Schneider Electric, a company concerned with the digital transformation of energy management and automation, has announced a partnership with Royal Botanic Gardens (RBG), Kew.
As Kew’s official Energy Sustainability Partner, Schneider Electric will play a core role in helping the world-famous botanic gardens meet its goal to become climate positive by 2030.
As a UNESCO World Heritage site with a sizeable footprint, Grade 1 and 2 listed buildings, and high visitor numbers, Kew Gardens faces unique challenges in achieving its sustainability plans and targets.
The partnership will see Schneider Electric take a hands-on role, advising Kew on how to develop and deliver its sustainability plan – which includes transitioning away from fossil fuels, reducing carbon emissions, and optimising energy use across its historic and complex estate at both Kew Gardens and Wakehurst, Kew’s wild botanic garden based in Sussex.
As part of the agreement, Schneider Electric will provide a dedicated energy optimisation engineer, located onsite and on long-term secondment to Kew, helping to:
· Support Kew in evaluating the impact, cost, and priority of energy efficiency, controls, and monitoring projects
· Identify, assess, and implement energy-saving opportunities within Kew’s Building Management Systems (BMS) and Heating Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) plant
· Explore available solutions – such as cost-effective electricity use, battery storage, and microgrid opportunities – at both Kew Gardens and Wakehurst
The partnership’s projects will begin in earnest with the arrival of Schneider Electric’s consultant on site at Kew Gardens in September.
Rachel Purdon, Head of Sustainability at RBG, Kew, comments, “We are proud of our commitment to urgently tackling the dual climate and biodiversity crises through everything that we do at Kew.
“Our partnership with Schneider Electric marks a major step forward in our sustainability journey. Working together, we can accelerate progress towards our ambitious goals, including becoming climate positive in less than five years.
“With Kew’s unique combination of historic buildings, globally irreplaceable collections, and role of inspiring diverse audiences to connect with nature, we face complex and wide-ranging challenges.
“Schneider Electric’s expertise and hands-on support will be invaluable; it will help us deliver real, measurable decarbonisation progress across our sites.”
Kelly Becker, President of Schneider Electric UK and Ireland, Belgium, and Netherlands, adds, “Both of our organisations are impact makers, united in our vision for a more sustainable planet.
“By combining our climate positive partnership, expertise, and energy management and automation solutions, we’re able to take real action to realise a more sustainable future at RBG, Kew.
“We also have deep experience with helping organisations like Kew advance their energy resiliency, a growing priority across businesses, utilities, and communities worldwide.
“In Kew’s case, maintaining a consistent energy supply is essential to protecting the world’s largest and most diverse botanical and mycological collections for humanity and we’re honoured to be a part of the solution.”
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