Schneider Electric has announced EnergySTEP@Work, a new solution that brings IT devices and plug load energy use online to make it visible and controllable with Schneider Electric’s StruxureWare software applications.

Incorporating Cisco EnergyWise technology, EnergySTEP@Work can reduce energy wasted by deployed PCs, printers, IP phones, task lighting, wireless access points and more. When EnergySTEP@Work is combined with Schneider Electric’s EcoStruxure architecture nearly all of a building’s energy can be managed including, distributed devices and plug loads, as well as lighting, heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems via the Cisco network.

“Today’s workplace is changing and Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) is being encouraged by more and more organisations – allowing employees to connect their own smart phones, tablets, notebooks, etc. to the network in the office environment. Schneider Electric’s EnergySTEP@Work enables customers to monitor and control their energy consumption, including those smaller plug loads that, when added together, can account for upwards of 40% of a building’s energy consumption,” says Schneider Electric, Buildings Business country manager (ANZ) – energy management services, Darren Butler.

“These smaller plug loads often go unnoticed, so by capitalising on the technology provided by Cisco’s EnergyWise technology and the capabilities of our StruxureWare software, we can make these devices visible, and provide a crucial link between the building, the office and the IT environment,” Darren adds.

“The need to manage energy consumed by IT assets is higher than ever before. Schneider Electric’s EnergySTEP@Work enterprise wide energy management solution includes IT plug loads using Cisco EnergyWise that empowers customers to leverage their Cisco network infrastructure to monitor, analyse and control energy costs,” says Cisco Systems Unified Access Group product management senior director Sachin Gupta.

“Cisco is working with companies like Schneider Electric to build solutions that offer customers an enterprise-wide comprehensive view of energy consumption including their IT assets.”

In addition to the introduction of EnergySTEP@Work, Schneider Electric announced the release of Rack PDU AP8958 with Cisco EnergyWise technology, a solution designed to integrate with Schneider Electric’s StruxureWare for Data Centers software suite. This software suite is designed to collect and manage data about a data center or branch office’s assets, resource use and operation status throughout the IT environment’s lifecycle. When used as part of EnergySTEP@Work, the Cisco EnergyWise-enabled Rack PDU can increase the energy savings achieved through management of small IT spaces such as network closets located throughout buildings.

Integration of Cisco EnergyWise technology provides Schneider Electric’s AP8958 Rack PDU with the ability to report energy consumption details and be controlled via the EnergyWise protocol across the Cisco network. Customers can also use EnergyWise to configure the PDU to shed loads during power outages to reserve battery power for those loads that may be more critical such as network connections and critical server loads, both in the data center and in the remote office.