Panduit and Cisco recently announced an engineering alliance that they say will “accelerate the path to intelligent and sustainable workplaces,” the companies said in an announcement of the collaboration. “This collaboration harnesses the energy efficiencies of DC [direct current] power distribution by leveraging Panduit Fault Managed Power System (FMPS) as a high-voltage power backhaul for Cisco Catalyst Power over Ethernet (PoE) infrastructure. By integrating Panduit FMPS with Cisco Catalyst PoE, customers can create a more-connected building while lowering energy consumption and costs through a safe, touch-friendly, and intelligent end-to-end DC microgrid solution.”
FMP, referred to as Class 4 power systems in Article 726 of the 2023 National Electrical Code, is a power-distribution technology that was standardized by UL Solutions through collaboration with industry organizations including Panduit and Cisco. “This new category of power addresses the challenges of delivering higher power loads safely over extended distances, building upon the principles established by PoE technology,” Panduit and Cisco added.
“We are excited to catalyze customers’ digital strategies and energy-efficiency goals through DC power distribution,” said Brett Lane, Panduit’s chief technology officer. “As the first UL-certified FMP solution, Panduit is committed to ensuring customers can confidently deploy safe Class 4 power. We continue this commitment through our collaboration with Cisco to develop a long-term roadmap of validated end-to-end solutions and architectures.”
Cisco’s vice president of engineering alliances, Fabio Gori, added, “Technology ecosystems are key to accelerating innovation. By bringing together some of the most advanced technologies across industries, we’re solving complex challenges across industries—from the campus to the data center. Our engineering alliances program transforms these partnerships into solutions that customers can deploy with confidence, accelerating time-to-value and simplifying adoption.”
In their statement announcing the technology alliance, Panduit and Cisco noted, “Compared to traditional AC infrastructure, DC power distribution systems provide potential energy savings of up to 15%, and enhanced digital power-control capabilities.” The technology “aligns naturally with renewable energy sources and energy-storage systems, which inherently generate or store DC power,” they added. “The synergy between DC power distribution and clean energy sources is set to transform how we power and manage modern commercial buildings … This collaboration is uniquely positioned to address the increasing demand for digital connectivity and electrification of smart buildings while helping organizations reach their net-zero goals.”
