There’s an ‘upward’ theme in building operating challenges…energy costs are climbing, efficiency demands are up, occupants want more customization, and doing more with less is the norm. Now is the time for building owners and facility managers to rethink their building performance–the right technology makes it possible.
Cloud-based technologies, including artificial intelligence (AI), can help mitigate challenges to optimize HVAC systems and improve overall efficiency and building management operations.
However, now AI “at the edge” building solutions embed intelligence right at the device level, eliminating the internet and data storage requirements needed for cloud solutions. For room controllers, in particular, this brings a new level of responsiveness and dependability to better meet decarbonization targets, comply with regulations, and meet occupant expectations.
How AI changes building management
Let’s take a step back first and recognize how AI has transformed building management over the past few years:
- Energy optimization. AI uses space usage patterns, occupancy, and weather to align HVAC demand with real-time building needs, shifting energy loads to off-peak periods to reduce costs and emissions.
- Predictive maintenance. AI evaluates equipment performance to detect issues and trigger maintenance needs based on actual use rather than standardized schedules to reduce downtime and extend equipment lifespans.
- Occupancy-based management. It can automatically adjust lighting, temperature, and ventilation based on real-time occupancy. Occupants can then use mobile apps to customize their environments and report issues directly to facility staff.
Bringing AI to the edge of room controllers
While AI brings a powerful level of automation to building operations, in traditional implementations, sensor data and device commands are constantly transmitted via the cloud to remote servers, where system intelligence resides.
Schneider Electric brings that intelligence directly into the device with our SpaceLogic™ Touchscreen Room Controllers with AI Eco Mode. As the first commercial room controller with edge-based AI, it intelligently and dynamically adjusts room temperatures to ASHRAE 55-compliant comfort standards and reduces energy consumption by adjusting the HVAC systems based on the building’s real-time thermal and energy patterns.
The SpaceLogic Touchscreen Room Controller was awarded the Business Intelligence Group’s 2025 Artificial Intelligence Excellence award in the Energy Management AI product category.
Here’s why:
In a large-scale quantitative analysis at active building sites, our AI at the edge-enabled systems successfully:
- Maintained temperature regulation and occupant comfort compliance over 85% of the time (compared to room controllers without AI).
- Achieved an average HVAC energy savings of 5% daily, with potential savings reaching up to 15% in certain scenarios.
Building owners and facility managers can expect the following with edge-based AI room controllers:
- System resiliency. Intelligent controllers are not dependent on external networks; they maintain systems when networks are down and respond to requests without lag.
- Enhanced security. All device data is kept on-site to safeguard occupant privacy data.
- Cost-effectiveness. Systems can expand by adding more devices without adding to central processing capacity or recurring cloud subscription fees.
Take your room control to the next level
Edge-based AI room controllers provide impressive benefits in dynamic environments like commercial offices, hotels, schools, and other settings with frequent occupancy shifts. To learn more, visit SpaceLogic Touchscreen Room Controller or download our white paper detailing our research.
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