Meeting the challenge of climate change
At the same time complex and global, the fight against climate change is definitely one of the major challenges of the 21st century. To prevent an increase in global temperatures of more than + 2 ° C by 2100, as advocated by the COP 21 held at the end of 2015 in Paris, the global economy must change profoundly. As a player in this transformation, Rexel is developing innovative solutions to help businesses, installers and homeowners manage and reduce their energy consumption and improve their carbon footprint. As a responsible company, the Group has set up a range of actions to reduce the environmental impact of its operations, while building strong partnerships to drive forward climate change solutions worldwide.
Our solutions
Rexel has developed a range of innovative solutions to address the challenge of climate change from 3 different angles: energy efficiency, renewable energies and home automation.
Energy efficiency
Rexel contributes to decreasing energy consumption and increasing energy savings for its customers around the world, in the residential, commercial and industrial sectors, by proposing a broad range of energy efficiency products and solutions: eco-efficient lighting, control systems, measurement systems and eco-efficient power systems.
Rexel’s energy efficiency expertise is based on an internal network of 240 energy efficiency experts across 23 countries. Their role is to raise awareness and train employees in energy efficiency and to contribute to the development of relevant commercial solutions.
Case Study : King Cole Mills, UK: 13 Tons carbon equivalent saved due to lighting retrofit
The residents of King Cole Mills apartment were the driving force behind a project to drive energy savings. They asked property management company Town & City Management to identify energy efficient lighting solutions in order to reduce the overall energy and maintenance costs of their 4 apartment blocks, as well as bring down their carbon footprint.
The property management company asked Comtech Green Energy that worked with Rexel to ensure that any proposed solution would not only reduce energy consumption but also provide long term, value for money for the residents who were ultimately paying for the improvements.
As supplier for the project, Rexel managed the project and provided a long-term LED lighting solution with robust product warranties. One of Rexel’s lighting specialists worked closely with lighting manufacturers to source the appropriate fittings for the project and negotiated on behalf of Comtech Green Energy and Town & City Management to secure the costs and extended warranties required.
Rexel and Comtech made joint site visits to survey each apartment block to ensure the appropriate lighting solution was found for each of the designated areas.
From the site visits it was established that:
- Retrofit LED plates with occupancy sensors were the best option for the stairwells, as the existing fittings were on 24 hours per day
- For the corridors a LED solution was also selected
- As for the underground car park whose existing fluorescent fittings were in good condition, a cost-effective solution was sought. It was proposed that only the tubes be replaced with LED tubes, reducing energy consumption and optimizing costs.
Once the replacement fittings had been agreed upon, a feasibility study was completed with the project costs. Local financing provider Novus 1 Limited provided the finance solution: a 5-year leasing plan including a final balloon payment to transfer ownership back to King Coles Mills Management Co Limited.
In total, just under 300 fittings were either fully replaced or upgraded to LED. The solution has reduced energy consumption by 24,900KwH (69% reduction) and provided residents with an annual saving of £5,445 (approx. €7,360) including maintenance costs. In total, 13.1 tons of carbon emissions were saved.
Renewable energies
On the wind power market, Rexel offers customized solutions that range from the simple marketing of cables and components to an array of integrated services covering everything from procurement to inventory management, assembly and delivery.
Find out more : The Group’s American subsidiary Gexpro Services, is consolidating its position on the wind power market by offering a service for the pre-assembly of the internal components of wind turbine towers. The factory-mounted assemblies, duly labeled and packed, are delivered directly to the customer’s site.
Rexel’s goal is to consolidate its position while generating real momentum on the market for photovoltaics. The Group markets a complete range of equipment for residential use, including photovoltaic panels and the accessories needed for their installation and connection, sometimes sold in kits to help contractors choose the best solution.
Case study : 680 solar panels installed on a rooftop at a school in Poitiers
The Kyoto school, opened in 2009, heralds photovoltaic installations of the future. Complete turn-key Rexel service covered the whole installation cycle — from the preliminary study for efficiency optimization to management and panel installation.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O9AF4t52Cl0
Home automation
After computers and phones, household items are now becoming connected. The new Internet revolution makes home automation accessible to all. It is now possible to manage and control comfort (shutters, lighting, heating) and energy consumption. Rexel makes these features available to installers and end users.
Case study : A custom tool to manage all of a home automation system’s functions: In the Götebord suburbs, Rexel developed a unique home automation system. Intuitive and connected, it pilots all of the home’s automated functions, including blinds, lighting, heating and energy management (in particular the photovoltaic panels on the roof).
Our actions
Rexel has developed a strong environmental policy and reduces its own carbon emissions by working on its operations as well as involving all of its employees. In parallel, the Group has committed, through its Foundation, to facilitate access to energy efficiency for all.
Improving the environmental performance of our operations
Based on a consistent and sustainable environmental approach, the Group environmental policy addresses three priorities:
- optimizing the energy efficiency of its sites
- reducing the environmental footprint of transportation
- limiting packaging and waste
Awareness campaigns
EcoDays campaigns involve everyone in the Group with the aim of changing individual behavior and updating employees on the Rexel commitment to reducing its environmental footprint by promoting initiatives implemented at global and local levels. The 2015 campaign brought together employees working in 23 countries for the Less CO2 for our Planet competition, which attracted the submission of more than 2,000 eco-ideas, including using less paper, traveling to work on foot or by bike and turning off computers when not required.
Improving access to energy efficiency for all
The Rexel Foundation was created in 2013 with a clear mission to combat such issues through promoting access to a better energy future for the greatest number of people as possible. This demonstrates the Group’s resolve to create a positive impact through its expertise in energy efficiency and thus, a better energy future.
The Rexel Foundation – under the aegis of the Fondation de France – and has developed three types of programs to fulfill its purpose:
The Rexel Foundation joins hands with associations and partners to support community projects that aim to improve access to energy efficiency among the most disadvantaged communities and populations.
Through its social entrepreneurship Platform, the Foundation promotes innovative models and solutions by accompanying social innovators and supporting them through financial, logistical, material or skills sponsorship.
The Fondation supports studies and research programs in order to improve knowledge, understanding of energy efficiency and innovation in this field. Thus it aims at changing consumption habits and behaviors.
Partnerships
In the context of climate negotiations in the run up to COP21, Rexel entered into a number of partnerships to drive climate change solutions forward worldwide.
Find out more by clicking on the logos:
