Cisco and Schneider Electric Are Creating Smarter, More Efficient Buildings

Whether your organization owns commercial property, leases it, or manages it, you’re likely to be grappling with industry trends and challenges that call on your best efforts—and the innovative application of technology.

The need to reduce energy costs and the growth of hybrid work have converged to impact building management and the way facilities teams, real estate professionals, and IT do their jobs. CO₂ emissions from buildings—some 30% of all carbon emissions—are concerning. So is the need to deliver a high-quality, environmentally sound occupant experience.

In response, Cisco and strategic alliance partner Schneider Electric have built and continuously refined a solution that leverages Cisco hardware, real-time location-based insights—such as building occupancy and temperature—from Cisco Spaces, and Schneider Electric’s management platform, EcoStruxure™ Building Operation.

The impact of hybrid work

We can’t understate the impact of remote and hybrid work models in this scenario. Emerging Trends in Real Estate 2023 from Price Waterhouse Coopers (PwC) and the Urban Land Institute (ULI) comments that real estate capital markets are ”still open for business, investors are still buying high-quality properties, lenders will continue to lend…“  This opinion is echoed by the JPMorgan 2023 midyear report: “Remote and hybrid work has largely reduced demand for office space. Still, A-class properties are performing well.” In his article The Impact of a Hybrid Work Environment on Real Estate, Rodolfo Delgado, a Forbes Council Member, notes that “office spaces will continue to exist and welcome those who value bouncing ideas around, brainstorming and working alongside their peers.” Additionally, our studies have found that 82 percent of millennials felt safer returning to offices with real-time indoor air quality monitoring. Find out more on our recent blog, See the Air You Breathe with Cisco Spaces.

So, what makes a Class-A building?

Technology, for starters.

Smart building management technology solutions make it possible from the outset to design buildings that act as people magnets, spaces that encourage employees to work productively and collaboratively with their peers.

 Cisco and Schneider Electric have discovered that when smart building technology—digital signage, electronic whiteboards, needs-based HVAC, and ceiling sensors, for example—are incorporated into the initial building design, companies can realize great benefits in terms of connectivity and visibility. Real-time and real-world, they have learned that making a shift from a cubicle (“me”) focus to a collaboration workspace (“we”) focus also makes a big difference in productivity and engagement.

Of course, adding technology through a retrofit is clearly beneficial because it enables our customers to do more with fewer resources. Cisco and Schneider Electric are on board to support this effort.   

What’s in it for you?

Data-rich information from Cisco Spaces (https://spaces.cisco.com/) and powerful management technology from the Schneider Electric EcoStruxure Building Operation platform work together to create smarter, more efficient buildings, with these results:

• People-centricity: Increasing occupant comfort and productivity—and contributing to health and wellness—through higher service levels and faster response across the workspace
• Reduced energy consumption: Managing HVAC and lighting based on real-time occupancy data gathered by Cisco Spaces
• Time and money savings: Integrating, monitoring, and managing IT and OT data and accessing analytics-driven insights through a single, mobile-enabled portal
• Resilient response: Deploying solutions faster through straightforward, highly secure integration of Cisco network technology with Schneider Electric’s Building Operation
• Sustainability: Reducing carbon emissions, monitoring electrical systems, and fine-tuning energy use to create building environments that meet industry standards.

Some use cases

The power and versatility of the Cisco and Schneider Electric Smart Building solution makes it especially suitable for these use cases:

• Reduce energy use: Use HVAC and lighting only when and where needed
• Capture occupancy data: Gain real-time visibility into space utilization of different areas of a building
• Do more with fewer resources: Offer automated, continuous HVAC system adjustments to maintain control while reducing energy costs
• Improve occupant comfort and well-being: Manage HVAC and lighting based on real-time occupancy data
• Efficiently deploy smart buildings: Enhance existing systems with added functionality to improve building performance

Don’t wait! Register now for the Cisco and Schneider Electric Smart Buildings webinar:

Workplace Efficiency with Unified Building Technologies

January 24^th, 2024  |  10 a.m. ET

See how Cisco and Schneider Electric are working together to make buildings more sustainable, efficient, and comfortable.

Learn more on our Schneider Electric and Cisco partner page.