Schneider's Blum on Electricity 4.0 and Healthcare

The global pledge to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 has left governments businesses and sectors – including healthcare –  scrambling to make progress, as they seek to stay on track with sustainability roadmaps.

Digital transformation programmes are helping many organisations measure their carbon footprint, which is ground-zero on being able to reduce emissions across their supply chains. 

However, if commerce and industry is to meet net-zero targets, it will require a fundamental shift in how energy is both produced and consumed.  

One business at the forefront here is Schneider Electric, the French multinational company that specialises in digital automation and energy management. 

Schneider believes a key factor in helping sectors such as healthcare hit sustainability targets will be ‘electricity 4.0’. The combination of clean, renewable electricity with digitisation. 

This dual approach not only mitigates climate change but also enhances energy efficiency and resilience, addressing both the supply and demand sides of the energy equation.

Olivier Blum, is Executive VP of Schneider Electric’s Energy Management business. As such, he’s responsible for the company’s entire Energy Management portfolio of world-leading technologies, software and services. 

Electricity 4.0 'can help healthcare monitor energy use' 

Speaking to Healthcare Digital, Blum says Schneider Electric “pioneered Electricity 4.0”, and adds the  company is “proud to be a market leader in the space, and providing the advanced technology solutions to facilitate the transition”. 

These solutions include digital tools for the real-time monitoring and optimisation of energy use, as well as systems for integrating renewable energy sources into the grid.

Blum explains that Electricity 4.0 can not only cut greenhouse gas emissions but can also positively impact people's health and wellbeing.

“Schneider Electric is committed to making the world more electrified and clean, and this benefits the healthcare sector in particular,” he explains.

“We integrate advanced technologies that are transforming healthcare facilities into resilient, efficient and sustainable hubs. Electricity 4.0 also stands to mitigate potential health risks and enhance overall well-being.” 

By way of example, he points out Electricity 4.0 helps decrease particle pollution, which has been linked as harmful to human health. 

“This can lower the incidence of respiratory conditions, stroke, ischemic heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and lung cancer,” he says. 

Blum adds that, in tandem with AI, data and IoT solutions, Electricity 4.0 can enable real-time monitoring of air quality, to tackle air pollution more effectively.

He says: “It can also enhance weather monitoring. Predictive analytics, when integrated with smart infrastructure, can ensure that critical services such as healthcare facilities are able to quickly restore power after disasters. This allows medical services and emergency operations to respond faster.”

Schneider collaborating with healthcare on net zero

Schneider also collaborates with healthcare and other organisations to develop robust plans for achieving net-zero carbon emissions. This involves looking at current energy consumption levels, and setting future targets.

“We work together to action realistic steps to reach these goals,” says Blum “We also consider an organisation’s entire value chain, addressing the easier Scope 1 and 2 emissions, but also considering upstream Scope 3 emissions too. 

“We have an extensive portfolio of smart grid solutions, energy management software, and services that empower our customers to make data-driven decisions. 

“By offering these solutions that bridge the gap between digital and electric technologies, we’re leading the charge in Electricity 4.0, and are driving the global transition towards a more sustainable, low-carbon economy.”

Looking to the future, Blum feels Electricity 4.0 still has a long way to go, because just 30% of companies see electrification as a sustainability priority. 

“Policies and regulations will need to evolve to support innovation and the transition to a low-carbon economy,” he explains, adding: “And public and private sectors will need to work together to create an environment where the technology can be deployed.”