Schneider Electric’s new solutions for net-zero carbon buildings

Schneider Electric has announced two new solutions to increase building sustainability and efficiency while enhancing occupant comfort.

It says EcoStruxure Building Operation 2022, a uniquely open and integrated smart building management system, and SpaceLogic Insight-Sensor, a six-in-one room sensor with anonymous real-time people counting, will be game-changers in the journey to net-zero carbon buildings.

Schneider Electric says complex global climate change issues and net-zero carbon mandates are increasing demands on buildings, which generate nearly 40% of the world's CO2 emissions.

The company says EcoStruxure Building Operation 2022 and SpaceLogic Insight-Sensor give building owners and facility managers granular visibility through open, integrated building systems and devices that easily connect and exchange information.

Schneider Electric says the new offers help deliver on the promise of IoT, ensuring that valuable building data can be accessed, standardized, secured and analyzed for maximum efficiency and predictive maintenance using AI and machine learning.

The company's SVP of digital buildings, Andre Marino, says he's proud to be a part of the evolution of building technology at such a pivotal time for the industry.

"By providing these new leading solutions we will further help building owners, facility managers and our EcoXpert partners address the increasing pressures they face head-on," he says.

"These open, data-centric solutions apply flexibility and insight to what are inherently rigid challenges of buildings. Solving these challenges is essential to meeting the demands of today's modern buildings and supporting the new balance of remote work and office time, with priorities ranging from creating safe, healthy and flexible occupant spaces, to protecting the environment from climate change."

EcoStruxure Building Operation 2022

EcoStruxure Building Operation, part of the EcoStruxure Building ecosystem, is an open and scalable next-generation building management solution that provides a single control center for building and facility managers to monitor, manage and optimize systems that are traditionally siloed.

Schneider Electric says it allows bi-directional integration and exchange of any third-party system or device and does not lock-up customers' data in proprietary languages or codes.

EcoStruxure Building Operation 2022 provides simple integration, visibility and actionable data from microgrids, EV charging stations and renewable energy sources, in addition to previously integrated HVAC, power, lighting, security, fire systems, and more, to create sustainable, energy and operationally efficient, and comfortable buildings.

Schneider Electric says other new features include:

• Scalable software licensing bundle options making solutions more affordable for smaller, mid-market projects
• A new subscription-based software assurance upgrade option supports system modernization 
• Enhanced reports and dashboard UIs, including Alarm Management, which provides clear insights and notification to issues before they become disruptive problems. 
• Technical data is now simpler to understand and manage by facility managers 
• Access to more data, especially from the proliferation of IoT-enabled connected room devices 
• Industry-leading compliance, and cybersecurity features, including new BACnet /SC (Secure Connect); Single Sign-On (SSO) with SAML 2.0; secure boot for the SpaceLogic Automation Server; and TLS 1.5 encryption

SpaceLogic Insight-Sensor

This new solution is an advanced six-in-one ceiling mounted room/zone sensor for people counting, occupancy, light, sound, temperature, and humidity sensing.

Schneider Electric says, unlike traditional ventilation control that relies on schedules or CO2 levels, the SpaceLogic Insight-Sensor, which uses anonymous people-counting technology, responds to precise changes in room occupancy in real-time for optimal fresh air supply.

The direct integration with EcoStruxure Building Operation enables a fast response time with no additional design, configuration or commissioning costs.

When more people enter a room, Schneider Electric says the Insight-Sensor informs EcoStruxure Building Operation, which dynamically adjusts room ventilation, reacting quickly before conditions become uncomfortable. Conversely, the Insight-Sensor ensures that energy use for HVAC or lighting is reduced when rooms are at low or zero occupancy.

The company says other features include:

• Fast installation and commissioning with native integration via the SpaceLogic RP-C Controller, the room's IP backbone infrastructure, as part of EcoStruxure Connected Room Solutions 
• Ability to easily reconfigure floor plans and work areas based on actual space usage patterns 
• Remote control, wayfinding and other occupant services enabled by Bluetooth iBeacon and third-party beaconing applications 
• Granular data on energy use and well-being analytics (temperature, light, sound) to help achieve LEED, WELL, BREEAM, Fitwel and other building certifications.