The Schneider Electric Foundation, under the aegis of the Fondation de France, has entered a four-year partnership with the Solar Impulse Foundation, which is selecting 1,000 solutions that protect the environment in a profitable way and awarding them the Solar Impulse Efficient Solution label.
Through its partnership, Schneider Electric notes that it is helping accelerate the ecological transition and promote solutions to help achieve at least five of the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. It cites in particular:
• Affordable and clean energy;
• Industry, innovation and infrastructure;
• Sustainable cities and communities;
• Clean, accessible water for all; and
• Responsible consumption and production.
The aim of the Solar Impulse Foundation is to select and endorse 1,000 solutions that contribute to achieving at least one of the above five goals and meet the following criteria: technical feasibility, environmental benefits and profitability. Bertrand Piccard, Chairman of the Solar Impulse Foundation, intends to follow up by promoting this portfolio of solutions to corporate and political leaders worldwide. To date, 179 solutions have already received the Solar Impulse Efficient Solution label, including biodegradable packaging made from milk protein, a solar-powered water purification plant, an enzyme-based plastic recycling technology and a zero-waste construction process.
The Solar Impulse Efficient Solution label is awarded to solutions after the assessment of a six-part application filing, including an evaluation of their lifecycle (carbon emissions, recyclability, etc.), business model, and the target country for implementation.
These applications are submitted by innovators and analyzed through an online platform developed by the Solar Impulse Foundation to guarantee the anonymity of the projects and experts involved. This process can take several days or even weeks, requiring input from numerous volunteer experts specialized in at least one of the five goals mentioned earlier.
The Schneider Electric Foundation will promote the project within Schneider Electric to mobilize experts, such as Nicolas Plain, a research engineer working on renewable energy mini-grids for Africa.
In addition, through its VolunteerIn program, the Foundation will do everything possible internally to ensure the success of this project. A steering committee of teams from all over the world will be set up to select Group solutions that protect the environment and enable access to electricity. These include, for example, Homaya, a complete photovoltaic electrification system for isolated homes, and Mobyia, a solar-powered system for lighting and charging communications devices.