Schneider Electric Launches Transportable Solar Microgrid Product

April 6, 2018
Schneider Electric today launched a new industrial-class solar microgrid, a containerized, transportable plug & play, transportable unit.

Schneider Electric today launched a new industrial-class solar microgrid, a containerized, transportable plug & play, transportable unit.

Called Villaya, the microgrid was unveiled at the 2018 Schneider Electric Annual Innovation Summit in Paris, which is expected to draw 4,000 visitors.

Schneider describes the new solar microgrid as a product that overcomes the challenges of traditional solar installations, such as tying up land use for 20 years, creating long order-to-activation cycles, and requiring on-site construction crews and high upfront capital.

Customers can quickly deploy Villaya and have a fully operating solar microgrid that produces power in off-grid environments. The solution is designed for critical applications including emergency response, humanitarian/NGO programs, rural electrification, remote mining and construction sites, remote islands and at military defense facilities.

“By integrating some of today’s most advanced mobile solar technologies, Schneider Electric is able to deliver solar power generated electricity on the go… anywhere, giving us a first mover advantage in helping to improve people’s lives around the world,” says Olivier Jacquet, Schneider Electric’s global account manager for refugees, emergency & war sustainability development.

The solar microgrid will use PWRstation’s retractable solar racking technology.

“Villaya is a perfect example of PWRstation’s retractable EXOractm racking technology in action,” said Gianfranco Albertella, PWRstation chief commercial officer. “The ability to retract a 120 solar panel, re-deployable microgrids in a matter of minutes to produce 135 kWp of electricity is about to become the standard for off-grid applications.”

The solar microgrid technology is designed largely for commercial use. But both Schneider and PWRstation say they are deeply committed to also serving the humanitarian and emergency sectors. The team partner with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in providing various solutions to refugee camps throughout the world.

Join us May 7-9 in Chicago for Microgrid 2018, where Schneider Electric will participate in a special on-stage interview, “Growing Microgrid Markets by Reducing Risk for Customers,” with The Carlyle Group and Dynamic Energy Networks, Tuesday, May 8 at 2:20 p.m.

About the Author

Elisa Wood | Editor-in-Chief

Elisa Wood is an award-winning writer and editor who specializes in the energy industry. She is chief editor and co-founder of Microgrid Knowledge and serves as co-host of the publication’s popular conference series. She also co-founded RealEnergyWriters.com, where she continues to lead a team of energy writers who produce content for energy companies and advocacy organizations.

She has been writing about energy for more than two decades and is published widely. Her work can be found in prominent energy business journals as well as mainstream publications. She has been quoted by NPR, the Wall Street Journal and other notable media outlets.

“For an especially readable voice in the industry, the most consistent interpreter across these years has been the energy journalist Elisa Wood, whose Microgrid Knowledge (and conference) has aggregated more stories better than any other feed of its time,” wrote Malcolm McCullough, in the book, Downtime on the Microgrid, published by MIT Press in 2020.

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