Schneider Electric Says AI Can Cut Building Energy Use by Up to 22%

Schneider Electric said in a press release that AI enabled building optimization could reduce energy use by up to 22% in modeled scenarios. The AI software layer alone accounted for estimated savings of 7.2% to 12.7%, with annual utility savings ranging from $13,600 to $49,300 per commercial building under the study assumptions.

Research produced with Boston University's Institute for Global Sustainability found that workforce availability, permitting and financing are the main constraints on building modernization, rather than access to technology.

The company also modeled cooling water use at 100 MW AI data centers. Optimized liquid cooled designs using adiabatic heat rejection reduced annual on site cooling water consumption by 48% in Dallas and 53% in Paris compared with air cooled designs.

Schneider Electric also formed an alliance with Lenovo 360 Circle to offer carbon management tools, training, site audits and decarbonization plans to more than 860 IT channel partners. The company said work with its top 1,000 suppliers contributed to a 56% reduction in their operational CO2 emissions from 2021 to 2025.