Swansea University achieves £156k in energy and operational savings with Schneider Electric’s power and building transformation programme
Posted by: electime 9th September 2026
Schneider Electric is working with Swansea University to power its journey to achieve net zero by 2035 and save money on energy and operational costs. Swansea University is committed to sustainability and modernisation, aiming to achieve zero carbon for direct emissions by 2035, with at least a 70% reduction by 2030.
Working with Schneider Electric, the university is taking a tech-first approach to retrofitting its physical estate, deploying smart building solutions and upgrading electrical infrastructure to drive operational efficiencies and reduce energy waste across both its Singleton and Bay campuses. To date, this work has delivered £156k in energy and operational savings.
The deployment of Schneider Electric’s EcoStruxure Building Operation (EBO) solution has allowed the university to integrate its Building Management System (BMS) and fire safety systems into a single platform to streamline operations through a single platform. Schneider Electric’s EcoStruxure Power Monitoring Expert (PME) was also installed to inform energy efficiency decisions across both campuses.
The data produced by the EBO and PME systems has continually informed the university’s sustainability decision-making and infrastructure upgrades. This includes upgrades to EV charging infrastructure through the installation of bidirectional EVlink electric vehicle charging stations across the university car parks and the integration of solar power into the campus’ energy system. This is part of an overall strategy to reduce energy consumption and electrify the campus, bolstered by a microgrid pilot scheme that uses battery storage to power buildings during peak demand periods.
More recent integrations include Schneider Electric’s EcoStruxure Building Advisor platform that provides detailed insights into operational efficiencies across the university. The ROI from efficiency savings identified over an initial two year period covered the cost of the platform itself.
Swansea University has also implemented Planon’s occupancy monitoring solution. In the Finance Building, occupancy insights enabled changes to building utilisation that reduced energy consumption by 44.4%. The monitoring system provides detailed insights into building utilisation, enabling early shut off for locations not being used and opening up new revenue streams by being able to hire out empty or underused rooms.
The university also now has access to 24/7 support from Schneider Electric’s Connected Services Hub, giving the estates team remote access to engineers and technical specialists to address onsite maintenance and repairs. This is supported by smart monitoring and analytics tools that utilise over 500 AI-enabled algorithms for condition-based and proactive maintenance.
“Schneider Electric’s digital solutions are providing incredible insight into our estate, allowing us to put value directly against our actions. Detailed information on the return on investment helps us justify strategic decisions across the estate as we look to make operational savings and energy efficiencies on our journey towards our net zero target,” said Chris Lewis, Building Management Systems Manager at Swansea University.
“Swansea University is an excellent example of an organisation making significant gains, both in terms of operations and energy efficiency, by taking a technology-first approach to its estate,” said Alice Williams, Schneider Electric’s Vice President, Digital Energy for the UK & Ireland. “Our state-of-the-art solutions and expert support are making improvements to the ageing estate, moving it into the modern age.”
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