Schneider Electric’s Dual-Drive New Energy Transition: A Breakthrough from “Scale Expansion” to “Value Deepening”

In the Saudi Arabian desert, the 2.6GW Al Shuqaiq photovoltaic power plant spreads like a blue ocean, converting solar energy into clean electricity for cities – behind this largest PV project in the Middle East lies a milestone in China’s new energy technology  (going global) and an epitome of the industry’s transition from “scale competition” to “value creation.” Despite China’s new energy installed capacity exceeding 1.45 billion kilowatts in 2024, surpassing thermal power, challenges like grid integration and overcapacity have forced Schneider Electric to demonstrate a new value creation logic through “agile innovation + ecological collaboration” at SNEC 2025 and global projects.

At SNEC 2025, Schneider Electric’s PV-storage-supercharging systems and DC global protection solutions revealed the industry’s upgrade trend from “single products” to “comprehensive solutions.” Take the Wuhan PV-storage-DC-soft load demonstration base: by integrating buildings, photovoltaics, and energy storage into a DC microgrid, the project not only improves new energy utilization but also achieves 577 tons of annual carbon reduction, verifying the deep coupling of technological innovation and scenario demands. In extreme environment applications, the custom air circuit breaker for the 5,200-meter-altitude wind power project breaks through traditional equipment limitations with 1,140V rated voltage and -40℃ to 70℃ temperature resistance, making “scenario-based innovation” a core competency of Schneider Electric.

“Rapid market response is the key to agile innovation,” according to Schneider Electric. In recent years, products like ECC AC microgrids and Acti9 Pro power distribution systems have all adopted a fast cycle model of “R&D-test-iteration.” For example, the medium-low voltage integrated solution for the photovoltaic industry took only 6 months from customer demand to product launch, 50% shorter than the traditional R&D cycle, ensuring technology always serves value creation.

The Saudi PV project brings together over 50 suppliers from 10 countries. As the electrical solution provider for the step-up substation, Schneider Electric has become an ecological partner for Chinese new energy enterprises’ “going global” with its international standards and global collaboration capabilities. This cooperation model was further deepened at SNEC – the joint white paper on energy storage safety with Hybric integrates technical strengths in equipment manufacturing and system integration, providing a replicable safety standard for the industry, driving a 12% cost reduction and 40% safety performance improvement in energy storage systems. Data shows Schneider Electric has established ecological partnerships with over 200 Chinese enterprises, covering the entire PV, energy storage, and charging industry chain.

Schneider Electric’s dual-drive strategy relies on its “China-Centric” layout. With five R&D centers in China and an annual investment growth exceeding 18%, the Phase II of Jinshan Innovation Experimental Park completed in 2024 established a new power system innovation demonstration base. This localized R&D not only serves the Chinese market but also reverse-empowers global projects – Wuhan’s PV-storage-DC-soft load technology has been applied to European smart building projects, and high-altitude circuit breaker technology serves South American wind power markets simultaneously. Under the “integrated R&D-production-sales” mechanism, Schneider Electric has achieved a value leap from “Chinese R&D” to “global application.”

Wei Sizhe pointed out: “The sustainable development of the new energy industry requires a balance between green and economic values.” By solving customer pain points through agile innovation and integrating industrial resources via ecological collaboration, Schneider Electric has achieved both social goals (over 1,000 tons of annual carbon reduction) and commercial value improvement through solution premiums in scenarios like the Saudi PV project and Wuhan PV-storage base, providing a practical “dual-drive” model for industry transformation.