Simply put, sector coupling is the electrification of more areas of the economy. It enables countries in Europe to make substantial progress towards becoming the first climate-neutral continent by 2050. Our partner Eaton, an industry leading power management company, is helping to make this happen by combining their own industry innovation whilst encouraging development of legislation.

Why is sector coupling important?

The environmental goals that various governments have laid out across Europe are widely known and looking for answers has become an important priority. There is now no doubt that the high carbon economy that we’re used to is having a devastating impact on our current environment.

Eaton have launched a vision of decarbonisation through sector coupling, which they believe will become a pathway to a 60% reduction in carbon emissions by 2050. They believe that this is an exciting vision to have, especially as it helps reach goals that are paving the road to the future.

What is the ‘Sector Coupling in Europe: Powering Decarbonisation’ report?

A report published by BloombergNEF in partnership with Eaton and Statkraft, looked at how the transport, buildings and industrial sectors in Europe could be electrified by plugging them into the power grid, or switching to green hydrogen produced from renewables (indirect electrification).

What the report does in its analysis, is show how the reduction in carbon emissions in the electric power industry, can be leveraged by other industries to bring down their own emissions. The report lays out the steps that need to be taken in order to see sector coupling work across Europe.

What are the benefits of sector coupling?

Eaton believe that sector coupling is by far the most efficient way to decarbonise Europe, as it increases the energy efficiency of our economies and cleans up the air. It will also help the economy move away from its dependence on fossil fuels and reach its goals of decarbonisation.

There are even calls for a more aggressive approach to these changes, so that the initial goal of a 60% reduction can be surpassed to be even more beneficial. But Eaton also recognises that it will take innovation and awareness from legislators and regulators to replicate best practices and accelerate the energy transition.

How is Eaton innovating sector coupling?

Eaton is fully focussed on driving the right kinds of innovative solutions that the market demands. They have put in place energy storage for building and industrial applications and are actively transforming the management of data centre power to help contribute to the power grid.

Eaton recognise that if sector coupling is to become a fully grown reality with a new power grid in place, then the current solutions will need to be combined with further innovation. Areas such as switching to green hydrogen produced from renewables (indirect electrification) could be a future opportunity to provide heat for buildings and as many industrial processes that otherwise would rely on fossil fuels, however more development is needed.

What reseller solutions do Eaton offer?

Eaton are there to increase the value you deliver to your customers and help you maximise sales opportunities. Their sales team can give you all the information you need to bring leading power infrastructure technologies to the businesses that need them.

Power management may not be forefront of your mind or something you deal with on a daily basis, so you need to ensure you have a reliable partner like Eaton on standby to help you through the process of qualification, all the way through to winning the order. Eaton also have Edge IT solutions that help your customers with their digital modernisation. Their products include UPS, racks, EPDU, and their Intelligent Power Manager (IPM) software. In addition, Eaton also have a range of professional services from UPS placement to training and support.

You can see all of our Eaton solutions on our store page