Schneider Electric, the global specialist in energy management and automation, today announced the winner of the company’s Healthcare Crowdsourcing Challenge, which was established to define the needs and potential impact of the internet of things (IoT) and smart edge devices on the design, monitoring, analytics and maintenance of electrical distribution systems in hospitals.

Chris Vail, an engineer with Wichita, Kansas–based Professional Engineering Consultants (PEC), submitted material that highlighted a unique perspective on how the healthcare industry is changing related to IoT and Power over Ethernet (POE) for energy distribution. His submission successfully broke down the walls between electrical and mechanical disciplines to validate the criticality of integrating clinical systems with the core, building infrastructure to build and maintain truly smart hospitals.

Vail’s architectural engineering educational background and experience working across electrical and mechanical disciplines, helped him see beyond the typical challenges of design firms’ traditional silos in building smart hospitals.

“We’d like to thank all of the teams and individuals who submitted their ideas – many of which brought to light new considerations and approaches to tackling the changing healthcare landscape with IoT and POE for energy distribution,” said Aamir Paul, senior vice president, U.S. Operations, Schneider Electric. “It is through this ongoing engagement with the community and our partners, particularly on our EcoStruxure platform, that we will continue to innovate at every level to bring new ideas and solutions to our customers.” 

 Leveraging our EcoStruxure™ architecture and platform, Schneider Electric offers a similar approach that integrates building management systems with clinical admissions and scheduling software to track patient room occupancy for the purpose of energy reduction. Vail’s submission extended these possibilities through designs that shut off non-essential plug loads within patient rooms to gain additional energy savings and meet ASHRAE 90.1 energy code requirements. 

Schneider Electric’s EcoStruxure Power brings together energy, automation, and software to provide enhanced value around safety, reliability, efficiency, sustainability and connectivity. Within the healthcare space, EcoStruxure Power helps hospitals manage challenges with energy availability, cost reduction and asset management.

Vail’s firm, PEC, is an innovator within the healthcare design space and is taking a lead in cross-discipline approaches to solving problems. The award includes a $10,000 cash prize and recognition within the American Society for Healthcare Engineering (ASHE) and Schneider Electric networks.   

Schneider Electric’s next crowdsourcing challenge will target energy management trends and challenges in homes. Please follow Schneider Electric on LinkedIn to participate in the next crowdsourcing challenge. 

For more information, visit www.schneider-electric.us.