After decades of negotiations, the world has reached a political, scientific and social consensus that a temperature rise of 1.5 to 2 degrees Celsius will be extremely detrimental to humanity.
Climate change has therefore led to a new business paradigm in which sustainability, through clean energy and reduced consumption, is the operative words. In light of this shift, some have predicted the advent of the 3rd industrial revolution, defined by the alliance of Greentech and the benefits of digital transformation.
In a context where consumption must be reduced and renewable energies fully exploited, the benefits of digital transformation for the production, storage, transport and consumption of energy are indeed crucial. Advanced digital technologies will be necessary for companies to optimise their energy consumption and support a low-carbon economy.
Whether in industry (robotics, automation, Industry 4.0), in buildings (smart buildings, audiovisual technical management) or in cities (video surveillance, hypervision, smart city), the benefits of digital transformation are essential for optimising all stages of the energy chain, from production to final consumption.
This is particularly important in the general use of intermittent energies, where predicting demand is a major problem.
Digital transformation: combining performance and sustainability
Digital transformation involves the integration of digital technologies into all areas of an organisation, fundamentally changing the way the company operates and offering added value to its customers. It's also a cultural change that requires companies to constantly scrutinise their processes.
Digital transformation is at the centre of Equans’ strategy and focuses on improving the overall performance of its facilities in terms of energy, technology and usage. The group’s subsidiary, Equans Digital, is bringing more than a billion euros of digital technology to organisations, making a significant contribution to improving overall asset performance. To support this digital transformation, Equans Digital offers effective, innovative and scalable solutions in the areas of IT infrastructure, automation, robotics, hypervision and Building Information Modelling (BIM).
Specifically, Equans Digital’s strategy and transformation can include, for example, automation, which is defined by the implementation of control systems and the monitoring of automation processes. It also involves data by providing data storage for consolidation, developing indicators and dashboards and using data science to optimise processes through data mining. BIM technology integrates automation information and data into a 3D BIM model for simulation purposes, making it possible to reduce the overall performance of a building.
By leveraging this digital strategy and transformation, Equans has achieved performance improvements and cost reductions, underscoring the benefits of digital transformation in the industrial and building sectors.
The immediate benefits of digital transformation to reduce companies’ carbon footprints
The advantages of digital transformation are showcased through a variety of tools available to companies to reduce their carbon footprint quickly and effectively.
At a very basic level, it enables the reduction of paper consumption: digitalisation minimises paper consumption, a first and fundamental step in reducing a company’s carbon footprint.
Smart buildings, predictive maintenance, computer vision... are just a few of the many other digital solutions that can rationalise operational processes in order to gain in energy efficiency.
But there are no two ways around reaping these potential rewards. Companies will need to integrate cutting-edge digital technologies if they wish to improve the energy efficiency and sustainability of their business operations. Smart buildings equipped with intelligent energy management systems, for example, enable energy savings of up to 40%. Predictive maintenance is also an important factor: by using data analytics to predict and fix equipment issues before they escalate, downtime and energy waste are significantly reduced.
In addition, computer vision technology is an unparalleled solution for monitoring and optimising renewable energy sources, facilitating real-time adjustments and ensuring maximum efficiency across industrial operations. Equans utilises AI, including computer vision, to improve energy efficiency. This digital technology for business helps the company to identify and analyse emission sources and energy inefficiencies in real time and enables immediate corrective actions to reduce the carbon footprint.
Finally, by implementing a digital strategy and transformation, companies can take advantage of the dematerialisation of processes: Using AI and computer vision, physical travel can be avoided and processes that traditionally had to be managed in person can be monitored and controlled remotely.
Digital technologies: a deep transformation for better management
In the field of energy management, digital transformation is key to optimising energy consumption through the use of data. In a world where waste must be limited and the use of intermittent energy multiplied, a strong digital strategy and transformation is crucial for better management.
For example, digital transformation is essential to the development of smart grid technologies, i.e., advanced electricity networks equipped with automated control systems, data analytics, and modern communication technologies. This digital technology for business enables the companies concerned to analyse their energy consumption patterns and dynamically adapt supply, resulting in more efficient energy use, lower costs and a smaller environmental footprint.
Moreover, predictive analytics in smart grids is fundamental for effective integration of renewable energy sources, helping to even out fluctuations and ensure a reliable and sustainable energy supply. At the forefront of this digital strategy are companies using digital technologies such as computer vision and advanced algorithms to analyse visual data in order to optimise the management of renewable energy installations.
Similarly, by integrating computer vision with IoT devices and AI analytics, companies are achieving a higher level of control over renewable energy assets, increasing efficiency, reducing waste and contributing to a sustainable energy future.
The benefits of digital transformation facilitate precise monitoring of resources, detection of inefficiencies and proactive maintenance: a strong digital strategy and transformation is therefore essential to change the way renewable resources are monitored and managed.
Equans firmly believes that digital transformation is an unprecedented benefit to a low-carbon economy. As such, Equans is paving the way for an accelerated deployment of digital transformation through several unique initiatives. Its subsidiary Equans Digital has developed a range of digital technologies for organisations to improve the technical and environmental performance of their customers.
One outstanding project is the introduction of intelligent energy management systems, which have led to energy savings of up to 40% in French buildings. Another important contribution is the data science project with SOITEC, in which the energy consumption of technical devices has been optimised using machine learning, resulting in a reduction in energy consumption of 5 to 10%.
Equans also collects and analyses data from SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) systems and uses machine learning to predict behaviours and dynamically optimise settings, yielding significant energy savings without compromising the reliability of production lines.
The efforts of this ambitious digital strategy and transformation are not only streamlining operations, but also significantly reducing the carbon footprint of Equans and its customers, representing a successful synergy between digital transformation and environmental stimulus.
By proactively identifying problems and optimising energy consumption through a strong digital strategy and transformation, Equans and its customers are engaging in a concerted effort to reach the goal of zero carbon emissions, demonstrating that a sustainable future shaped by the benefits of digital transformation is within reach.