Schneider Electric has introduced the New Energy Opportunities (NEO) Network, a collaborative online platform that helps commercial and industrial companies identify and vet renewable energy, cleantech and energy-efficiency prospects.
According to Schneider, the network simplifies and accelerates the buying process by connecting end users to viable projects and technologies. As a result, companies can find the right tools to meet their sustainability goals – whether it’s a power purchase agreement for electricity from a wind farm or distributed solar installed on a parking lot coupled with energy storage.
Schneider Electric says it will act as the network moderator, building the platform and qualifying the organizations that participate. The company will lend its energy management and sustainability expertise, which includes managing 40 GW of electricity load in more than 100 countries on behalf of clients.
Founding participants include AEG, Allergan, Bloom Energy, Equinix and VF Corp., Schneider adds.
To help companies find an ideal fit to support their climate action and business goals, the NEO Network offers the following:
- Participants have access to a knowledge center with white papers, research reports and market intelligence covering more than 50 countries and regions.
- Companies create profiles outlining their sustainability objectives, project experience, and capabilities and references. Community forums also allow participants to post questions, join in facilitated discussions and share best practices.
- Participants can collaborate with peers and search for existing developments based on technology type, project size and location. They can also engage leading cleantech providers to initiate new sustainability projects.
“We recently contracted 330 MW of solar and wind energy through three different power purchase agreements and understand how complicated the process can be,” says Sam Kapoor, chief global operations officer at Equinix, which delivers interconnection and data center services to companies across the globe. “These are long-term contracts, and we can’t afford to lock into agreements with unknown financial risk. A platform such as the NEO Network will be valuable as we look to achieve our goal of 100 percent clean and renewable energy.”
