Solutions providers hold the key: experts.
This content has been provided by Schneider Electric and is being published by NZME as advertorial.
By Jason Molloy, Schneider Electric, Secure Power Lead, New Zealand
With some analysts predicting the economic value of Internet of Things (IoT) in New Zealand to grow to $15.8 billion by 2030, concern exists around the increased energy demands and consumption that will accompany this.
On a pure energy level, by 2025, 75 per cent of enterprise data is expected to be created and processed at the Edge. With this rate of increase, Edge Spaces could exceed 1.5k TWh in the next 20 years.
These statistics are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the finite resources we are consuming and the carbon emissions that are created. To reverse these trends, we need the IT industry to act as a whole to improve sustainability and reduce energy usage.
A new solution
In recent years, we have seen a shift in the way businesses engage with their IT. It is becoming less common for IT services to be managed wholly in-house and, instead, external IT solution providers offer IT support and management.
Around 40 per cent of businesses are looking to these consultants to transform their digital infrastructure. These solutions providers, who are neither making nor buying the products, are the enablers of a more sustainable and energy efficient IT future. They can advise and lead businesses to make sustainable IT choices and will be there to carry out the work in the future.
Schneider Electric works closely with these providers to support the IT industry to bring about a more efficient and sustainable future, through its mySchneider partner programme. One example is the recent relaunch of its TradeUPS programme to help customers recycle their old uninterruptible power supplies (UPSs).
The programme offers collection and sustainable disposal of old UPSs when a new eligible system is purchased. Once recycled, we also provide the company with an environmental disposal certificate. In addition, we are actively moving our UPS range to take advantage of lithium-ion battery technology; providing a longer battery and product life, up to 10 years, as well as increased uptime and decreased service requirements.
Circular economy and Green Premium
We firmly believe in the circular economy – that products should be designed with thought given to their whole-of-life consumption. Ideally, they should be able to be repaired or upgraded, instead of thrown away and new purchases made. We also believe that production should maximise benefits and minimise harm to the environment and society through regulatory compliance, material content, and consideration of long-term impact. To help us meet these, and other, sustainability commitments of our customers, Schneider Electric has developed a range of products under the Green Premium ecolabel.
A Green Premium product must have:
- Digitally available, transparent information regarding environmental impact
- Minimal use of hazardous substances in, and beyond, compliance with regulations such as RoHS and REACH
- A promise of sustainable and environmentally friendly performance
- Environmental disclosures such as a Product Environmental Profile (PEP ecopassport) to provide robust environmental information
- Circularity profiles to provide guidance on responsible product disposal and recycling along with circular value propositions.
Green Premium allows our customers to meet their own sustainability targets by:
- Providing a tool to help customers calculate their carbon footprint
- Anticipating and ensuring full regulatory compliance
- Making note of concerning substances and chemicals
- Delivering all appropriate information to develop the eco-design of the solution
- Reducing the end-of-life costs by optimising the recyclability of products.
By working with Schneider Electric and its partners, businesses can improve their sustainability and energy-efficiency credentials. Together, we can reverse the trends and create a more efficient future.
To find out more, visit www.se.com/nz