Honeywell & LS Electric partner to boost data centre energy use

Honeywell and LS Electric have agreed to jointly develop integrated battery storage and power management systems for data centres and commercial buildings.

The collaboration between Honeywell and LS Electric is set to focus initially on providing power management tools for data centre operators, with the goal of controlling and distributing power for critical, uninterruptable systems.

Over time, the partnership will seek to expand globally, with plans to develop advanced artificial intelligence (AI) power monitoring systems.

These new systems are intended to offer data centres access to real-time power usage data, with the ability to benchmark against a global network of centres and identify areas for efficiency gains or losses.

The joint solutions are expected to support improved sustainability and lower operational costs for data centres through optimised energy use and storage, as well as by providing the electricity resources required for AI-dependent operations.

Integrated approach

The agreement will see the companies combine LS Electric's expertise in power systems with Honeywell's background in building automation and controls. This integration will offer data centre operators the ability to connect critical power distribution systems with wider building management functions, including load management and capacity alignment.

The first products to be offered under the partnership will include integrated switchgear and power management solutions designed to maintain operational continuity for critical systems in data centres.

Future plans include the development of new electrical power monitoring systems using Honeywell Forge, a platform with built-in AI capabilities, alongside LS Electric's software technologies. The AI-powered systems are set to control energy distribution and consumption, and feature predictive maintenance functions to identify potential issues before they impact power quality or cause downtime.

Battery energy storage systems

In addition to their focus on data centre applications, the companies intend to cooperate on grid and building-aware battery energy storage systems for commercial and industrial buildings. The goal is to address increasing power grid demands by facilitating the creation of microgrids in buildings and facilities where reliability is critical.

The proposed modular battery energy storage solution will integrate LS Electric's technology with Honeywell's dynamic energy control software. It is planned that the system will use utility data, weather information, and additional risk factors to forecast optimal sources and costs of power. This is expected to offer a practical approach to balancing energy supply and demand for building operators.

Honeywell and LS Electric indicated that solutions developed through this partnership will be managed through Honeywell's Centre of Excellence in Singapore, which began operating this year with government backing.

"As the global demand for data and energy accelerates, this partnership with LS ELECTRIC combines our complementary strengths to distribute intelligent infrastructure that's not only resilient and efficient but also future-ready. Together, we're unlocking possibilities that will help our customers stay ahead in a landscape being rapidly reshaped by AI."

Honeywell Building Automation CEO Billal Hammoud commented on the strategic direction of the partnership, referencing the growing intersection between data centre operations and energy demands driven by AI and digital transformation.

"Building on our accumulated expertise in power infrastructure and energy storage systems, we are accelerating our global expansion into the data centre and commercial and industrial building markets, including North America. Through our collaboration with Honeywell, we will deliver differentiated solutions that enable big tech data centres and large building operators to achieve both energy efficiency and reliability."

JongWoo Kim, President of LS Electric Power Electric, highlighted the role the collaboration will play in the company's plans for global expansion as well as its strategy to target energy efficiency and reliability for large tech infrastructure operators.

Statistics cited by Honeywell and LS Electric suggest that data centres currently account for between 1 and 2 per cent of global electricity production, with that figure forecast to rise sharply in coming years.

Under the new partnership, Honeywell will provide building automation controls, power distribution, and electrical products to help data centres improve their efficiency in both energy consumption and storage.