Schneider Electric to Build Advanced Microgrid in Foxboro, MA Facility

- REC Solar tabbed as the Investor Owner of the project

- Project will be Schneider Electric's third Microgrid-as-a-Service project with Duke Energy Renewables and REC Solar

- Microgrid will offer power resilience and prevent productivity loss

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Mar 14, 2018, 08:00 ET

FOXBORO, Mass., March 14, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Schneider Electric, the global specialist in the digital transformation of energy management and automation, today announced a project with REC Solar to build an advanced microgrid at its Foxboro, Massachusetts facility. The microgrid will be funded by Schneider Electric's innovative Microgrid-as-a-Service (MaaS) business model – it is the third MaaS project with Duke Energy Renewables and REC Solar – and will offer greater power resilience to help the company better serve its customers. The Foxboro facility operates as Schneider Electric's Process Automation North American Power Generation Center of Excellence.

Many facilities believe a backup generator is sufficient for power resilience, but typical backup generators are tied only to selected loads and don't allow facilities to remain fully operational. Adding microgrid and automation capabilities can enhance resilience, prevent outages in the event of grid failure, and allow facilities to maintain operations as usual. Commercial and industrial facilities that experience a power outage will suffer loss of productivity. A 30-minute power cut at a U.S. facility reportedly results in an average loss of $15,709 for medium and large industrial clients, and shorter blackouts account for an annual estimated economic loss of between $104 and $164 billion.[1] Thus, even a short duration grid outage can cost companies thousands of hours of productivity.

This announcement comes less than a year after Schneider Electric unveiled the advanced microgrid at its Boston One Campus (BOC) in Andover, Massachusetts. The microgrid offers Schneider Electric increased reliability, cost savings, and sustainable energy production for critical R&D operations and was funded by its MaaS business model, which helps companies build microgrids without needing upfront capital.

"Our customers demand power resilience from the microgrids we install at their sites, and our facilities rely on the same high standards to keep sites online in the event of a grid outage. Through our existing partnership with REC Solar and Duke Energy Renewables, we have seen first-hand the benefits of installing advanced microgrids at commercial and industrial facilities through the MaaS business model," said Mark Feasel, Vice President, Utility Segment, Smart Grid & Microgrid, Schneider Electric. "This microgrid ensures the building will remain operational during unplanned outages, in addition to optimizing the use of our on-site resources that demonstrate Schneider Electric's commitment to sustainability."

As part of the microgrid deployment at the Foxboro facility, Schneider Electric will utilize its own flagship EcoStruxure™ Hybrid Distributed Control System (DCS) to harness power of the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) and connect all components of the architecture. The EcoStruxure Hybrid DCS offers advanced asset management capabilities and enables energy optimization and easy troubleshooting to ensure a resilient, cost-effective and sustainable source of power via the microgrid.

EcoStruxure is Schneider Electric's IoT-enabled, open and interoperable system architecture and platform that delivers Innovation At Every Level across connected products, edge control, and apps, analytics, and services. The EcoStruxure architecture enables scalable design and operation of connected systems with best-in-class cybersecurity built in at every layer.

EcoStruxure Profit Advisor and Termis District Energy Optimization Software will also be incorporated into the solution to further optimize the thermal distribution and energy (OpEx) costs. A unique, patented IIoT software that uses Big Data analytics to measure and reveal the profitability of an industrial operation in real-time, EcoStruxure Profit Advisor offers insight into how every production asset within the plant contributes to the operational profitability of the company.

Finally, Schneider Electric's Foxboro microgrid will include on-site advanced microgrid control software and hardware through the use of EcoStruxure Microgrid Advisor and the Energy Control Center, in addition to the deployment of ongoing monitoring and services including turnkey implementation and engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC). EcoStruxure Microgrid Advisor will help Schneider Electric track and make CO₂ reduction measures visible to the facility managers.

As the "Investor Owner" of the project, REC Solar will be leveraged as the capital partner to fund, own, and operate the microgrid assets. Upon its completion by the end of the year, the Foxboro microgrid will mark the third MaaS project that Schneider Electric has completed with the REC Solar and Duke Energy Renewables team.

"Microgrid-as-a-Service makes microgrids accessible to a wider variety of customers and has prompted innovation within the industry," said Chris Hiller, Lead Solution Architect, REC Solar. "By partnering with Schneider Electric, we have helped customers integrate microgrids with no upfront capital, while helping companies achieve more efficient and sustainable energy consumption."

As a leader in microgrid technology, Schneider Electric is an expert in enabling scalable, repeatable microgrids, especially those including Combined Heat and Power (CHP). Schneider Electric's microgrids solve resilience, cost, and sustainability challenges with no upfront capital requirements through the MaaS approach.

For more information about Schneider Electric's microgrid solutions, please visit www.schneider-electric.us/microgrid

About Schneider Electric

Schneider Electric is leading the Digital Transformation of Energy Management and Automation in Homes, Buildings, Data Centers, Infrastructure and Industries. With global presence in over 100 countries, Schneider is the undisputable leader in Power Management – Medium Voltage, Low Voltage and Secure Power, and in Automation Systems. We provide integrated efficiency solutions, combining energy, automation and software. In our global Ecosystem, we collaborate with the largest Partner, Integrator and Developer Community on our Open Platform to deliver real-time control and operational efficiency. We believe that great people and partners make Schneider a great company and that our commitment to Innovation, Diversity and Sustainability ensures that Life Is On everywhere, for everyone and at every moment.

www.schneider-electric.us

About REC Solar

REC Solar is a nationwide leader providing complete commercial, public sector and utility-scale solar solutions. In 1997, our founders had a simple idea – create better power. Since then we have helped hundreds of organizations across the United States think differently about energy; saving money, creating predictability in operating costs, reducing their environmental impact, and pushing their business forward. REC Solar offers all design, engineering, financing and maintenance services in house, allowing for a simple customer experience. Our unmatched expertise and quality are enhanced by the creativity we bring to each project. By integrating into the core beliefs, values and community of the organizations we work with, we generate greater business value. For more information, visit RECSolar.com.

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