Dive Brief:
- Schneider Electric is rolling out a consulting service for data center operators looking to boost efficiency and maximize uptime, the company said Tuesday.
- Schneider says its EcoConsult for Data Centers draws on a global network of more than 250 consultants and more than 6,500 service representatives to assess customers’ data center infrastructure, including power and cooling systems, and develop asset modernization plans that increase reliability while reducing costs.
- “In today's fast-paced digital environment, maintaining peak uptime while minimizing costs and extending the life of critical infrastructure is paramount,” Schneider Electric Senior Vice President for Services Jerome Soltani said in a statement.
Dive Insight:
About 36% of U.S. data centers are older than 10 years and lack a “facility-wide proactive asset management strategy,” Schneider said.
Schneider intends for EcoConsult for Data Centers to support those aging facilities with a medium- to long-term roadmap for increased uptime; longer IT and server infrastructure lifespans; achievable sustainability initiatives; and lower total cost of ownership, the company said. EcoConsult is future-ready, addressing both current demands and those created by future growth and technology adoption, it added.
“Bringing this new level of expertise and innovation to market represents a significant step forward in our commitment to data center managers,” Soltani said.
To assess client data centers’ performance and risk, Schneider consultants conduct comprehensive site visits, checking the physical condition and operational status of power distribution systems, cooling infrastructure, cybersecurity posture and IT and server assets.
Then, they develop digital maps of power and cooling systems to uncover critical issues and analyze power usage effectiveness and cooling system efficiency,identifying potential energy savings, according to a Schneider video overview.
The initial consultation concludes with a “detailed, site-specific report with insights and guidance for modernizing and maintaining your data center,” with asset models and specific recommendations ranked by criticality, Schneider says. Those recommendations may include options for right-sizing equipment, managing spare parts inventories, software and firmware upgrades, environmental sensor and energy metering deployments.
In December, Schneider introduced a new data center reference design co-developed with AI chip giant NVIDIA, and released a a new uninterruptible power supply solution, Galaxy VXL.
The reference design addresses “urgent energy and sustainability challenges driven by high demand for AI systems,” while the new UPS occupies 52% less space than industry-average solutions, Schneider said at the time.
Surging data center investment has boosted Schneider’s energy management business in recent quarters, according to company financial reports. The company saw stronger-than-expected revenue and earnings in 2024 as its customers expanded their data center and IT services footprints, Schneider said in February, noting its data centers and networks business could see 10% annual growth through 2027.
Schneider is not the only major building systems and energy management firm leaning into the data center boom. Last year, Wisconsin-based Johnson Controls launched Global Data Center Solutions, a new entity charged with providing “integrated solutions” for cooling, security and other building systems to IT facilities around the world.
