Schneider Electric Philippines hosted its Innovation Day 2023, with the theme, “Innovations for a Sustainable Philippines.” The hybrid event, held at the Raffles Fairmont Hotel in Makati and simultaneously streamed online, brought together industry leaders from across the region to discuss and collaborate on how the Philippines can accelerate sustainability through digital and electric energy.
Innovation Day Philippines 2023 was divided into a series of sessions, where participants had the opportunity to hear from a formidable lineup of speakers, including Department of Energy (DOE) Undersecretary Dr. Rowena Christina Guevara, Schneider Electric East Asia Vice President for Global Marketing Christopher Quinn, Schneider Electric Power & Grid Regional Segment Leader Sara El Fanidi, Meralco First Vice President and Chief Sustainability Officer Meralco Raymond Ravelo, and AboitizPower Chief Operating Officer for Distribution Utilities Anton Perdices.
Ireen Catane, Country President of Schneider Electric Philippines, welcomed attendees from a wide range of segments—design firms, power and grid, cloud and service providers, real estate, manufacturing, and many more. In her opening remarks, Catane underscored the role digital and electric energy play in powering the future of the Philippines. She also encouraged participants to explore the interactive Innovation Hubs which give a better glimpse into the possibilities of a balanced future powered by digital and electric energy, as well as showcase how enterprises can accelerate their digital transformation journey.
“Global social and environmental changes are accelerating. Now is the time for companies to re-think who they are and what they do to ensure future resilience. Efficiency and sustainability are their passport to operate, thrive, and make an impact, today and tomorrow,” said Catane. “At Schneider Electric, we have made it our mission to be your digital partner for sustainability and efficiency. Join us as we explore the innovations for a sustainable world.”
Digital innovations for a better energy future
In this rapidly evolving digital world, digitalization has become a crucial in achieving economic progress, as well as in expanding opportunities and service improvements among businesses.
In her keynote presentation, DOE Undersecretary Dr. Rowena Christina Guevara lays down the groundwork on incorporating digital innovations for a developing Philippines—focusing on how smart manufacturing and digitization can address the need for inclusivity and accessibility in the energy sector, the application of technologies towards a low-carbon future, the green transmission system, and the future of energy.
“The uptake of the digital innovation in the local energy sector is just beginning, and I believe this movement requires a commitment from all sectors and stakeholders,” said Undersecretary Guevara. “Moving forward, for the country to contribute to the low-carbon future, it is key for industries to upskill their people, digitize their processes, include and innovate infrastructure, and align their energy plans across all sectors of the economy.”
Driving towards a resilient Philippines
Climate inaction will impact on the Philippines growth and sustainability ambitions. As a country prone to natural disasters, the need to do more for the environment is more glaring now than ever.
In a keynote presentation by Christopher Quinn, attendees were given in-depth insights on how technology that enables companies to become more energy resilient and net-zero now exist.
“We need both electric and digital to secure a future and the new electric economy, but we must act now by reducing, replacing, and electrifying,” said Quinn.“It is more crucial than ever to work together towards a future that is digital, electric, sustainable, and efficient.”
Addressing the challenges towards sustainability energy and digitization
The current landscape of renewable energy and digitization in the Philippines is still evolving. While there have been notable advancements and improvements in these fields, there are still significant challenges that need to be addressed.
In a highly engaging panel discussion, Schneider Electric brought together leaders in the power sector to discuss energy distribution, supply, transmission, and generation in the Philippines, as well as how organizations can take the necessary steps to promote energy efficiency and sustainability.
Schneider Electric Power & Grid Regional Segment Leader Sara El Fanidi was joined by AboitizPower Senior Vice President & Chief Operating Officer Anton Perdices and Meralco First Vice President & Chief Sustainability Officer Raymond Ravelo to answer the most pressing questions in the power sector.
“The challenge in the Philippines right now is the current supply of renewable energy. There is currently a lack of green energy infrastructure such as solar farms and hydroelectric plants, so it’s quite a challenge to find and produce green power,” shared Perdices, who explains major obstacles of the Philippine power sector. “It’s one of our biggest hurdles, but the good news is that regulatory groups such as the DOE are laying down plans for green energy and sustainable infrastructure in the Philippines.”
“Partnership is the key to accelerate sustainability in the Philippines. There must be a very close and collaborative relationship between the private and public sectors,” said Ravelo. “At the end of the day, this isn’t a race against each other. We must work together towards our shared vision of a more resilient Philippines.”
“As mentioned earlier, there is no room for competition in this new world of energy—we are all in the same boat,” concluded Fanidi, who also tackles the increasing demand of green power. “Renewable energy is quickly becoming a necessity, and to meet this new demand, we need more sources.”
Discussing digitization and the future of net-zero
Following the discursive panel discussion and keynote presentations, the latter half of the event featured a series of strategy talks that focused on the intersection of digitization and net-zero.
Schneider Electric East Asia Regional Services Lead Gary Chen led a discussion on carving the path towards a future powered by amplified digitization. He emphasized Schneider Electric’s net-zero commitment, and how the company goes beyond the scope of operations,
aiming to mobilize its entire ecosystem to act for a climate positive world.
Paul Chapman, Schneider Electric Asia Pacific Vice President for Cloud and Service Providers Segment, followed with his session on trailblazing the path to net-zero data center operations. Chapman stated that with the increasing impact of climate change and rising energy costs, data center operators face unprecedented demands. He lays down the framework companies can follow to help navigate their path towards net-zero operations.
Schneider Electric Head of Digital Building Brian Chan, underscored the blueprint for net-zero buildings of the future. Chan explained how the industry is evolving, but today’s global demands will push the transformation into overdrive. In his talk, he gave insights on how developers and operators can capture the power of the all-digital, all-electric world with more sustainable, resilient, efficient, and people-centric building.
To close the strategy talks, Schneider Electric representatives Ravindra Bharadwadj N and Ricardo Domingo Jr. illustrated the smart factory and how it acts as a driver for smart manufacturing. They presented live use cases, Schneider’s Industry 4.0 framework, Ecostruxure, and innovative technologies employed as energy management, plant management, and asset equipment management.
“Today, we have shown you a glimpse into the future, where innovative technologies can drive our companies to be future-proof and energy resilient towards our goal of becoming net-zero,” said Schneider Electric Philippines Business Development and Marketing Director Carlos Leviste, who gave the closing remarks. “Sustainability is a marathon, not a sprint—and we are committed to leading this race and being part of the solution for a more sustainable world.”
