Powering the Future: Unlocking the Potential of Direct Current | Schneider Electric

Summary

In this talk, Schneider Electric partners John Moy and Sebastian Ghana explore the emerging technology of DC microgrids as a solution to grid congestion and sustainability challenges. They discuss the benefits of DC systems, including increased energy efficiency and resilience, and the importance of partnerships in driving innovation. The speakers highlight the impact of grid limitations on businesses and the potential of DC microgrids to offer scalable, efficient energy solutions, emphasizing the role of standardization through the Current OS Foundation for interoperability and safety.

Takeaways

• 🤝 Schneider Electric and DC Systems are partnering to innovate in the space of DC microgrids, focusing on sustainability and energy efficiency.
• 🚀 DC microgrids are seen as a new and exciting technology that fills a market niche, particularly in the face of increasing demand for electric vehicles and sustainable energy solutions.
• 🏭 Electro International, a panel build company based in the Netherlands, has specialized in Schneider Electric products for 30 years, focusing on industry, machine builders, and data centers.
• 🔌 Grid congestion in the Netherlands is a significant issue, limiting the capacity for businesses to expand or even start, highlighting the need for alternative energy solutions like DC microgrids.
• 💡 The shift towards electric vehicles and heat pumps is increasing the strain on the electrical grid, necessitating innovative solutions to manage energy demand sustainably.
• 🛠️ DC Systems is working on implementing DC microgrids within existing AC installations, creating hybrid grids that offer increased efficiency and resilience.
• 🔋 The use of DC microgrids can lead to a 7-10% increase in energy efficiency by reducing the need for ACDC conversions, with some applications seeing even greater savings.
• 🛡️ DC microgrids offer enhanced resilience, as demonstrated by a case in Amsterdam where a building continued to operate during an outage, running on battery and PV installation.
• 🌐 The Current OS Foundation, initiated by Schneider Electric, aims to create interoperability standards for DC systems, ensuring plug-and-play compatibility between different manufacturers' products.
• 📉 The cost of implementing DC microgrids is becoming more feasible as semiconductor technology advances and the demand for sustainable energy solutions grows.
• 🌟 DC microgrids are scalable and can be easily expanded, such as adding more EV charging stations, due to the standardized behaviors set by the Current OS Foundation.

Q & A

What is the main topic of the discussion in the video script?

The main topic of the discussion is the importance of partnerships and the emerging technology of DC microgrids, particularly in the context of Schneider Electric's initiatives.

Who are John Moy and Sebastian Ghana, as mentioned in the script?

John Moy is one of the partners from Schneider Electric in the Netherlands, and Sebastian Ghana is the managing director for DC Systems, focusing on DC microgrid technology.

What is the significance of DC microgrids in the current energy market?

DC microgrids are significant as they fill a niche in the market by providing a more sustainable, efficient, and resilient way of distributing energy, especially in areas facing grid congestion.

What challenges do business owners face in the Netherlands regarding grid capacity?

Business owners in the Netherlands face challenges such as grid congestion, where there is no capacity left in the grid for extending factories or building new ones, forcing them to make decisions on which equipment to use or not use.

How does the increasing demand for sustainable energy sources impact the Dutch grid?

The increasing demand for sustainable energy sources, such as electric vehicles and heat pumps, is putting a strain on the Dutch grid, leading to more grid congestion and the need for new solutions.

What is the role of Electro International in the context of Schneider Electric?

Electro International is a panel build company based in the Netherlands that has been working exclusively with Schneider Electric for nearly 40 years, focusing on panel building for various markets, including data centers.

What benefits can DC microgrids provide in terms of energy efficiency?

DC microgrids can provide energy efficiency benefits of 7 to 10% by changing the way energy is converted and distributed, reducing the need for multiple ACDC converters and allowing for more direct and efficient energy use.

How does the concept of 'Electricity in a Box' relate to DC microgrids?

The concept of 'Electricity in a Box' relates to DC microgrids by offering a scalable and modular solution that can include solar panels, EV chargers, and other DC loads, all managed within a contained system.

What is the Current OS Foundation and its role in DC microgrids?

The Current OS Foundation is an initiative aimed at creating interoperability standards for DC microgrids, ensuring that devices from different manufacturers can work together seamlessly in a DC system.

How does the script address the safety concerns related to high-voltage DC systems?

The script addresses safety concerns by discussing the advancements in solid-state technology, which allows for super-fast breaking and protection in DC systems, making them safer and more manageable.

What are some of the future steps or resources mentioned in the script for those interested in learning more about DC microgrids?

The script mentions visiting booths for demonstrations, checking the homepage of DC Systems, and looking out for training videos and online resources that will be launched to educate people on DC microgrid technology.

Outlines

00:00

🤝 Introduction to Schneider's Partnership and DC Microgrids

The video begins with an introduction to a talk focused on two key initiatives for Schneider Electric: partnerships and DC microgrids. John Moy, a partner from Schneider Electric Netherlands, and Sebastian Ghana, the managing director for DC Systems, introduce themselves and their roles. They discuss the importance of these initiatives, particularly DC microgrids as an emerging technology that fills a market niche. The talk will cover how Schneider leverages partnerships to drive the development and success of this technology transparently.

05:00

🚀 Challenges and Innovations in the Dutch Energy Market

This paragraph delves into the challenges faced by the Dutch energy market, particularly grid congestion and the impact on businesses seeking to expand or build new facilities. The speakers discuss the government's push for sustainability, which includes the adoption of electric vehicles and heat pumps, exacerbating the strain on the grid. DC Systems is introduced as a company that rethinks energy distribution by implementing DC microgrids, or hybrid grids, which can increase energy efficiency by 7 to 10% and reduce the stress on the grid.

10:03

🛠️ Business Impact and Solutions for Grid Limitations

The speakers explore the impact of grid limitations on business owners in the Netherlands, where the lack of grid capacity can halt business expansion. They discuss the need for new solutions like DC microgrids, which can provide more resilient and efficient energy distribution. The conversation highlights the benefits of DC Systems' approach, which includes leveraging partnerships to innovate and adapt to the evolving energy landscape.

15:04

🌐 Scalable DC Microgrid Solutions and Their Benefits

The discussion shifts to the scalability and benefits of DC microgrid solutions, which can be adjusted to meet the energy needs of various applications, from residential to industrial. The speakers highlight the ability of DC microgrids to increase energy efficiency, reduce grid stress, and provide resilience during outages. They also touch on the importance of standardization and interoperability in the development and deployment of DC microgrid technology.

20:06

🚗 Addressing the Electric Vehicle Charging Challenge

This paragraph focuses on the specific application of DC microgrids in electric vehicle (EV) charging. The speakers discuss the regulatory requirements for EV chargers in new builds and the challenges of meeting these demands with limited grid capacity. They present a containerized DC microgrid solution that can be scaled to accommodate the charging needs while reducing the load on the traditional grid.

25:07

🔌 The Future of DC Microgrids and Industry Collaboration

The final paragraph looks to the future of DC microgrids, emphasizing the importance of industry collaboration and standardization through organizations like the Open DC Alliance and the currentOS Foundation. The speakers discuss the role of these organizations in fostering interoperability and the development of safe, efficient, and scalable DC microgrid solutions. They invite the audience to explore the technology further through upcoming training videos and in-person demonstrations at their booth.

Keywords

💡Partnerships

Partnerships refer to the collaborative relationships between different organizations or entities. In the context of the video, Schneider Electric emphasizes the importance of such relationships in driving innovation and addressing the challenges of DC micro grids. The script mentions leveraging partnerships to drive the space and be successful, indicating the reliance on collaborative efforts to advance in the field of energy technology.

💡DC micro grids

DC micro grids are small-scale power systems that operate on direct current (DC) rather than the traditional alternating current (AC). They are an emerging technology that Schneider Electric is exploring to meet the growing energy demands and improve sustainability. The script discusses DC micro grids as a niche solution for grid congestion and sustainability issues, highlighting their potential to increase energy efficiency and resilience.

💡Sustainability

Sustainability in the video refers to the ability to maintain processes or practices over the long term without depleting resources or causing environmental harm. The script mentions the need for more sustainable energy solutions, such as electric vehicles and heat pumps, which are driving the demand for new energy technologies like DC micro grids to support a greener energy infrastructure.

💡Grid congestion

Grid congestion describes a situation where the electrical grid is overloaded and cannot handle the demand for power, leading to limitations in capacity. The script uses the Netherlands as an example, where the grid is reaching its limits, causing challenges for businesses seeking to expand or establish new operations due to the lack of available grid capacity.

💡Electro International

Electro International is a company based in the Netherlands that specializes in building panels for various markets, particularly data centers, using Schneider Electric products. The script introduces John Moy from Electro International, who discusses the company's focus on specialization and its long-standing partnership with Schneider Electric, emphasizing their role in the energy technology space.

💡DC Systems

DC Systems is a company managed by Sebastian Ghana, which is focused on implementing DC micro grid technology. The script describes DC Systems' mission to make the world more energy-efficient by rethinking the way energy is distributed, particularly through the use of DC technology in installations, which can lead to significant energy savings and improved resilience.

💡Energy efficiency

Energy efficiency refers to the ratio of useful output to the energy input required by an electrical device or system. The script mentions that by implementing DC micro grids, it is possible to achieve 7 to 10% more energy efficiency, and in some cases, like with robots, even higher savings of 15 to 25% can be realized. This highlights the potential benefits of DC technology in reducing energy consumption.

💡Resilience

Resilience in the context of the video pertains to the ability of an energy system to withstand or recover quickly from disturbances. The script discusses how DC micro grids can improve resilience, as they allow for more flexible distribution of power and can continue to operate even when parts of the grid are compromised, which is particularly important for critical facilities like data centers.

💡Hybrid grids

Hybrid grids are power systems that combine both AC and DC technologies. The script mentions that DC Systems is working on integrating DC micro grids within traditional AC installations to create hybrid grids. This approach allows for the utilization of the benefits of both AC and DC, such as improved efficiency and the ability to better manage distributed energy resources.

💡Regulations and standards

Regulations and standards are rules and guidelines that govern the design, implementation, and operation of various systems, including energy grids. The script touches on the challenges faced due to the lack of specific regulations or standards for DC micro grids, which can create uncertainty for businesses and authorities. It also highlights the importance of working with authorities to establish these guidelines for safe and effective deployment of new technologies.

💡Interoperability

Interoperability is the ability of different systems or components to work together without compatibility issues. The script discusses the importance of creating interoperability standards through the current OS Foundation, which aims to ensure that different manufacturers' products can work seamlessly together in a DC micro grid environment, facilitating plug-and-play functionality and broad adoption of DC technology.

Highlights

Schneider Electric is focusing on partnerships and DC micro grids as key initiatives.

John Moy from Schneider Electric Netherlands discusses specialization in panel building for industry and data centers.

Sebastian Ghana, Managing Director of DC Systems, emphasizes the company's mission to revolutionize the world with DC technology.

DC micro grids are presented as a solution to fill a market niche needed for sustainability.

Electro International has been building panels for the data center market for nearly 40 years, specializing with Schneider Electric.

Grid congestion in the Netherlands is a significant issue impacting businesses and the need for sustainable energy solutions.

The Dutch government's push for electric vehicles and heat pumps is increasing electricity demand and grid strain.

DC Systems is working on implementing DC micro grids to increase energy efficiency by 7-10%.

John discusses the impact of grid limitations on business expansion and the need for alternative energy solutions.

DC micro grids offer benefits such as grid capacity reduction, increased efficiency, and resilience.

The introduction of a containerized DC micro grid solution called 'EV in a box' to overcome grid capacity limitations.

The scalability of DC micro grids allows for easy addition of components like EV charging stations.

Current OS Foundation aims to create interoperability standards for DC technology deployment.

DC micro grids are scalable and can be adapted for various applications, including industrial and residential use.

Safety in DC systems is achievable through responsible implementation and the use of solid-state protection.

The cost-effectiveness of DC systems is dependent on the application and the potential for scalability.

DC Systems and Electro International are collaborating to build and demonstrate the practical applications of DC micro grids.

Transcripts

[Music]

okay thank you everybody for uh for

coming to this talk we're going to we're

going to discuss a very interesting

topic this morning uh no this

afternoon um It's a combination of two

very important initiatives for Schneider

one is around Partnerships and the other

one is around uh DC micro grids which is

a which is a very interesting new

technology uh that we see emerging when

we when we think about the importance

of when we think about the the

importance of Partnerships this is

actually a an interesting way that we'll

talk about we have uh with us uh with us

John and uh and Sebastian so uh you guys

just want to do a quick introduction my

name is John Moy one of the partners

from Schneider Electric in the

Netherlands

already for quite a while and uh we're

doing uh uh everything with the panel

building

from yeah penel panels for industry tery

uh but also for uh uh machine Builders

yeah and data centers of course yeah

okay so yeah hi my name is Sebastian

Ghana um I'm the managing director for

DC Systems now for the last 3 and a half

years and I mean we are trying to dcy

the world so that's what we're going to

speak about okay so uh if I just go

introduced pretty quickly um we talked

about this um when we think about

sustainability but really if I take a

step back DC micro grids is a very

exciting new space uh we like to think

of it as it's it's filling in a a niche

in the market uh that is very much

needed we'll tell you why that is the

case but we'll also talk about how we

leverage our Partnerships to be able to

really drive this space and be

successful um uh in a in a very

transparent fashion

so if you go to the to the first one I

mean alternate over to you John um can

you tell us a little bit more about

Electro

International um what you do and and how

this came about well we are um what I

said just uh a panel build based in the

the center of the Netherlands already

for nearly 40 years uh we built uh

panels for all kind of markets

especially for the data center market

and we do it with um yeah not all brands

but we do it just with one brand and

that's the brand Schneider Electric and

there that's not a secret reason why we

do this we would like to be a specialist

instead of a generalist and that's we

dived uh we dived into the deep with

Schneider already for 30 years ago uh oh

W that's quite a long that's quite a

long time yeah yeah we do it with

roughly 100 people and uh sometimes we

are asked by Schneider to do um and to

make special projects for them and also

special products for them so focusing on

which application

usually focusing on buildings and for

data centers that's the main uh business

we are into yeah okay okay

so now you look at the chart behind us

uh tell tell us a little bit about the

situation with the Grid in the

Netherlands specifically how it impacts

your business as a business owner as

well as other Industries and and and

buildings around you and and what

ramifications does that have

yeah well soas do you tell this because

we are both of course um involved and uh

yeah so I mean for me that picture

basically always shows perfectly how

much we are taking energy for granted

yeah so I mean it's 5 after 12 right so

this is the situation in the Netherlands

so we are seeing here actually

everything what is red is like the grid

congestion so it's basically there's no

capacity left in the grid and I think

when when also speaking with John that's

exactly what a lot of company owners are

basically facing now in the Netherlands

right so you want to build or extend

your factory you're asking the utility

supplier for an extension of your grid

capacity and then comes like yeah uh

you're asking for 640 KVA for example to

build your factory and they tell you

yeah you can have 400 KVA for the first

two years or something or even less yeah

and and then then it's basically okay

what should I start first is it a coffee

machine is it conveyor belt so you have

to decide and make some decisions as a

business owner and I mean you can tell

better what that would mean for you yeah

especially with all the other things we

we are facing also now um CU you this

situation is getting worse and worse in

the Netherlands because uh the the

government and uh let's say the whole

environment forces us to go more

sustainable so we need to go uh on on

electricity with our cars we need to uh

cook on electricity instead of uh

natural gas but it all pumps up the

electricity market and as you can see on

um the figure showing everything all the

places are in red and in red means that

there's no there's no electricity

available at the moment and it's getting

worse and worse every day so we need to

find new solution to solve the problem

we are a small country in the center of

the center of the Europe and uh I assume

that this will come more to other

countries in Europe as well yeah don't

you think so that for sure so again we

are taking energy for granted because we

are not seeing that kind of problems but

we don't have anymore the capacity in

the grid so we need to really rethink

the way we are we are working with

energy and how we can you know be more

efficient and also like really battle

that kind of things because like you

said we are seeing now especially in the

Netherlands we're seeing a higher rate

of adoption of electrical vehicles uh we

are now everybody wants to go through

heat pumps you know we want to get rid

of the gas uh you know that's also one

of the big challenges for us now while

getting also more you know CO2

reductions being more sustainable and

all those kind of things so that's

basically exactly what we also doing

then with DC Systems right so we are

trying to rethink a little bit the way

we are Distributing energy yeah so it's

a it's a company based also in the

Netherlands and uh we are really trying

to take a normal AC installation and

also Implement a kind of DC micro grid

inside your installation so we call it

hybrid grids um and that's basically one

of our Solutions because exactly we see

always when we are going for our

projects what we could show was always

usually four benefits so one is the grid

um grid capacity reduction because we're

working with

prosumers um with batteries and all that

kind of things so that we can you know

we are working actually behind the meter

so we can take a lot of of the stress of

the grid so another topic we always see

in our projects as well as um good

efficiency increase so we are 7 to 10%

more energy efficient by just changing

the way of conversion so we are

sometimes you know every device usually

needs an ACDC converter um even we are

reducing this completely or we are going

to a more efficient dcdc conversion so

before you even go there though I you

know know John you're a business owner

what is the impact in terms of your own

facility permitting what does it mean

for business owners um you know we we

all heard about this big data center

boob that is happening uh really all

over the world with AI the amount of

energy intensity that is required to run

these how is all that going to factor

into into what you have today and what

you will see tomorrow well what what

what we what we had uh in the past uh is

was a a good Market uh

on or in um in the market where everyone

could build his own Factory or doing his

own business but nowadays uh you you you

are willing to start your business but

you're forced uh or you are stopped by

the government or the electricity

Authority because there is no

electricity so the the total um your

total business stops so you need to find

a new solution to get it rolling again

yeah so we don't have business you don't

have a permit and you don't have access

to the grid uh because they for forbid

you to get the connection so if we ask

for instance uh we need uh and for for

our uh side that's a very actuate

uh yeah purpose we are planning to build

a new build a new Factory uh but s

former already said is we we ask for

certain grid connection and they don't

allow us so we need to find other

Solutions in order to get uh enough

electricity for doing our business what

we want and that's almost for everything

that's for a data center that's for a

normal utility but even for houses they

can't they they don't get get the

electricity to build an house yeah and I

mean it started like four or five years

ago that data centers in this areas

which we're seeing here red they were

forbidden to be built so that's that's

then the last way out of a of a

government to say okay uh we want to go

with residential maybe that's still

what's allowed but you know the data

centers is then forbidden so and stuff

like that then our business owners

really affected we were also seeing so

as we speak I think in February was an

article released so what we're also

writing there is like you know 9,400

companies were waiting or filing for an

extension um just just imagine 9,000 and

it's getting more and more every day

yeah exactly and that that is that is

crucial for some of the business plans

imagine you have a good business idea

you want to open a logistic park or

something and then it's like okay uh the

business plan is standing you get your

approval you get the money everything

and then it's like yeah by the way just

your your Cy supplier is telling you

okay you can't you can't build and open

so that's why we are we are looking

desperately for that kind of new

Solutions yeah by the way we're seeing

the same type of situations not not

frankly as dire in the UK because you

see a lot of the uh the countries that

have pledged on EV as you start putting

in more and more uh EV charging stations

they need power and a lot of the the

grids locally are not able to handle

that so they starting to see the same

situation and and we see the DN trying

starting to say depending on what the

country is that we're going to have a

problem so that creates you know the

logical solution is a microG right yeah

it is now let's talk a little bit uh Seb

about your uh your business you know DC

Systems and tell us a little bit what is

different cuz you know we have AC micro

grids and there's a lot of people that

are able to go do those everyone about

it yeah um and how does this you know

tell us a little bit more about your

business yeah so like I mentioned so

what we are basically just doing with

the company is we are trying to rethink

a little bit the way we are Distributing

energy right so we are all very familiar

especially also Schneider is very

familiar you know with the way of AC

installations and everything and it also

is like you know working for like over

100 years so mankind built this kind of

distribution system what what we are

trying to do is like try a little bit

being smarter and more efficient so we

are not saying AC or DC we are saying

let's take on the DC side what makes

sense naturally what is DC so you know

photov volti electrical Vehicles battery

Solutions all those kind of loads are

naturally like already DC technology and

at the moment we are using always a kind

of small ACDC converter in front of it

to to convert it to make it work and

what we saying is like let's skip this

and let's connect directly on DC and and

what I was mentioning before um in the

projects we have been realizing so far

we could see just by doing that uh we

could be 7 to 10% more energy efficient

um there's even other applications which

can benefit way way better from that so

think of a Rob far above 10% better yes

yes yes because think of a robot for

example right so nowadays what happens

is like the robot is accelerating and

and breaking and while doing that all

the the energy is pushed into a braking

resistor this needs to be cooled and so

on and so on if we connect the robot

directly on a DC bus where batter is

coupled or other loads are already also

coupled you can do a load sharing and

this can bring you you know 15 to 25%

some studies from Germany were showing

that that it could show you like 20 15

to 25% of Energy Efficiency and I mean

for me as a factory owner that would be

nice if I can save a quarter of my

energy bill basically right so that

that's one thing the second thing we are

seeing is um that we are also more

resilient basically because in DC you

can also do different ways of of

Distributing the lines so for example we

could um we could show that we can

distribute one load uh through two lines

and connect it still and when you are

shortening one of the lines for example

still the other one takes over which is

pretty nice for data centers so up time

is you know a big big topic there so

that's one benefit which comes also with

DC directly uh we see for example some

benefits on eying mode since we are like

a grid in inside the installation we can

run this kind of installation then you

know autonomously so we had once a kind

of case that um a building in

Amsterdam in the Z area of Amsterdam

where actually everything is new built

was running while everything else was

facing an outage so just running on

battery and PV installation so that are

like you know the big benefits we we are

seeing what we also trying them to do

with DC Systems and uh we are then

trying you know to exactly execute those

kind of project so customers come to us

uh we are Consulting them we helping

them you know figuring out and

specifying and then realizing that but

also with our products yeah and usually

what we also can show that depends on

application by application is like you

know that we are also saving copper CU

we are stepping up a little bit voltage

so we are reducing you know the

cross-sections and also going a little

bit and more like on copper saving which

is also generating CO2 savings but that

depends really sharp on on the

applications itself so yeah that's

basically what what we are doing and I

think so far we are doing that pretty

well and for example one of those

projects we are now at the moment

investigating together is that we are

looking into a kind of yeah uh eeve in a

box we are calling it and we also

showing it actually the first time here

as a on the on the booth on the

Innovation Summit so you can come

afterwards and also check that out

because I think that's very very

interesting so we are working with a

normal connection um basically you know

we are just connecting the AC grid to

that container and from there on we

connect PV panels and everything so what

with with that solution we we solve uh a

problem because the the grid connection

isn't uh large enough for us uh and with

with a containerized solution we can

yeah increase or decrease uh the grid

connection with 30 or

40% um to combine uh

the normal grid with a DC grid uh so

there's a smart and I think that uh the

solution needs more

explanation uh what you have yeah yeah

so like I said we are we really coming

you know basically it's it's scalable

because we are putting everything what

is like more and more on the actually

what you would connect on the AC

instulation and would require power from

the grid and also from the utilities we

are trying to put in this kind of DC

grid so and from there you know we can

we can limit and we don't need to to

show that to the utility supplier

because on on the DC side we are working

with prosumers we are working with

battery buffer we are working with you

know a lot of different things um to

make it possible that and an energy

management system by itself so we call

it Dro control or current W um so let's

say a kind of spec special specification

which is like you know telling the loads

exactly when to act and yeah through

that we were able to reduce for your

building in this case you know because

nowadays you were also asked to connect

more and more EV Chargers by the

European regulations we were forced to

yeah so yeah every every fifth parking

lot has to have like every new build

company has to have every fifth parking

lot needs to be an EV charger so and

with that we were securing that you are

able to to provide the charges while

still having you know the the company

running on that kind of limited grid

connection that we were seeing so I

think that was a pretty interesting

thing and actually the story how we came

there was more funny because we we were

just looking because we're also seeing

obviously a lot of challenges right so

we are now looking for components which

we were not used to last year was a big

supply chain crises um and we were also

trying to scale so you know because most

of our things are like handcrafted for

the time being and we were looking for

partner helping us building this kind of

700 kg panel and that's where we were

looking then to to John cuz I was aware

that Electro International is one of the

panel builders in the Netherlands and

yeah so we reached out basically to you

and then afterwards we were just in the

discussions and saw that you were also

increasing the building and that's how

we came actually together with that so

we build them uh in in serial types

numbers yeah now are you going to

leverage one of these panels in your

facility itself and are you going to

have a micro Grid in the Box for

yourself for sure yeah we need to

because otherwise we have no capacity

from the grid to uh to feed all uh the

the the electro vehicles uh so what we

do is we we are going to uh use the

solar panels to fit directly uh the EV

box MH and use all uh electrical

electrical power uh to flatten uh let's

say the consumption of our own building

and that decreases the total um the

total consumption of the the top

consumption of the the building so

instead of 630 KVA we were um yeah we we

we were we were handy enough with that

system to go down to 40 on the KVA and

even I expect that we go f even uh

further uh down mhm uh do you have to go

permit this with the utility company or

does it work no no no no uh yeah so

because for the time being that's also

one of the challenges we are facing

right so everybody is like then shying

out usually due to missing regulation or

standards for the time being but that's

also where we are working together with

the customers we are saying okay let's

let's build that let's go to the local

authorities let's have like you know

checked what is what is actually

requirements you know for PV

installations for battery Solutions so

all that kind of things we are then also

helping and and going through and trying

then obviously to to place that then in

the field uh it's a little bit

challenging because also you know in

Europe many country by country it also

differentiates a little bit um but

that's what what we are trying to do and

where we we try also to support and I

mean I think there's really a kind of

big big demand what we could see on the

on the picture before and many companies

are actually looking for that kind of

solutions yeah many many uh companies

are they they speak about electricity in

the box but there's one thing different

what we do we don't go out with AC we do

we use everything on DC so that makes

the difference uh yeah because we don't

want to we call it now even a box

because we we just started with the EV

charges around it but basically from

there we can connect everything like

your Lighting in in in your factory for

example you can also connect you know if

we are having oems we are working with

together then you know who who are

building refrigerators you can connect

those kind of things for the retail

shops so it actually can can become DC

in a box but so far we were starting you

know because we see that need cuz now

this regulations are popping up um a lot

aren't also going to be enforced by the

European Energy building directives so

that's why we started with the with the

electrical vehicles for you and I think

we will see more and more to really

bring the loads on the other side but

that is also where I'm looking a little

bit back to you you know how how the big

uh manufacturers are then you know

helping us to to and I I've seen some

nice products on the bo yeah from DC

powering uh Electro Vehicles so but do

they come more I uh you know so we've

been down this journey and and one of

the things that is to me quite

interesting is when when you go into a

native DC type architecture one of the

biggest concerns and and I'll I'll say

even from our own CEO is you know our

exeo his question was wow 600 volt DC

that is that is a lot of energy yeah so

how are you going to be a how how do you

make sure you can protect from that

energy yeah right and so when people

think DC they try to use the the

traditional uh Breakers and everything

else that we

have that becomes a Lim ation yeah the

good news is with the advancements in

solid state technology uh we start to

see I mean it's still expensive but with

silicon carbide and some of the new

technologies that we have number one you

start start to see the cost come down so

some of the technology stack that is

completely different for this type of an

application will be you need more power

Electronics right so whether it's the

CDC converter up front it's the uh the

interruption or the or the circuit

protection uh which is also needs to be

solid state but then you also have our

busway and all the other uh so that

technology stack is completely different

number one we have to make sure and in

some cases what we are learning uh you

know the Dutch authorities in some sense

are working with us and are quite I'll

say much more technically Savvy in terms

of what the applications are and how we

are doing it the right way uh a lot of

the other countries they are still just

trying to learn right so from my

perspective to make this successful

number one one it has to be application

based so certainly in a box is one

application uh we see this by the way

proliferating very heavily in China uh

which is really adopting DC and I think

adopting DC in a in in many ways that is

faster than the rest of the world uh

there are associations so we have odca

uh which is really a factory DC type

application uh that's in Germany and

that's a that's a Consortium we see

emerge Alliance in the US we see uh

cabie which is a Consortium of of a lot

of folks in in China really being driven

with the with this with the southern uh

the southern grd the the South GD of

China but all of these in the end work

with from our perspective we have our

own foundation called uh called current

OS uh you might say is this a Schneider

foundation not really uh what we are

trying to do is really create the

interoperability

standards between all the different

manufacturers so whether it's the oems

whether it's the the device

manufacturers the system integrators in

one way you can really deploy DC at

scale for the applications that makes

sense if you have the same language if

each device doesn't need a

custom uh converter so this current o

Foundation that we have uh you know

we've had it for a few years the

founding members are us uh Eon ABB and

we also have UL which is uh you know one

of the standards bodies in the US we are

working actively with all of these uh

associations that I talked about and

finally we've increased the size of the

number of uh members of uh uh of current

OS we've doubled you know Hager recently

joined we have a lot of the

manufacturers you know we have uh we

have Fuji electric some of the folks

that are in uh in the audience today so

really the goal is not to make this a

Schneider specific standard but to make

this something that is interoperable so

when you as a consumer or as an end user

you as an end user decide to go take

this technology stack uh it's plug

andplay right one of the one of the

things that I like the best about the

way these DC microgrids work is they're

extremely

scalable right so if you wanted to add

another another EV charging box tell us

a little bit about the Simplicity of

that it's it's very simple uh yeah but

it's simple due to the C curent OS found

Foundation which sets up certain uh

behaviors in in a DC system and that's

what you more can tell uh SE I mean that

are the two unique things you need in a

in a DC micro you need protection so

otherwise DC becomes dangerous current

and you know the solid state protection

is like a way of super fast breaking

actually so that's why it's it's

manageable and it's also one thing what

DC Systems has in in this offer

portfolio so that's exactly one thing

what we're working with and the

scalability needs to come from exactly

like a lot of manufacturers it's not

just Schneider Not the Ean not the ab

itself all of them together because

otherwise we don't see enough

applications because let's be honest uh

even Schneider or seamons or whoever is

not big enough to change overnight or in

5 10 years even what mankind was like

you know building over the last century

so that's why we we definitely need to

have that kind of foundation and I

always compare it to in kind of use B

standard in front of the socket so

that's basically how I see current Dr

and that's why I'm also very happy

always to see more and more people

coming joining you know I'm always

excited when I see a new product coming

up so I usually put it directly in our

in our garage downstairs to to the

engineering team to connect and play

around with it so you know what is it

how can I bre isn't only for big

manufacturers even for for us as a user

uh it's there there are Ruby contracts

Ruby is the lowest uh level uh from um

the curent OS Foundation from which you

can uh

uh use the knowledge M uh and we are

also a cure a ruby member yeah okay so

uh to conclude the topic and we only

have a couple of minutes left uh you

know people generally ask us a few

questions around the topic of DC so the

the first question is uh is DC safe I

think the answer is yes if you do it

responsibly and if you do it the right

way more than we absolutely agree more

than that and and there are people

people who will Who will swear by it and

and and be swear by it again done the

right way second question is is it more

sustainable or is it more carbon

efficient than AC the question it

depends on your application yes uh and

it depends on how you deploy that

application so we are learning specific

applications especially which are highly

uh the loads generally tend to be a DC a

lot but if the sources are are a lot a

lot more DC you start to see these

becoming a lot more efficient and the

third one is is it cost effective and to

me the question the answer is again

today yes depending on the application

but as we see the cost of semiconductors

start to come down and as we start to

see the proliferation of these devices

if we have the standardization so if

each person doesn't try to build their

own DC grid with their own language with

their own

interoperability I think absolutely it

can scale and the and for the right

applications these these lces will far

outweigh the Simplicity and the

scalability will far

outweigh uh AC in those applications and

and we are convinced about it you have

to learn about it but uh as as as soon

as you know the rules it's much easier

okay um so so tell us where can people

learn a little bit more about what we

are doing um uh both online and also in

terms of uh being able to to see witness

see and feel what we're working on so

first of all you can so everybody in the

audience can like visit us on the booth

obviously where we where we're showing

also the the in Box model uh they can go

to our homepage DC do systems um

otherwise it's also like you know just

give us a call uh get my contact details

we will for sure have like a big opening

of The Experience Center so and we just

introduced our own site exactly and then

also an electro International they also

just launch their own DC micro grid site

in which all the solutions from uh uh DC

stand uned exactly so that's I think

you're pretty pretty good when already

looking up to this and then you know

reaching out to John or myself to when

you have questions for that so we are

more than happy to to help to answer

okay and and look through all the stuff

uh and we're also looking to have some

formal training videos uh that we will

launch shortly just learning videos that

that will be available uh online as well

if people just want to learn but we

again welcome you I think this is the

end of our our talk but we welcome you

to go back to the uh uh take a tour with

us to the to the to the floor where we

have an example and the and the guys can

actually show you how this works in

action and not just in theod so thank

you very much thank you thank you all

thank you John thank you s

[Applause]

[Music]