Q&A: How Schneider Electric’s NEO Network Is Shaping the Future of Renewables in Europe
by Libby MacCarthy
Originally published by Sustainable Brands
Europe’s appetite for renewables is growing rapidly, and countries including Germany, Scotland and Denmark have already established themselves as leaders in renewable energy generation. However, the voluntary market for commercial and industrial participation has, as a whole, been slower to develop compared to the more aggressive US, Indian and Mexican markets.
In the midst of this transition, global energy management and automation specialist Schneider Electric has extended its NEO Network to Europe. We spoke with John Hoekstra, VP of Sustainability & Cleantech Services at Schneider Electric, to learn more about the program and how it will help shape the future of the European renewables market.
Last fall, Schneider Electric introduced NEO Network to the European market. What made this the ideal time to do so?
John Hoekstra: More and more corporations have global ambitions for renewables and other clean technology applications. We recognized that a gap existed in the market: There were few means for companies to access the information they needed to make decisions on renewable energy purchasing.
In our broader sustainability and cleantech advisory services, much of our work focuses on educating and enabling our clients to execute on renewable-energy and energy-efficiency transactions. We realized that we had an opportunity to create a resource that would help our clients work in a more scalable way; from that inspiration, we created NEO Network.
