LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Arensis, a leading international provider of decentralized energy systems, and Schneider Electric, a leader in microgrid development with integrated efficiency solutions combining energy, automation and software, today announced the joint development of its smart microgrid pilot program. As part of the pilot, Arensis and Schneider Electric will develop a blockchain Application Programming Interface (API) platform for ENTRADE IO, a newly-formed company founded by the CEO of Arensis for off grid project financing and the sale of renewable energy in remote areas around the world.

Joint development of the smart microgrid systems, combining waste-to-energy, solar and storage, will launch in North America with plans for growth on a global scale. The pilot will explore integrated renewable energy solutions using resources to develop, monitor and operate the systems through augmented reality (AR). The newly-formed ENTRADE IO financing platform is already underway outside of the U.S. helping to raise funds for projects in areas of greatest need, primarily Asia and Africa.

“Our collaboration with Schneider Electric on the development of microgrids with turnkey solutions and project financing structures will bring our long-time vision to life,” stated Julien Uhlig, CEO of Arensis and founder of the new ENTRADE IO entity. “I believe that blockchain is the missing piece to help us bring our decentralized utility to all parts of the world. Smart contract ledgers, free flow of capital, dedicated token offerings for funding and direct donations will revolutionize the way small-scale, high social impact energy projects will be funded in the future. We are incredibly proud to partner with Schneider Electric, one of the largest automation companies in the world, to make the ENTRADE IO platform a reality.”

Live monitoring and the generation and distribution of energy to end users via Arensis IoT applications, in cooperation with Schneider Electric, creates a fast and highly-efficient energy infrastructure. Schneider Electric’s EcoStruxure™ Augmented Operator Advisor facilitates maintenance operations with the help of step-by-step procedures and remote experts leveraging augmented reality. Access to dashboard insights, real-time information, analytics on machine health, performance, efficiency and remote expertise enables tracking, monitoring and maintenance assistance, all from a mobile device.

“Traditionally, 50 percent of time spent on maintenance involves finding information, with the remaining 50 percent devoted to actual intervention on the equipment for smart grid technologies,” stated Mark Feasel, Schneider Electric VP Smart Grid North America Operations. “The system we are working on with Arensis allows users to find information faster, reduce operator error and avoid machine downtime, with features such as giving users the ability to virtually open electrical cabinet doors and increase their overall efficiency.”

Until now, the direct sale of power on a micro-level has been limited by high transaction costs and the cost of operating a small-scale utility for individual customers has not been feasible. Blockchain technology, integrated with smart metering, efficient demand-based power management, automation and AR-based forecasting, is now streamlined with fully automated smart contracts and ledger processing.

Arensis licensing and expertise in decentralized energy systems utilizing localized biomass fuel sources, combined with the smart microgrid expertise of Schneider Electric, is a global solution for those currently without access to energy in regions most impacted by climate change and the key to resilience, optimized energy costs and sustainability - see video.

About Schneider Electric

Schneider Electric is leading the Digital Transformation of Energy Management and Automation in Homes, Buildings, Data Centers, Infrastructure and Industries. With global presence in over 100 countries, Schneider is the undisputable leader in Power Management – Medium Voltage, Low Voltage and Secure Power, and in Automation Systems. We provide integrated efficiency solutions, combining energy, automation and software. In our global Ecosystem, we collaborate with the largest Partner, Integrator and Developer Community on our Open Platform to deliver real-time control and operational efficiency. We believe that great people and partners make Schneider a great company and that our commitment to Innovation, Diversity and Sustainability ensures that Life Is On everywhere, for everyone and at every moment.

About Arensis

Arensis is an international provider of distributed energy systems delivering waste-to-energy solutions based on the world’s most advanced biomass gasification technology on the market from its subsidiary German technology company, Entrade Energiesysteme AG. The E4 and recently launched E5 systems generate 50kW of electricity and 120kW of thermal energy each and fit inside a 20-foot shipping container for easy and fast deployment around the world. When stacked together, Arensis/Entrade Combined Heat and Power (CHP) Systems can supply several megawatts of energy completely off grid and can be installed in just weeks. The biomass to energy units are built for primary baseload generation, producing 24/7 energy from both organic and inorganic waste materials. Arensis is a portfolio company of the Los Angeles Cleantech Incubator (LACI) and one of the fastest growing decentralized energy providers in the world, deploying more than 200 units in 11 countries and raising in excess of $60 million since 2016. ENTRADE IO is a license holder of Arensis Inc.