For over a century, we’ve powered buildings the same way: high-voltage AC runs through panels and conduit to wherever it’s needed, and we flip switches to control it. It’s simple, it works, and it’s everywhere. But here’s the problem—this approach was designed for a world that no longer exists.
Today’s buildings need to be smarter. They need to respond to how people actually use them, adapt to changing conditions, and squeeze every bit of efficiency out of every kilowatt. The old model of “set it and forget it” power distribution just can’t keep up.
That’s where energy networking comes in. Instead of treating electricity as something that just flows through walls, energy networking turns power into something you can see, control, and optimize in real time. It’s not just an upgrade—it’s a completely different way of thinking about how buildings work.
What Actually Makes Energy Networking Different?
Traditional electrical systems are pretty straightforward. Power comes in, gets distributed, and that’s about it. You don’t really know what’s happening unless something breaks. There’s no visibility, no coordination between systems, and definitely no way to automate decisions about how power gets used.
Energy networking flips that model on its head. It combines low-voltage DC power, smart devices, AI automation, and network infrastructure into one unified system. Instead of a bunch of separate equipment doing its own thing, you get a connected ecosystem where every light, sensor, and shade motor can communicate and be controlled individually.
This is what people mean when they talk about “smart building power”—not just electricity, but electricity that knows what it’s doing.
The Three Pieces That Make It Work
You need three core elements to transform basic power distribution into genuine power intelligence: digital power delivery, a connected infrastructure backbone, and real-time automated decision-making.
Digital DC Power That Actually Thinks
Technologies like Power over Ethernet (PoE) and Fault Managed Power (FMP) are replacing big chunks of traditional AC infrastructure. PoE handles lighting, sensors, and shade motors, while FMP delivers higher-power DC loads over longer distances. The benefits are immediate: safer low-voltage systems, built-in metering at every endpoint, better efficiency, and visibility down to individual devices.
This is the foundation of energy networking—power that’s not just delivered, but measured and understood at the most granular level possible.
Cisco’s Infrastructure: The Backbone That Connects Everything
If PoE and FMP are doing the heavy lifting, Cisco’s networking infrastructure is what ties it all together. Their switches, routers, and analytics platforms like Cisco Spaces make sure every watt of power comes with real-time data, secure communication between devices, intelligent routing, and high availability.
What this means in practice is that your power layer stops being a separate, isolated system and becomes part of your network infrastructure. Energy networking transforms the entire electrical system into an extension of your building’s digital backbone. Everything talks to everything else.
aida™: The AI That Actually Does Something
Hardware gets you halfway there, but it’s AI that makes energy networking truly intelligent. Platforms like aida™ look at occupancy patterns, natural light levels, environmental conditions, and building schedules to automatically adjust lighting, shade positions, energy priorities, and comfort settings. It even helps reduce peak loads.
With aida™ in the mix, energy networking becomes truly dynamic. The building doesn’t just respond to commands—it learns how it’s being used and optimizes itself over time.
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Why This Actually Matters
The shift from traditional distribution to intelligent power isn’t just about having cooler technology. Energy networking delivers real, measurable benefits that change how buildings operate day to day.
You get real-time control. Instead of guessing what’s happening with your power consumption, you know exactly what every fixture and device is doing at any moment. Energy networking gives you device-level visibility that was impossible with traditional systems.
The system becomes more resilient. Fault-managed systems can reroute or prioritize power during outages or emergencies, keeping critical systems running.
Operating costs drop. Digital power eliminates transformers, reduces heat and conversion losses, and AI cuts out unnecessary consumption automatically.
Your building stays relevant longer. Energy networking is designed to work with solar, battery storage, EV charging, and next-generation DC systems without requiring you to rip everything out and start over.
Everything works together. Lighting, shading, HVAC, sensors, and security stop operating in silos and start functioning as one coordinated system. Energy networking makes true building-wide orchestration possible.
The technology isn’t just a better way to distribute power—it’s a fundamental reimagining of how buildings understand and use energy.
The Big Picture
We’re watching power distribution evolve from a passive utility into an active, intelligent system. Energy networking turns electricity into something that can be orchestrated, automated, and measured with precision—exactly what modern buildings need to be efficient, resilient, and sustainable.
With digital DC infrastructure, Cisco’s secure networking backbone, MHT’s PoE hardware, and aida™ AI automation working together, energy networking stops being a buzzword and starts being something you can actually build and deploy today.