Schneider Electric, the leader in the digital transformation of energy management and automation, has joined forces with McDonald’s UAE to decarbonize its latest flagship restaurant in Dubai with energy-saving technologies. Through the collaboration, McDonald’s UAE is set to roll out Schneider Electric’s solutions to 10 new branches across the country, in addition to the current five stores within its network.
The partially solar-powered Umm Suqeim 2 branch features electric vehicle (EV) charging ports, a smart grid to optimize energy consumption and an integrated building management system, delivering real-time insights to improve energy efficiency. These solutions are estimated to assist McDonald’s UAE in achieving up to 20% in energy savings and an average reduction of carbon dioxide emissions by up to 30% through renewable energy such as solar and eMobility solutions.
As McDonald’s UAE’s Energy Management System (EMS) supplier, Schneider Electric will also provide ongoing energy management consultancy and power systems engineering expertise to electrify the company’s journey to a greener future. The technology has been implemented by Schneider Electric’s partner Integrated Technology Solution (ITS).
Walid Fakih, CEO at McDonald’s UAE commented: “Our energy conservation efforts are geared towards the benefit of our planet and are crucial to our operations at McDonald’s UAE. As such, we welcome partners with whom we can explore the possibility of feeding into a circular economy, and champion a sustainable mindset across our restaurants. Starting with the launch of our restaurant at Umm Suqeim 2, we are eager to bring to life to smart energy consumption plans with Schneider Electric and draw from its established expertise in power system management, resulting in reduced carbon footprint across the nation.”
“Working on this milestone project with McDonald’s UAE during the ‘Year of Sustainability’ highlights a rewarding collaboration that unlocks the potential of digital transformation and its nationwide impact on energy efficiency and sustainability,” said Ahmed Khashan, President for Gulf Countries, Schneider Electric.
Khashan added: “Through deploying Schneider Electric’s integrated solutions together with McDonald’s UAE, we aim to offer the ‘Restaurant Experience of the Future’ to customers in the UAE. We are committed to transforming the communities in which we operate, by providing smart and energy-efficient infrastructure covering green mobility, smart building, and IoT-led solutions.”
Responding to the demand for rapid decarbonization, Schneider Electric will enable McDonald’s UAE to make an impact by deploying three integrated solutions that will save energy costs, power consumption and enhance the company’s environmental compliance.
As part of the solution, an all-in-one electric panel solution will provide plug and play secure power connectivity with smart monitoring and power diagnosis across the building’s electrical distribution system.
Amel Chadli, Vice President for Digital Energy and Software, Middle East & Africa, Schneider Electric commented: “Sustainability is at the heart of everything we do, and we are proud to be part of this collaboration with McDonald’s UAE, where we will jointly demonstrate how restaurants across the UAE can reduce their carbon footprint and save money without compromising on great customer experience and guest comfort. Through our actions, we hope to empower a new wave of eco-conscious consumers while driving smarter and more sustainable choices.”
The new restaurant is fully equipped with Schneider Electric’s EcoStruxure Building Operation software. The building management system features a digital dashboard that provides an integrated view, monitoring and control of heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC), lighting, energy and power, fire safety, security and access, as well as workplace management systems. Thanks to this solution, McDonald’s UAE will be able to use the virtual dashboard to make more informed, insight-based decisions when consuming energy on a day-to-day basis.
The next layer includes Schneider Electric’s EcoStruxure for Retail – an IoT-based retail management platform – that offers McDonald’s UAE’s alarm and condition monitoring, restaurant optimization, data analytics, as well site performance benchmarking. This solution will improve traceability and increase the energy optimization of refrigeration, HVAC and lighting systems. The solution also manages solar management and electrical car charging to reduce carbon emissions and energy bills.
