Herman Miller (the global provider of interior furnishings and related technologies and services) and Legrand (an innovative manufacturer of electrical and network infrastructure solutions) have come together to devop a comprehensive management soluion for commercial buildings.
Their strategic alliance is designed to broaden the reach of energy management strategies to fuel the adoption of flexible, sustainable spaces — ultimately reducing real estate and building operating costs while improving worker productivity.
The companies note that demand for more energy-efficient solutions is intensifying, with commercial buildings currently accounting for 18 percent of the U.S.’s total energy consumption, and energy dependence and management topping the agendas of key influencers.
Under the terms of the agreement, technology from Herman Miller’s Convia, Inc. subsidiary will be embedded into Wiremold wire and cable management systems from Legrand. These include modular power and lighting distribution systems, floor boxes, poke-through devices and architectural columns, which provide flexible, accessible power distribution to building owners and managers. Convia technology integrates a facility’s power delivery and other infrastructure and technology applications, including lighting, HVAC, and occupancy and daylight-harvesting sensors into an energy efficient, easy-to manage platform.
Under the new alliance, “Convia-enabled” Wiremold systems will enhance this capability by adding control and monitoring of office plug loads (the amount of energy drawn by devices from an electrical outlet) and lighting loads. The “Convia-enabled” Wiremold offering provides a truly integrated control solution for end-to-end power applications.
“Convia-enabled” building infrastructure products will be marketed and sold by Legrand to building specifiers and owners through its network of over 2,000 electrical distributors. In addition, the two companies will continue to advance energy management strategies through the ongoing development of innovations that leverage the Convia technology for the built environment.
“Buildings are rigid, yet change is constant,” says Brian Walker, CEO, Herman Miller. “While technology continues to change our lives and how we work, building infrastructures have remained static, relatively inflexible, and largely unable to keep up with the evolving needs of the people and organizations who occupy them. Our partnership with Legrand supports the adoption of energy management strategies across organizations with technologies that work together seamlessly, and can be easily programmed and adjusted as needs change. By combining Herman Miller’s expertise in problem-solving design in furnishings and interiors technology with Legrand’s superior wire and cable management for building infrastructure and its deep distribution network, we can successfully deliver the ultimate solution to maximize energy efficiency across all parts of a building.”