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Schneider Electric introduced fully software-defined medium voltage switchgear designed to simplify deployment, support over-the-air upgrades, and improve scalability for AI data centers and other critical infrastructure.
Schneider Electric has introduced fully Software-Defined Medium Voltage (MV) switchgear, part of the company’s broader Software Defined Energy strategy. The approach separates system intelligence from hardware, allowing functionality to be delivered and updated through software rather than requiring physical equipment changes.
Traditional MV systems often rely on engineer-to-order designs tailored to individual sites. Schneider Electric’s Software Defined MV architecture instead uses standardized hardware platforms with software-based configuration, helping reduce customization and making systems easier to deploy, adapt, and scale.
Moving MV Functionality into Software
The architecture shifts protection, control, monitoring, and other system functions into software and supports over-the-air updates for new features and performance improvements. Schneider Electric states that these upgrades can be implemented without operational downtime.
The standardized and modular hardware architecture also reduces wiring and the number of individual components required. According to Schneider Electric, the approach can enable up to three times faster ordering and manufacturing and up to two times faster commissioning and onsite acceptance testing compared with traditional approaches.
Digital commissioning, automated testing, and software-based configuration are intended to simplify deployment and reduce the amount of specialized onsite work required. The architecture also incorporates connectivity and analytics for real-time system visibility and supports AI-powered predictive maintenance through Schneider Electric’s EcoCare Services.
Supporting Faster AI Infrastructure Deployment
The new switchgear is aimed in part at data center and AI infrastructure projects, where electrical capacity needs to be deployed quickly and scaled across multiple facilities and regions.
Schneider Electric has already piloted the Software Defined MV Equipment with Equinix in a live colocation data center environment. The company plans to extend the architecture across its medium voltage portfolio, including PremSet and the AirSeT range. Pilot programs are expected to continue through 2027, with broader availability planned for 2028.
The introduction reflects a wider shift toward software-defined industrial and infrastructure systems, where functionality is increasingly separated from dedicated hardware. ARC has also been tracking this transition in industrial automation, where software-defined architectures are being used to simplify modernization and reduce dependence on hardware life cycles.
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Software-defined MV switchgear extends this architectural shift into electrical distribution, allowing functionality to evolve through software while retaining a standardized hardware foundation.