Schneider software-defined switchgear targets AI data center delays
Schneider says software-defined medium-voltage switchgear can speed AI data center equipment delivery and commissioning, while operators scrutinize reliability and cybersecurity.
Schneider Electric has unveiled a software-defined medium-voltage switchgear approach aimed at reducing the engineering, manufacturing and commissioning time required to build electrical systems for AI data centers.
The company said the design can make ordering and manufacturing up to three times faster and commissioning up to twice as fast as conventional engineered-to-order switchgear, based on Schneider studies and estimates. The system is already deployed in a live Equinix colocation data center pilot, with additional pilots continuing through 2027 and broader availability planned for 2028.
For data center operators, the appeal is reducing project-specific electrical engineering and hardware customization as AI campuses require larger and more complex AI data center power systems. But shifting protection and control functions into a software-configured system also raises questions around validation, cybersecurity, failover and change management for mission-critical electrical equipment.
From hardware to software
The move extends the principles of software-defined automation beyond factory controls and into electrical infrastructure, said Anna Ahrens, senior principal analyst at Omdia.
"Schneider Electric's software-defined MV switchgear is a compelling example of how the principles of software-defined automation are extending beyond the factory control layer into power infrastructure," Ahrens said.
Omdia defines software-defined automation around reducing dependence on dedicated hardware through virtualization, making data and functionality available across layers, and enabling centralized orchestration.
Ahrens said Schneider's approach could eventually extend across programmable logic controllers, drives, switchgear and power management, moving competition toward software, connectivity, cybersecurity and lifecycle services.
Schneider said it's standardizing the physical platform while shifting more protection, control and monitoring functions into software. The design replaces multiple dedicated hardware devices with virtualized functions.
The company is moving from an engineer-to-order model toward configure-to-order equipment, with standardized hardware and software-based differentiation intended to reduce customization. The approach also fits into a broader effort to simplify the electrical infrastructure supporting AI data centers, where AC-to-DC power conversion adds another layer of complexity.
Daniel Bizo, research director of intelligence at Uptime Institute, said the concept is plausible because digitizing controls can simplify the hardware architecture and reduce the number of customized components.
“On the face of it, the idea is attractive due to component standardization and hardware architectural simplification,” Bizo said.
That could reduce switchgear lead times because less customization is required, he said. It could also simplify maintenance and repairs by reducing the variety of components operators need to support.
Commissioning is another target
If system's health and performance can be validated faster, the systems can be commissioned faster.
Daniel BizoResearch director of intelligence at Uptime Institute
The approach could also reduce the complexity of commissioning, particularly during equipment installation, energization and performance testing, Bizo said. Those activities generally fall within Levels 2 through 4 of data center commissioning, before Level 5 integrated systems testing.
Simplified controls wiring and potentially fewer hardware components can make it easier to validate system health and performance, Bizo said. “If system's health and performance can be validated faster,” Bizo said, “the systems can be commissioned faster.”
That doesn't eliminate rigorous testing. It potentially reduces the amount of equipment and control complexity that must be tested.
The speed claims have yet to be proven through broad commercial deployment. Schneider is continuing pilots through 2027 before broader availability, which is planned for 2028.
Software brings new questions
Moving electrical functions into software also creates operational and security questions that operators must resolve.
Schneider says the system supports software updates without replacing the underlying electrical hardware or operational downtime. The company describes over-the-air updates as a way to add features and performance improvements throughout the equipment lifecycle.
That capability could make equipment easier to maintain, but operators will have to determine how software updates are validated and deployed on mission-critical electrical systems.
“Over-the-air update is something I expect operators will heavily scrutinize,” Bizo said.
Many operators keep operational technology isolated from the internet, he said, with connectivity generally limited to telemetry used for health analysis and condition-based maintenance.
Mission-critical systems also can require testing and fallback capabilities, including independent A/B firmware blocks, he said. They also have physical redundancy that allows equipment to be maintained without interrupting the facility, he added.
Operators must be able to validate, deploy and, if necessary, reverse software changes without compromising electrical protection or availability. That makes update procedures, fail-safe behavior and rollback capabilities important elements of Schneider's commercial rollout.
Schneider pushes to 38 kV
Schneider also unveiled RM AirSeT 38 Software Defined switchgear, extending its SF6-free medium-voltage gas-insulated switchgear technology from 24 kilovolt to 38 kV.
The higher-voltage platform is designed for high-density, scalable data center architectures. Order intake is planned to begin in 2027, with first deliveries expected in 2028, Schneider said.
The 38-kV product expands the voltage range available for Schneider's SF6-free GIS technology as data center electrical systems scale. The company said the platform uses pure-air insulation and vacuum interruption technology instead of SF6.
Taken together, the announcements target two parts of the electrical infrastructure challenge facing AI data centers: reducing customization in medium-voltage equipment and expanding the voltage options available for larger electrical systems.
Schneider's commercial rollout will provide a broader test of whether the approach can reduce construction and maintenance complexity while meeting the reliability, protection, cybersecurity and operational requirements of mission-critical electrical infrastructure.
Shane Snider is a senior news writer at TechTarget, covering AI infrastructure, hyperscale data centers, cloud platforms, and the power and energy systems driving modern compute expansion. You can reach Shane at [email protected] or on LinkedIn.
