THE ENERGY INTERVIEW
battery storage and grid supply, managing flexible loads like EV charging systems and HVAC systems non-intrusively while ensuring critical processes like clean rooms maintain power continuity.”
The Advisor layers AI algorithms over operational data to balance load and generation dynamically, and provide facility managers with insights on energy savings and efficiency improvements.“ It can quantify how much energy is saved compared to conventional grid-only consumption and helps managers understand their energy dynamics,” Frédéric adds.
This autonomous management delivers 20-30 % savings on energy bills, with payback periods of around seven years or faster in regions with higher electricity prices, before then continuing to deliver recurring savings and competitiveness.
“ It can quantify how much energy is saved compared to conventional gridonly consumption and helps managers understand their energy dynamics”
Frédéric Godemel, Executive Vice President of Energy Management, Schneider Electric
Frédéric is enthusiastic:“ people become addicted to the benefits once they see the cost and environmental impact reductions.”
EcoStruxure Microgrid Advisor also helps scale AI orchestration across multiple sites and industries. It works by advising rather than replacing human decisions.“ The AI‘ advisor’ offers recommendations on energy use and automation where desired but leaves final control to users,” Frédéric explains.
Balancing AI’ s energy demand and impacts The rise of AI and data centres creates a paradox: the technology enhances energy efficiency but consumes significant electricity itself. Frédéric says:“ AI data centres consume growing amounts of power, currently between 1.5-3 % of global electricity demand, and this may double.”
Schneider Electric partners with companies like Nvidia to design energy-efficient data centres and AI infrastructure systems- working collaboratively to help mitigate the growth of electricity consumption associated with AI. Frédéric says:“ Together, we contribute to designing reliable, efficient architectures that maximise performance per watt, helping control data centre energy demands.”
Despite AI’ s energy footprint, he emphasises the net positive effect:“ AI enables far greater savings on the demand side by optimising energy use across sectors, so the balance is highly favourable.”
28 November 2025