Schneider Electric Brings Software-Defined Architecture to Data Center Power

Schneider Electric, a global provider of energy management and industrial automation technology, has introduced a software-defined medium-voltage architecture designed to simplify deployment and upgrades of electrical infrastructure supporting high-density data centers.

The architecture replaces highly customized, engineered-to-order systems with standardized hardware and software-configurable functionality. Schneider Electric says the approach can reduce ordering and manufacturing time by up to threefold and commissioning and acceptance testing time by up to twofold compared with conventional switchgear.

In a 20-panel comparison, the configuration also used 87 percent less control wiring, 91 percent fewer terminals and 85 percent less copper in that wiring. Software capabilities can be updated without replacing hardware or taking systems offline.

The technology is already operating in a pilot deployment at an Equinix colocation data center. Pilot programs are expected to continue through 2027, with broader availability planned for 2028.

Schneider Electric also introduced RM AirSeT 38 Software Defined, extending its SF6-free medium-voltage switchgear platform from 24 kV to 38 kV. Orders are scheduled to begin in 2027, with deliveries expected in 2028.

For data center operators, the announcements reflect how rising AI compute density is pushing infrastructure changes beyond servers and networking. Electrical distribution increasingly needs to scale alongside rapidly changing accelerator deployments while minimizing downtime during capacity expansion.

Posted by Pure AI Editors on 09/28/2026