Schneider Electric has launched Energy University, a vendor-neutral, online educational community designed to provide the fundamentals needed to implement successful energy-efficient solutions scaling various applications. The courses are designed to provide anyone involved in the decision-making, management, planning, design or construction of a space impacted by energy, a level of expertise to address efficiency issues and apply safe, reliable and cost-effective measures. More than 34 courses and education credits are available.

"Schneider Electric believes there is a significant opportunity for sustainable energy savings that is unaddressed by industry and consumers today. Through Energy University, we expect to enable anyone to better understand and act on these opportunities, so they can do more with less," said Paul Hamilton, senior vice-president, Schneider Electric. "Energy University will reduce complexity and raise awareness by providing global users easy access to practical education on all aspects of energy management."

Energy University courses focus on the critical concepts and best practices necessary to achieve a high degree of energy management, according to the company. Subject matter experts from all areas of the company assist in the development and creation of the courses. As the demand for new technologies and knowledge increases, Energy University will incorporate additional courses to the program. Currently, 11 foundational courses are offered. A sample of topics includes:

* Energy Efficiency Fundamentals
* The Economics of Energy Efficiency
* Going Green with Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED)
* Trusted Advisor Program Overview
* Alternative Power Generation Technologies 
* Data Center Efficiency: Reducing Electrical Power Consumption
* Lighting Basics for Energy-Efficient Applications

Each course can usually be completed in less than one hour and the added ease of an online platform makes learning convenient and accessible from any Internet-ready computer. The self-paced learning experience is enhanced by an accompanying quiz for success measurement and preparation for the certification exam. The certification verifies that a user has a comprehensive understanding of energy management and is able to independently handle situations related to energy awareness, problem solving and solutions design, the company explains.

"Only through education and awareness can companies take advantage of the significant energy savings available to them today," said Andy Chatha, president and CEO of ARC Advisory Group. "By providing users with commercial-free knowledge and expertise of various topics, they will be able to implement sustainable energy-efficient solutions that are good for the environment and good for their bottom line."

Energy University is available on-demand via www.myenergyuniversity.com.