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Schneider Electric announced its software-defined medium-voltage (MV) switchgear architecture at YOTTA 2026 in Las Vegas on September 28, 2026, and says it is already deployed in a live Equinix colocation data-center pilot. The design pairs standardized, configurable MV hardware with software-configured functions. Schneider also announced RM AirSeT 38, a planned 38 kV SF6-free switchgear extension, and described a separate “Generator-to-Chip” delivery model for AI data centers.
What Schneider means by software-defined MV switchgear
Medium-voltage switchgear controls and protects electrical distribution at a facility. In Schneider Electric’s software-defined approach, standardized hardware provides the MV platform, while software configures system functions and supports automated testing, digital commissioning, capability updates over the air, and lifecycle analytics through EcoCare Services.
The intended distinction from conventional engineered-to-order equipment is that more functions can be configured or updated in software rather than requiring bespoke hardware changes. Schneider presents this as a way to standardize designs across use cases while retaining flexibility. The announcement does not specify which functions can be added through updates, how updates are approved or deployed at customer sites, or what hardware changes may still be required for a particular project.
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What the Equinix pilot establishes
Schneider says the architecture is deployed in a live Equinix colocation data-center pilot. This establishes a real operating-site deployment, but the announcement does not provide operating results, duration, capacity, or performance data from the pilot.
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Equinix Senior Director of Global Data Center Design and Innovation Greg Metcalf said the equipment could change how the company designs, procures, builds, and operates MV switchgear, while supporting standardization across multiple use cases and maintaining safety, quality, and reliability standards. Those are stated benefits and priorities; the announcement does not quantify outcomes from the pilot.
How much faster or simpler does Schneider say it is?
Schneider’s 2026 materials report the following comparisons. They are company analyses, not independently validated results, and the figures describe different parts of deployment rather than one cumulative reduction.
| Claim | What Schneider reports | Source and scope |
|---|---|---|
| End-to-end deployment schedule | 64% reduction | Schneider Electric White Paper 303’s 2026 analysis of the software-defined MV approach |
| Ordering and manufacturing | Up to 3× faster | Schneider Electric’s 2026 product announcement |
| Commissioning and onsite acceptance testing | Up to 2× faster | Schneider Electric’s 2026 product announcement |
| Control wiring and materials | 87% less control wiring, 91% fewer terminals, and 85% less copper in control wiring | Schneider Electric’s 2026 comparison of 20 panels |
These measures should not be combined into a single project-time estimate: the source does not say that each applies to the same project or baseline. Actual schedules and labor needs will depend on project scope and site conditions; no customer operating data is reported to show whether the stated gains have been achieved at Equinix.
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RM AirSeT 38 is Schneider’s planned extension of its AirSeT SF6-free secondary MV gas-insulated switchgear (GIS) platform from 24 kV to 38 kV. Schneider says it uses pressurized pure-air insulation and vacuum interruption instead of SF6 or fluorinated gas mixtures.
Schneider plans to begin taking orders in 2027 and expects first deliveries in 2028. These are announced future milestones, not evidence that the 38 kV product is currently available. The 38 kV specification refers to the product’s voltage level; it should not be read as a claim about every part of the software-defined architecture or the Equinix pilot.
What “Generator-to-Chip” means for AI data centers
At YOTTA, a three-company model was described for delivering power infrastructure from generation through a data center’s electrical systems. The model is branded an “AI Energy Park” and is designed to support grid-connected, islanded, or hybrid configurations.
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- Wärtsilä Energy: flexible, modular engine power plants.
- Schneider Electric: electrical architecture, automation, and digital power management.
- Stanley Consultants: engineering, permitting, design coordination, construction management, commissioning oversight, and climate resilience.
The model’s name conveys an integrated delivery concept, not a measured performance result. The YOTTA report provides no independently verified schedule savings, named customer list, or performance figures for this partnership model.
What operators should weigh before treating the claims as a project forecast
The announcement presents a direction for MV infrastructure, not a complete procurement specification or a project guarantee. For a data-center operator assessing it, the key questions are what hardware and software functions are included for a particular voltage and configuration, how updates are managed over the equipment lifecycle, and how project-specific savings are calculated against the operator’s existing design and procurement baseline.
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Evidence quality also matters: Schneider’s published figures are vendor analyses, while the Equinix deployment is identified as a live pilot without reported operating results. RM AirSeT 38 has future order and delivery targets, and the Generator-to-Chip model has no disclosed performance data. Those distinctions make it possible to understand the announced architecture without mistaking a product plan or vendor comparison for independently demonstrated customer outcomes.
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