Month: March 2023

Award winning ‘Schneider Home’ provides energy independence with an integrated home energy management solution – controlled by a single, easy-to-use app – that automates energy production, storage, measurement and control, making homes efficient, resilient and sustainableIntelligent, intuitive, and attractive, Schneider Home saves homeowners money while keeping them comfortable all the time – even during a power outage

Energy efficiency, sustainability, and simplicity are coming to homes in an entirely new way. Schneider Electric, the leader in the digital transformation of energy management and automation, unveiled Schneider Home – a first-of-its-kind home energy management solution for homeowners seeking savings, comfort, and energy independence – today at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas (booth #53711).

The Schneider Home energy management solution includes a home battery for clean energy storage, a high-power solar inverter, a smart electrical panel, electric vehicle charger and connected electric sockets and light switches – all controlled by the easy-to-use Schneider Home app. The Schneider Home solution intelligently orchestrates home energy by bringing together utility power, solar, back up battery and EV charging. It offers unparalleled intelligence to homeowners, including the ability to monitor energy consumption by individual appliance, decide where to prioritize power during an outage to extend available back up power, and avoid expensive electrical service upgrades when purchasing an EV. The solution also allows homeowners to save by enrolling in utility programs and qualify for tax incentives.

In contrast to existing solutions which require separate apps and disjointed hardware, Schneider Electric has eliminated the complexity for homeowners by automating energy production, storage, measurement and control. Recognized by CES as a 2023 Innovation Award Honoree, Schneider Home’s sleek styling and integrated approach mark a new age of home energy management solutions.

Nadege Petit, Executive Vice President, Innovation at Schneider Electricsaid, “There’s never been a greater need for transformation or a greater opportunity for positive impact and innovation is how we empower consumers on their path to net zero. Homeowners are now able to produce their own energy and seamlessly switch between power sources to optimize cost. Schneider Home provides them the tools for a self-sufficient home, reducing their environmental impact, while saving them money on their energy bills.”

Schneider Home offers a unique integration of energy resources and digital capabilities, including:

Schneider Pulse: The heart of the electrified home. A smart electrical panel powered by embedded technology, functionality, and intelligence to interconnect various energy sources within the home. This solution has already been recognized for its innovation with awards from Time, Fast Company, and Green Builder, among others.Schneider Boost: The home battery for energy storage. Store solar energy during the day and use it during peak rates for utility bill savings and to keep home power flowing during an outage.Schneider Inverter: The high-power hybrid inverter for solar and storage. Converts solar energy output into usable AC electricity.Schneider Charge: The electric vehicle charger. Leverages onsite solar and storage to boost charge speed and reduce charging costs.Schneider Home: The single app to control it all. Monitor, control and automate whole home energy management through one easy-to-use application.

Jaser Faruq, Senior Vice President, Innovation & Energy Storage at Schneider Electric said, “Choice, control, convenience – these are the characteristics that consumers are looking for in every experience. What better or more meaningful place to deliver that than in their own homes? We took the opportunity to reimagine home energy placing the customer at the center, then designing a full-featured, integrated system around their needs and paired with an intuitive app to simplify its operation. Now, with Schneider Home, homeowners can save time, save money and help with the climate challenge.”

This announcement timing couldn’t be more important. The cost of utility power in the U.S continues to increase, while damaging weather events and grid instability are driving the need for more clean, cost-effective, resilient, and secure energy. In tandem, the U.S. is making unprecedented investments in clean energy, and renewables are poised to become the largest source of electricity generation by 2025. Government incentives, utility programs and rebates have brought about a significant shift in how consumers engage with energy in their everyday lives.

Schneider Electric is the first company to bring together disparate home energy technologies into an integrated, open, and streamlined system – all controlled by a single app with unique capabilities, including:

Predefined and customizable energy saving settings, like Away Mode, to power off non-critical appliances when not needed, customize lighting scenes and set up your battery to maximize savingsIntelligent EV charging when rates are lowest – or directly from solarReduced time and complexity of installation in comparison to legacy systemsMinimal footprint and streamlined design taking up less space than current configurations – less clutter, more curb appeal

As the industry leader trusted in 4 of 10 U.S. homes with a legacy in smart, sustainable home electrification, Schneider Electric is meeting the needs of customers today and preparing them for the future. This solution solves for a clear and resonant market need at a time when 83% of Americans site energy efficiency and sustainability as the most important factors in home improvement.

The Schneider Home energy management solution is modular in design and can be purchased as a full suite or incrementally as homeowners’ needs evolve. The complete solution will roll out over the course of 2023. For more information, visit SchneiderHome.com.

Renewable power’s growth is being turbocharged as countries seek to strengthen energy security – News – IEA

Plastic taxes, regulatory bans of expanded polystyrene (EPS) foam, and environmental pledges are keeping sustainability attributes such as recyclability, biodegradability, compostability, and plastic reduction top of mind for food processors and retailers. At the same time, more and more consumers are approaching the proteins case with a growing interest in products that boast eco-friendly packaging and processing.

Within a complex protein category with many packaging options and formats, creating differentiation on shelf while staying convenient and cost competitive is a real challenge. As an innovator in protein packaging, Sealed Air believes there are five must-haves in a sustainable protein packaging strategy—and it starts with trays.

Evaluate a Range of Sustainable Materials 

Recycled plastic content has been used in food packaging trays and bottom webs for many years, and developments such as these have inspired processors and retailers to explore even more sustainable packaging options. Solutions such as trays that do not require absorbent pads, or plant-based options are great ways to reduce the use of traditional plastic. The most progressive operations incorporate fiber or bio-based materials into their packaging, creating a potentially recyclable, biodegradable, and/or compostable pack.

Don’t Sacrifice Operational Efficiency 

Shifting to more sustainable packaging doesn’t have to disrupt operational efficiency. When building a packaging strategy, you need to strike a balance between performance needs, operational and environmental impact, and cost. For example, some applications may reduce plastic or feature more renewable options, but negatively impact packaging performance and increase rework levels, or require a large capital investment. That’s why it’s critical to select solutions that are fit-for-use in your existing operations.

Consider Consumer Preference 

Renewable packaging continues to gain momentum, driven by rising consumer perceptions for non-plastic, “sustainable” options or packing that uses less plastic overall. Trays that incorporate alternative materials have a higher sustainability perception among consumers than plastic trays. When rated as more sustainable, there becomes a greater likelihood that consumers will follow end-of-life recommendations to properly dispose of the trays and are happier knowing that their waste is not causing negative environmental impacts.

Build Your Brand 

High quality design and printing on packaging helps to build brand loyalty and recognition. Trays and bottom webs have long been regarded for their branding and merchandising capabilities. Showcasing your environmental commitment on-pack is an excellent way to catch the attention of a growing number of sustainable-minded shoppers and stakeholders. This could entail messaging on packaging materials, disposal instructions, or even a QR code directing the consumer to your full sustainable packaging story.

Stay Ahead of Regulations

Like many industries, regulatory headwinds play a key role in global, industry-wide shifts. In this case, a growing ban on EPS foam and plastic tax legislation is forcing some processers and retailers to rethink the future of their protein packaging. In this rapidly changing environment, failure to address EPS or find a suitable replacement early could leave you without a packaging solution, and possibly without customers.

Total-Solutions Provider

Your sustainable packaging strategy should be just that—sustainable. And while there are many ways to incorporate sustainability into your packaging operations, it’s critical to work with a partner that can deliver market-ready packaging solutions that prevent waste, enable circularity, and reduce climate impacts across the packaging lifecycle from sourcing and manufacturing, to design, transport, and recovery. For processors and retailers seeking clear value in sustainability solutions, Sealed Air is the total-solutions partner whose unique view across the value chain enables a comprehensive approach to advance your sustainability and business goals.

Story originally published on SealedAir.com. 

By Stephanie Boyer, Business Manager, Flint Hills Resources

There’s nothing wrong with mapping out a career so that you always know what the next steps are. The problem is there’s nothing much right with it either.

It may seem strange for an engineer to say this. We have a reputation for being methodical people who thrive on pragmatism. But I don’t think that carefully forecasting exactly what comes next is a great way to live your professional life. It’s essential to do the job you’ve signed up for, of course. But if you’re curious, open-minded and willing to stretch yourself while remaining true to who you are, you’ll find there are experiences waiting that you never dreamed existed.

For me, a flare lit the way to this revelation. In the late ’90s, I was working at the Flint Hills Resources Pine Bend refinery in Minnesota. Back then, flaring, a controlled burn to eliminate excess process gases, was routine. Even though the flaring was compliant with regulations, to be better environmental stewards we wanted to reduce flaring. I wasn’t a flare engineer; the project wasn’t even taking place in my part of the refinery. But it sounded interesting, and I was eager to learn and contribute. That’s why I volunteered to be on the team that ultimately solved the problem — eventually reducing from multiple flaring events per hour to a single digit number of flaring events per year. We now have an operating site that is not only a better steward of environmental resources, but also safer and more efficient.

I didn’t understand at the time how unusual having the flare project added to my responsibilities was, given my lack of actual flare experience. At Koch, which owns the Flint Hills Resources Pine Bend refinery, we’re told from day one that part of our job is to find out what we do best, find out what fulfills us and go do it. That mindset is why senior engineers and my supervisors championed enthusiasm and passion in lieu of project-specific experience. Too often, we feel we need an entirely new role to get new experiences, but there almost always are opportunities to expand within your current role.

The thought of trying something entirely new to grow professionally may seem intimidating. But when the possibility for change is woven into the corporate fabric, you have the entire organization’s full support to grab on to a challenge and switch directions, or even careers. That makes it easy to follow your curiosity into something new.

For employees who aren’t sure where to begin, I’d suggest talking to your supervisor.

The driving agent for change is always the individual, but supervisors often know of needs that align with your interests — or where to find them. I am fortunate enough to work at a place where the spirit of partnership and collaboration defines the supervisor-employee relationship. We mentor our people because we want them to stay at Koch Industries, become self-actualized and be fulfilled by their work, not because we need them to be fixed in their current jobs. You do have to be willing to step out of your comfort zone and be contribution motivated. But the rewards can be worth every risk.

I am sometimes asked what advice I’d give young women who are drawn to a career in engineering. My advice is simple and straightforward: As long as you are willing to do the job, you can be yourself. I don’t wear khakis. I have pink hair. And, like all my colleagues, I’m comfortable with the fact that I might get dirty doing my job. I once surprised my male colleagues by insisting that we personally inspect a problem at the refinery…in the rain. “But you’ll get wet.” Well, yes, we all would. But to do it right, that’s what the job required.

Whoever you are, you can’t hold yourself back. And neither should you allow the job to change you in ways that aren’t true to who you are. When she was promoted years ago, a friend of mine was told she’d have to get comfortable shouting at people to be an effective leader. She didn’t, and you don’t. One of the operators at a Koch facility used to joke that I’d given him the worst dressing-down of his life, without ever raising my voice. Yet he remembered the problem and never made the same dangerous mistake again. I got through to him without changing me. You cannot be effective long term if you aren’t true to yourself.

Decades have passed since my time at Pine Bend. I now manage people and continue to sing the praises of change and following your passion at the Corpus Christi refinery. Over the years, I’ve added some verses about responsible leadership to that song. My golden rule for supervisors is to never ask others to perform a task you wouldn’t willingly take on yourself. If you recoil from the thought of doing something, ask yourself why. There’s no more efficient way to determine if a task is appropriate than to put yourself in the shoes of the person you’re asking to perform it.

I can’t see the next change on my horizon, and that’s OK. A hyperfocus on planning every step means we have blinders on. I never want to miss unexpected opportunities because I let fear of change distract me. I’m fortunate enough to work for a company that encourages its people to embrace novel collaborations and unexpected choices. I won’t waste the chance to seize on whatever my next adventure turns out to be.