Editor’s note: Metrum has been at the forefront of delivering innovative digital power management solutions, leveraging Schneider Electric’s EcoStruxure™ platform. By integrating EcoStruxure Power Monitoring Expert, EcoStruxure Power Operation, and EcoStruxure Building Advisor services, Metrum has helped businesses reduce costs, optimize energy usage, and improve sustainability. Their expertise has positioned them as a leader in smart energy solutions, driving measurable ROI for their customers.
The following is a conversation between Federico Kuitca and Lucas Oliveira, CEO of Metrum and master-level EcoXpert™. He discusses challenges and lessons learned from implementing digital power management solutions, the growing demand for power monitoring in buildings, and the opportunities available for EcoXpert system integrators to support the transition toward more sustainable, efficient, and reliable facilities.
Q: Lucas, can you tell us about Metrum’s journey in the digital power management space?
Lucas Oliveira: Metrum has operated in Brazil for over 20 years, working closely with Schneider Electric as a Master-level EcoXpert. We started primarily in the metering business, but over time, we expanded into power protection, building automation, and data center solutions. Our goal has always been to go beyond simply supplying products—we engineer custom solutions for our customers.
One of the most significant milestones in our journey was a large-scale project with one of the world’s leading mining companies. In just three months, we achieved over $12 million in energy savings, demonstrating the power of real-time power monitoring and digital analytics. Today, we provide cutting-edge solutions for industrial facilities, data centers, and commercial buildings.
Our expansion has also been driven by customer demand for integrated solutions, as businesses prefer working with a single trusted partner rather than multiple vendors. This has helped us position ourselves as a comprehensive service provider, especially for large clients who need end-to-end digital power solutions.
Q: What role does Schneider Electric’s EcoStruxure play in your projects?
Lucas Oliveira: EcoStruxure™ has been an essential component of our solutions. We implement EcoStruxure Power Monitoring Expert (PME) and EcoStruxure Power Operation to give customers deep insights into their energy usage. These platforms allow us to integrate real-time power quality monitoring, predictive analytics, and automation, enhancing efficiency, sustainability, and cost savings.
For example, in data centers, energy efficiency is a huge concern. We help clients optimize their power usage, improve reliability, and reduce carbon emissions, all while ensuring compliance with strict industry regulations.
Q: What differentiates Metrum’s approach to power management?
Lucas Oliveira: Without a doubt, it’s our customer-centric approach. We don’t sell off-the-shelf products; instead, we engineer tailored solutions. This includes leveraging ION meter firmware customization, where we program meters to automatically respond to specific customer needs, such as load prioritization, peak demand management, and energy quality optimization.
Another differentiator is our long-term partnership model. Over 70% of our revenue comes from repeat customers. We provide continuous value through ongoing support, training, and optimization, ensuring our customers get the maximum ROI from their power management solutions.
We also recognize the importance of training and talent development for our own people. Metrum collaborates with local universities to recruit and train engineers, helping expand our expertise into new fields like building automation and power protection.
Q: What opportunities do you see for EcoXpert system integrators in the digital power space?
Lucas Oliveira: The demand for digital power solutions is growing fast, particularly in South America, where industrial and commercial facilities prioritize energy efficiency, sustainability, and operational resilience. With buildings accounting for nearly one-third of global energy consumption, the need for smart power management has never been greater.
System integrators have a unique opportunity to bridge the gap between traditional power infrastructure and modern digital solutions. Multi-badging—working with a single partner who holds multiple EcoXpert certifications—is key to this opportunity. It enables integrators like Metrum to increase profitability, expand their service offerings, and better meet evolving customer needs. It also streamlines project delivery by providing a single point of contact and helps distinguish EcoXperts in a competitive market. By leveraging the EcoStruxure platform, EcoXperts can provide businesses with real-time data, automation, and AI-driven insights that optimize energy use and reduce carbon footprints.
But, not all building segments present the same level of opportunity. While smaller buildings, such as retail spaces and gas stations, may benefit from digital power solutions, we’ve found larger industrial sites, hospitals, and data centers to better fit our expertise and business model.
Q: Can you share some advice for other EcoXperts looking to grow their expertise in power management?
Lucas Oliveira: Absolutely! My biggest advice is to focus on customer needs first. Customers don’t just want technology. They want solutions that solve real business problems. EcoXperts should invest in training, build strong technical teams, and develop a consultative approach to selling solutions.
Leveraging Schneider Electric’s training resources, such as EcoXpert University, can help EcoXperts stay ahead of the curve. Also, collaboration with Schneider’s global teams ensures we’re aligned with industry trends, regulatory changes, and emerging technologies.
One important lesson we’ve learned is that the offer creates the opportunity. Metrum expanded into building automation because our customers requested it. System integrators can identify new opportunities and grow their businesses by understanding customer needs and aligning with Schneider Electric’s evolving portfolio.
Q: Speaking of evolving, how do you see the future of digital power management advancing?
Lucas Oliveira: The future is real-time, data-driven decision-making. The combination of artificial intelligence, cloud computing, and advanced analytics will continue to revolutionize power management, making it more proactive, predictive, and automated. Data centers, industrial facilities, and smart buildings will increasingly rely on these kinds of integrated digital solutions to ensure their ongoing efficiency, reliability, and sustainability.
As regulations tighten and energy prices rise, businesses need partners like Metrum and EcoXperts to guide them toward smarter energy management strategies. Right now, the opportunity for system integrators to play a critical role in this transformation has never been more significant.
Final thoughts
Metrum’s journey showcases the power of digital solutions in modern power management. By leveraging Schneider Electric’s EcoStruxure solutions, Metrum has transformed energy efficiency for clients across multiple industries.
For EcoXpert system integrators, the opportunity to drive digital transformation and help businesses optimize energy use has never been more relevant. Download the sales guide to learn how EcoXpert system integrators can seize new opportunities in digital power management solutions.
EcoXperts are the enablers of net-zero buildings
The EcoXpert Partner Program is unique in its industry and made up of a best-in-class, global ecosystem of expertise. Trained and certified by Schneider Electric, EcoXpert partners digitize and electrify our world for a more sustainable future.
The path to net-zero is about delivering solutions for sustainable, resilient, efficient, and people-centric buildings. For our EcoXpert partners, this unveils immense growth opportunities through the transition to end-to-end portfolio sales that will resolve our customers’ most critical needs. For our shared customers, this means that together with our EcoXpert partners, we will drive the building industry transformation and help our customers survive and thrive today – and tomorrow.
Visit the EcoXpert webpage to learn more.
Add a comment