Rueil Malmaison, France, April 25th 2006 – The AII (French Industrial Innovation Agency), presided by Jean-Louis Beffa, has decided to support the HOMES project (Optimized housing and buildings for the control of energy and services) presented by Schneider Electric, amongst the first group of 5 selected projects. Created in 2005 at the request of President Jacques Chirac, the AII supports highly innovative research and development programs with great market potential, in order to reinforce industry’s competitiveness.
The AII selected the HOMES project as it was particularly in line with the defined criteria: high technology products aiming for a wide market, a very high level of innovation, an extremely positive impact on European industry and the capacity of a leading industrial group to lead the project. HOMES represents an investment of more than € 80 million for the partners of the project and will receive 45 % funding of the AII in the form of subsidies and repayable advances, subject to European Commission approval.In the face of constantly rising energy costs and the growing demands of environmental protection, energy saving represents a vital solution.
The HOMES project aims to bring about an in-depth change in electrical distribution and building control systems – whether for new or renovated buildings in the tertiary or residential sectors – in order to ensure they offer all the functions necessary for optimized energy management. In this manner, HOMES, which will enable energy savings of as much as 20 %, is fully in line with Schneider Electric’s development strategy in the field of energy efficiency.HOMES defines new architecture for the control and distribution of energy in buildings, integrating innovative sensor, control and power technologies, to bring to market the products and solutions necessary for greater energy efficiency and allow the development of new services.
Thanks to communicating sensors distributed throughout every zone of the building, the collaboration between the building’s different systems and the “active control” of energy, every “last drop” of electricity will be used to the optimum. This means it will be possible to control the use of electricity in terms of the occupation of a given zone, the measured air quality in a room, ambient light, etc. Behind project leader Schneider Electric, HOMES brings together Europe’s leading companies in their respective fields, controlling the key technologies vital to the project’s success: Ciat, Edf, Philips Lighting, Somfy, ST Microelectronics, TAC, Delta Dore, Polyspace, Radiall, Watteco, Wieland, the CEA, the CSTB (the building scientific and technical centre) and the IDEA laboratory.
About Schneider Electric
World leader in electrical distribution and automation & control through its world brands, Merlin Gerin, Square D and Telemecanique, Schneider Electric develops a global offer of products and services for the residential, building, industry, energy and infrastructure markets. In 2005, Schneider Electric and its 92,000 employees achieved turnover of € 11.7 billion through 13,000 sales outlets in 130 countries.
