Vision 2030 Jan. 2013 | Page 38

Making the most of our energy Pioneering the cleantech agenda Interview with Jim Rice, Managing Director, Schneider Electric Ireland “The world faces a real dilemma – energy demand is growing by a factor of 2 while we need to reduce our carbon emissions by 2”, says Jim Rice, Managing Director of Schneider Electric Ireland. “This is the space in which we operate”, he continues, “our ambition is to help our customers face this challenge and allow them to reduce their energy costs while implementing robust and reliable systems”. Founded in the nineteenth century, Schneider Electric has evolved into a gargantuan global enterprise, employing more than 110,000 people worldwide and generating annual sales in excess of €20 billion. Over the course of time, it acquired a multiplicity of well-known brands in the space (Merlin Gerin, Telemecanique, Square D) and has amalgamated them all under the Schneider Electric banner. Schneider specialises in the distribution, automation, management and control of energy. It serves five major categories; Utilities & infrastructure, Industries & machine manufacturers, Non-residential buildings, Data Centres & networks and residential buildings,providing a multitude of products and services in five different areas: Power, Energy, Buildings, Industry & IT. 38