This archive report was first published on 2 October 2019.
Powering Africa's Growth ¶
On October 2, 2019, strong winds in Nairobi affected the supply of power in the capital and surrounding areas, leading to downturns that affected both businesses and retail consumers.
However, companies like Schneider Electric are working to solve this challenge with intelligent power backup systems that can predict fluctuations in the supply of electricity.
Using Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence, these systems can protect factory or business equipment by raising the power entering into a circuit system in the event that power from the main supply line goes below the required voltage.
Where there is a power surge, the Uninterrupted Power Supply (UPS) equipment can absorb the extra voltage and protect the equipment from damage.
These innovations are part of Schneider Electric's Edge Computing solution, which is designed to help companies in countries like Kenya where the cost of electricity is higher compared to countries like Ethiopia and South Africa.
"Edge Computing is about the customer experience," said Kevin Brown, the Senior Vice President for Innovation at Schneider.
Recently, the firm unveiled what is now regarded as the world's smallest Data Centre and UPS, the EcoStruxure Data Centre C-Series.
The innovation is equipped with sensors that can alert the owner in the event that there is a water leakage, and an internal camera that makes it possible for the person responsible for monitoring it to see whenever there is a problem inside.
The Data Centre/UPS also comes with a micro-data centre, meaning that it offers both power and data solutions while also conserving space.
