Energy and electrification advisory, services, and software solutions provider Schneider Electric announced the launch of a new multi-year initiative aimed at building an AI-powered ecosystem for sustainability and energy management.
The company said that it has hired sustainability solutions veteran Julien Picaud as Head of Product Management to lead the new initiative
According to Schneider Electric, the new initiative is focused on Agentic AI, an emerging artificial intelligence technology designed to work independently or collaboratively with clients and consultants to anticipate needs and adapt to complex environments in real time, enabling significant advances in sustainability automation and simplification.
The company added that investments in the new ecosystem will “reimagine” the functionality of Schneider Electric’s existing software, while introducing new features from the recently acquired climate services and solutions provider EcoAct.
Specific anticipated features highlighted by Schneider Electric for the new ecosystem included decarbonization strategy, scenario analysis, benchmarking, emissions management, reporting and compliance, climate risk, value chain engagement, energy management, resource efficiency, and data integration, automation & visualization.
Steve Wilhite, President of Schneider Electric’s Sustainability Business division, said:
“Our vision is collaborative intelligence – agentic AI that works alongside human experts as a true digital teammate. This technology allows us to create a force multiplier effect where complex data analysis and tasks are automated, freeing our clients to focus on the strategic initiatives and innovations that lead to greater impact – a fundamental shift in how organizations can accelerate on their energy and decarbonization journeys.”
Picaud joins Schneider Electric from sustainability data management solutions provider Sweep, where he served as Global Director of Product Marketing. Prior to joining Sweep, he served as Global Senior Director of Marketing and Product Marketing at ESG and sustainability software provider Enablon.
Commenting on the new initiative, Dan Whitsell, CTO and Head of Software Engineering for Schneider’s Sustainability Business division, said:
“Recognizing the energy intensity of AI, we are committed to developing and deploying this investment with a focus on computational efficiency and responsible resource usage. By integrating the principles of frugal AI, we are designing systems that deliver maximum intelligence with minimal resource consumption. This means leveraging leaner models, efficient algorithms, and optimized infrastructure to reduce energy use, emissions, and costs without sacrificing performance.”
