Cisco has begun a pilot project with Morgan Solar that uses solar energy to power collaboration and meeting spaces.
- Cisco, Microsoft and Google Launch AI Upskilling Consortium
- Employees Seek Improved In-office Collaboration Experiences, says Webex by Cisco
- Cisco Webex Unveils New Collaboration Devices For Seamless Hybrid Working
The new concept merges Morgan Solar’s Energy Blinds technology, which captures the sun’s energy, with Cisco’s Power-over-Ethernet (PoE) switch to assist in the energy’s distribution and Webex integrations that can sense when the room is not being used, thereby enabling maximum energy savings and minimising energy wastage.
The initiative began when Morgan Solar, a Toronto-based company integrating solar energy into urban developments, won Cisco’s Fast Future Innovation Awards in 2022 and gained funding via Cisco Canada’s Country Digital Acceleration Program.
Wayne Cuervo, Director of Cisco Canada’s Digital Impact Office, encouraged other companies to come up with innovative sustainability solutions: “To take meaningful steps towards a sustainable future, businesses need to think creatively about how to get there.
Collaborating with forward-thinking companies like Morgan Solar, we're driving the development of smart solutions aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions from traditional energy generation technologies and giving businesses new pathways towards sustainability.”
The first pilot project is being set up at Cisco’s Toronto Innovation Centre, with plans to add two further customer sites.
Results so far have yielded the production of as much as 50 watts of renewable energy for each window fitted with Morgan Solar’s Energy Blinds, which is enough to fuel the pilot room’s energy equipment and device requirements.
Even when the room is not in use, the solar energy solution continues generating power that is then stored up for when it is needed in the future. Alternatively, it could be saved up for peak times to avoid spending money on electricity when prices from the energy grid are more expensive.
