Global energy transformation has become an irreversible trend of the times.
In 2025, China’s non-fossil energy consumption will surpass oil for the first time, becoming the second largest energy type; wind power and photovoltaic installed capacity will also surpass thermal power for the first time.
The accelerated adjustment of the energy structure is changing the operating environment of the industrial system from the bottom up and gradually affecting the value positioning of industrial automation.
Energy is a basic element of industrial automation.
In the traditional industrial system, energy supply is relatively stable and predictable, and the main tasks of industrial automation focus on ensuring safe production, improving operational reliability, and promoting energy conservation and efficiency.
But as the energy transition continues to deepen, this premise is changing.
The evolution of the energy system in terms of structural form, operation mode and scheduling mechanism has gradually transformed energy from an external input condition of industrial automation into an important variable affecting production organization methods and operation decisions.
The relevant person in charge of Schneider Electric pointed out: “Energy transformation is changing the operating conditions of industrial automation. The relationship between industrial automation and energy systems is urgently shifting to a more active ‘active coupling’. Without active and efficient collaborative integration, industrial automation will be difficult to adapt to the profound changes brought about by energy transformation.”
In the long term, energy transformation continues to promote the evolution of industrial automation capabilities, and the improvement of industrial automation capabilities reversely accelerates the deepening of energy transformation.
The two are forming a collaborative flywheel that empowers each other and continuously accumulates momentum to promote the accelerated development of the industry.
The promotion effect of energy transformation on industrial automation is reflected in different aspects such as energy production, energy use and energy system operation.
On the energy production side, the system operation is more complex and puts forward higher requirements for industrial automation.
The traditional centralized energy system dominated by coal, electricity, oil and gas operates stably, and industrial automation focuses on process control, efficiency optimization, and emission management.
As the energy structure gradually diversifies, the complexity of system operation increases, placing higher requirements on prediction, coordination and overall optimization capabilities.
This has prompted industrial automation to upgrade its prediction and optimization capabilities based on data, models and algorithms. While ensuring the efficient and safe production of traditional energy sources, it also provides technical support for the stable operation and large-scale application of new energy sources.
On the energy usage side, energy has become a key variable affecting production operations, and industrial automation needs to coordinate process and energy efficiency.
For industrial enterprises, energy is not only a cost issue, but also affects process stability and overall operating efficiency to a great extent.
As a result, the degree of collaboration between drive systems, control systems and process automation in process control and energy management continues to increase, becoming an important node connecting production efficiency and energy efficiency goals.
At the same time, industrial software is integrating equipment operation, process flow and energy consumption data to provide basic conditions for cross-level and full life cycle optimization, and promote the evolution of industrial automation systems in a more digital direction.
On the system operation side, the operational logic of the energy system has changed, putting forward newer requirements for industrial automation.
For example, the new power system characterized by a high proportion of renewable energy emphasizes source-grid-load-storage coordination and two-way interaction, in which industrial users gradually transform from one-way energy users to system components with certain adjustment capabilities and depth of participation.
This has put forward new requirements for industrial automation systems, which require continuous improvements in interoperability, real-time response and security to support the collaborative operation between production systems and power systems.
In turn, industrial automation has become a key driver of the energy transition.
Energy transformation has a pulling effect on industrial automation, and the continuous upgrading of industrial automation has also become an important support for the accelerated implementation of energy transformation.
In this two-way empowerment process, overall energy efficiency optimization is the ultimate goal.
As a key technology base for energy efficiency optimization, medium and low-voltage inverters accurately control the motor speed to match the output power with the actual load in real time and realize on-demand energy supply, which is one of the core technical paths to reduce the energy consumption of the drive system.
Relying on this basic capability, industrial automation plays an engine role in promoting energy transformation at the three levels of decision-making, production and system collaboration.
As a decision-making engine, industrial automation is helping companies shift from experience-driven to data-based energy efficiency management.
Through the systematic integration of production, energy and operation data, enterprises can have a clearer understanding of energy usage structure and efficiency performance, thereby achieving more accurate and forward-looking management decisions.
As a flexible engine, industrial automation is improving the production energy efficiency of production lines.
Against the background of increasing demand for multi-variety and small-batch production, industrial automation systems with rapid adjustment capabilities can help companies reduce energy consumption and resource waste while maintaining production efficiency and increasing business added value.
As a collaborative engine, industrial automation is helping industrial loads be better integrated into energy system operations.
In the context of new energy access, there is a contradiction between its volatility and the requirements for continuity and stability of industrial processes.
Without effective coordination, fluctuations on the energy side can easily be transformed into disturbances at the process level, thus affecting the safety and reliability of system operation.
Looking to the future, the deep integration of energy management and industrial automation is promoting the formation of a more efficient, intelligent, and sustainable industrial system, and its technical base is a software-defined architecture.
By breaking the coupling boundary between software and hardware, energy data, production data and equipment status data can be gathered on the same platform, creating conditions for continuous optimization of the system.
Based on this trend, Schneider Electric has proposed the positioning of “Energy Technology Partner” to continue to promote energy transformation and industrial progress through the integration of electrification, automation and digital intelligence.
The industrial automation business is a core pillar of Schneider Electric’s energy technology strategy.
To accelerate the pace of energy transformation, Schneider Electric is redefining industrial automation through an open, software-defined architecture, making it a core force to meet the new needs of energy transformation and create new value.
With long-term technology accumulation in the fields of energy management and industrial automation, as well as the in-depth implementation of the “China Center” strategy, Schneider Electric is deeply integrating the world’s leading technology with the needs of the Chinese market to provide strong support for the digital intelligence and green transformation of Chinese enterprises.
At this year’s Hannover Messe, Schneider Electric demonstrated integrated energy management and process automation solutions, covering full life cycle technologies and solutions from digital twin-driven design to energy-saving operations, helping companies reduce energy costs and improve process energy efficiency while enhancing overall operational resilience.
The relevant person in charge emphasized: “When energy becomes an important variable in production decisions, and when carbon emissions gradually affect product competitiveness, what industrial enterprises really need is systematic capabilities throughout the entire chain of energy, production and operations. Manufacturers that can provide such end-to-end solutions will occupy the commanding heights in the new round of industrial change.”
