KUALA LUMPUR: As East Asia faces rising temperatures, growing cooling demand and increasing pressure on building energy performance, Schneider Electric is calling for greater focus on HVAC efficiency across commercial, industrial and critical facilities.
“Cooling is becoming a strategic capability for economies across East Asia as urbanisation, electrification and AI increase demand for more efficient buildings and infrastructure. The challenge is not simply to add more cooling capacity, but to help customers operate more intelligently through responsive, energy-efficient systems that can adapt as their needs evolve,” said Schneider Electric East Asia zone president Xingjian Pang.
Buildings need smarter cooling to manage rising energy and operational pressure. Across commercial, healthcare, transport, hospitality and industrial facilities, HVAC systems are expected to manage higher heat loads, changing occupancy patterns and increasingly complex operating requirements.
Cooling performance now directly affects energy costs, occupant comfort, equipment reliability and business continuity.
In large or complex facilities – chillers, pumps, fans and air-handling units may continue operating at fixed or inefficient levels even when cooling needs are lower. Connected controls, real-time monitoring, data analytics and AI can help operators match cooling output with actual demand, identify inefficiencies earlier and reduce unnecessary strain on equipment.
The rapid growth of AI and digital infrastructure is adding a new dimension to the region’s cooling challenge. Expanding AI workloads are driving significant investment in data centres, creating higher power density and more demanding cooling requirements.
The International Energy Agency projects that electricity consumption from data centres could more than double globally by 2030, reaching approximately 945 terawatt-hours. McKinsey separately estimates that AI-related data centre capacity demand could reach around 156 gigawatts by the end of the decade.
To help customers address these challenges, Schneider Electric is advancing a more intelligent, digitally integrated, and energy-efficient approach to HVAC across East Asia.
“The future of HVAC will be defined by software, connectivity and intelligence. Open, software-defined automation allows systems to become more flexible and easier to integrate, while connected controls and real-time data enable operators to identify inefficiencies, anticipate maintenance needs and continuously optimize performance. This gives organisations a clearer path towards measurable operational improvements, including lower energy consumption, reduced downtime and greater adaptability across the system lifecycle,” said Schneider Electric industrial automation, East Asia vice-president Kyung Rog Kim.
These capabilities can be applied across commercial buildings, infrastructure, industrial cooling and high-density data centre environments.
“In Malaysia, rising investment in data centres, commercial buildings and advanced industries is increasing pressure on energy use, operating costs and infrastructure resilience. Smarter, integrated HVAC systems can help businesses improve efficiency in line with priorities such as the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Act, while supporting Malaysia’s energy transition and Schneider Electric’s role as the country’s energy technology partner,” said Schneider Electric Malaysia country president Eugene Quah.
