Engineers’ WE23 conference in Los Angeles. This is the world’s largest conference for women in engineering and technology, with over 16,000 attendees, including business professionals, students, and industry partners.
It was inspiring to be surrounded by the thousands of women in engineering who were in attendance. I was honored to speak about my experience building a people culture that’s inclusive from the shop floor to the top floor. Schneider Electric has been part of the SWE Corporate Partnership Council (CPC) for several years, and our increased involvement at the SWE Conference highlights our commitment to DEI and offering equal opportunities to everyone, everywhere.
Bridging progress and sustainability for all
Inclusion is our marker of progress and sustainability for all.
A month ago, I celebrated my 19th anniversary at Schneider. As I reflected on my career journey, I asked myself what has kept me here all these years – and the answer is our culture.
Specifically, I feel passionate about our commitment to becoming the most inclusive and caring company in the world.
I am remarkably proud of where we’ve come from, and I’m excited to see the impact these policies and programs will have as we continue prioritizing inclusion and care for our people. After all, great cultures do not happen by accident.
If you are interested in exploring career opportunities with Schneider Electric, start here.
About the author
Mai Lan Nguyen, Senior Vice President, Human Resources, Schneider Electric
As HR Leader for North America, Mai Lan partners with a team of great HR professionals to execute a people strategy that engages employees to perform at their best. By shaping the best employee experience through innovative people policies and inclusive programming enabled by digital, she’s driving business success and growth. Mai Lan defines herself as a global nomad and has been with Schneider Electric for almost 20 years.
Author: Rinnovabili.it
di Daniela Maurizi
L’Italia è il primo Paese al mondo a mettere nero su bianco il divieto di commercializzazione di carne coltivata. Definirla “sintetica”, infatti, è un errore, dal momento che non viene effettuata nessuna sintesi in laboratorio, ma una vera e propria coltivazione. Ci sono una serie di punti controversi su questo argomento che ritengo opportuno chiarire, per comprendere senza alcun tipo di pregiudizio la scelta del governo italiano, e per farci un’opinione basata su solidi fatti scientifici.
Che cos’è e come si produce la carne coltivata
La carne coltivata è un alimento ricavato per mezzo di tecniche innovative alla cui base si trovano la coltura cellulare, l’ingegneria tissutale e la fermentazione di precisione. In particolare, l’ingegneria cellulare e tissutale consente di coltivare cellule e tessuti in assenza dell’organismo intero. Vale a dire che, prelevando poche cellule da un muscolo o da altro organo, queste possono essere coltivate in condizioni controllate.
Queste cellule vengono estratte attraverso una biopsia da polli, bovini o altri animali e fatte crescere su un terreno ricco di nutrienti all’interno di ambienti controllati dedicati a questo scopo; dopodiché, all’interno di questi bioreattori, le cellule vengono a comporre i tessuti della carne, dando vita al prodotto desiderato.
È una tecnologia già ampiamente usata in medicina per rigenerare cellule danneggiate o malate, così come in campo alimentare per produrre prodotti specifici come proteine, oligosaccaridi del latte identici a quelli del latte umano, vitamine oppure fibre.
I pro e i contro della carne coltivata
Come ogni prodotto alimentare, la carne coltivata è sotto valutazione dell’EFSA, l’Autorità Europea per la Sicurezza Alimentare. Esistono sicuramente dei pro e dei contro, così come ancora alcuni aspetti controversi su cui la comunità scientifica si sta interrogando.
Fra i pro possiamo elencare:
- La sostenibilità ambientale: gli allevamenti di carne sono, ad oggi, uno degli elementi più inquinanti sul Pianeta per lo sfruttamento del suolo, dell’acqua e delle emissioni prodotte: passando all’ingegneria e alla coltivazione cellulare, si ridurrebbe di molto l’impatto ambientale;
- La questione etica: poiché la carne coltivata è prodotta in laboratorio, essa non prevede la macellazione degli animali. Attenzione però: non possiamo ancora definire questo metodo 100% cruelty free, ma speriamo che con il miglioramento delle tecnologie questo traguardo possa essere raggiunto il prima possibile.
Invece, i detrattori della carne coltivata individuano in essa due criticità: il sapore e la qualità nutrizionale. Sicuramente, può diventare complicato riprodurre in laboratorio tutte le caratteristiche organolettiche della carne tradizionale e la tentazione potrebbe essere quella di compensare con aromi e additivi, il cui utilizzo è comunque regolamentato dalla normativa europea.
Dal punto di vista nutrizionale, è stato rilevato che la carne coltivata risulta carente in proteine, vitamine e sali minerati, tutti elementi che non possono essere forniti direttamente, ma devono essere aggiunti con integratori specifici. A questi elementi aggiungiamo anche alcuni aspetti ancora controversi come il benessere animale, la sicurezza a lungo termine sulla salute dei consumatori e l’aspetto economico.
Per affrontare queste e altre questioni, l’EFSA ha istituito una tavola rotonda per valutare la sicurezza dei nuovi alimenti nell’UE, compresa la carne coltivata, considerata per la normativa un novel food. Bisognerà comunque valutare la sicurezza alimentare della carne ottenuta in laboratorio per ogni singolo prodotto, in base alle sue proprietà particolari.
Il divieto del governo italiano e le decisioni in ambito comunitario
Quello che certamente tutti si stanno chiedendo è: la carne coltivata è davvero sicura?
Non esiste una risposta semplice a questa domanda. Finora all’EFSA non è ancora pervenuto un parere scientifico completo su questo argomento, tutt’ora in fase di valutazione. La carne coltivata è a tutti gli effetti un “novel food” e, in quanto tale, deve sottostare ai rigidi controlli comunitari prima di poter essere commercializzato, un po’ come è il caso dei prodotti a base di insetti.
Le motivazioni per cui il governo italiano ha vietato la carne coltivata nel nostro Paese sono riassumibili in due punti:
- Garantire la salute umana;
- Tutelare il patrimonio agroalimentare.
La verità, però, è che la commercializzazione della carne coltivata non è stata autorizzata all’interno dell’Unione Europea: ciò significa che il divieto del governo, in un certo senso, si rivolge a qualcosa che non è neppure stato autorizzato. Non solo: qualora mai l’EFSA dovesse dare un parere positivo sulla carne coltivata e, pertanto, autorizzarne il commercio, l’Italia non potrà far altro che accettare la decisione dell’UE, per il principio della libera circolazione delle merci all’interno degli Stati membri. Inoltre, il divieto potrebbe anche essere visto come discriminatorio verso chi produce e chi consuma carne coltivata.
Le decisioni in merito all’autorizzazione alla commercializzazione dei nuovi prodotti alimentari, come la carne coltivata, e ai requisiti di etichettatura sono di competenza degli enti UE di regolamentazione, ossia la Commissione europea insieme agli Stati membri dell’Unione, che effettua le sue scelte sulla base dei pareri scientifici espressi dall’EFSA, che ha un ruolo del tutto neutrale in questo, né favorevole né contrario.
La Commissione ha già dichiarato che la tecnologia delle colture cellulari può contribuire a far raggiungere gli obiettivi della strategia “Dal produttore al consumatore” dell’UE per sistemi alimentari equi, sicuri, sani e sostenibili dal punto di vista ambientale. Se questo tipo di produzioni abbiano un futuro è ancora da vedersi.
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