Schneider Electric Thailand is focusing on renewable energy, with more installations of rooftop solar panels at its factory in order to reduce expensive power bills and help the government effort to cut carbon dioxide emissions.
Adopting clean energy is in line with the carbon neutrality campaign, said Chartchai Phothivorn, Schneider Electric Thailand's manager for facility and environmental health and safety.
Carbon neutrality refers to global efforts to strike a balance between carbon dioxide emissions and reduction.
"Currently, the company is in the process of installing rooftop solar panels, with power generation capacity of 600 kilowatt-hour [kWh], at its factory in Bangpu, Samut Prakan," he said, referring to the second phase of its solar power scheme.
In the first phase, Schneider Electric Thailand installed rooftop solar panels, with a capacity of 600 kWh.
A shift towards renewable energy in the manufacturing sector comes as factories are struggling to deal with a surge in electricity bills.
According to Schneider Electric Thailand, the proportion of renewable energy currently accounts for 40% of the energy used at its factory.
The company will keep increasing the proportion of renewable energy, said Mr Chartchai.
Along with the focus on solar power, its parent firm, Schneider Electric, also signed an agreement with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in 2018 to help villagers who cannot access power grids across the world.
The company has provided Mobiya lamps, which are a form of solar power-based lamp, for people including those living in refugee camps.
It is estimated that up to 800 million people live in off-grid areas globally, according to the firm.
In Thailand, Schneider Electric Thailand recently gave Mobiya lamps to a Karen ethnic group in a remote area of the northwestern province of Tak.
There are 110 households in the village.
"The company has so far provided 1,044 lamps for villagers across Thailand," said Mr Chartchai.
