Post-pandemic, office spaces continue to transform to meet changing needs for work and engagement. Methods for power and connection are also evolving as the office sector grapples with new configurations and ways to work.

“We are absolutely in a transformational moment,” said Sabrina Snyder, senior director of product marketing for Wiremold cable management products and Connectrac floor-based raceways from Legrand North America, West Hartford, Conn. “It was assumed that post-pandemic, everyone would return to the office and the movement to update and transform the office would be complete upon their return. 

“Instead, it is taking quite a bit longer. There is an uncertainty regarding hybrid work. Is it a consistent office model, a replicable model? We do see office footprints and the use case for the office changing. Employees are viewing their spaces differently and office owners are paying attention to attract and retain employees. We’ve been doing some external research to understand what’s happening. This could be five years of transition and upgrades or a constant state of change,” she said.

This changes the electrical contractor’s job, adding the need for robust video conferencing, personalized lighting and room reservation control to the traditionally wired, hybrid or completely wireless office ecosystem.

According to Kevin Kohl, director of product management—­marketing and user experiences for Legrand’s Pass & Seymour wiring devices (outlets, switches and connectors), “There is an overwhelming trend toward direct current type of loads powering personal devices like smartphones and tablets, notebooks and laptops and other electronics. Small appliances may enter the picture.”

The lighting landscape has already transformed.

“Now you’ve got ultra-efficient LED lighting, all of which can extend to the outdoor parking lot, walkways, and outdoor office functions. Wiring topologies have changed and that may change power needs,” Kohl said.

New office spaces direct power planning

The overall use of the office space is dictating power and connectivity. 

“Managers do have their own offices, but everyone else increasingly is hoteling, scheduling the use of a specific desk by day and hours. Maybe you work together in a bullpen office space configuration,” said David Cradeur, manager of distributed infrastructure sales and channel connectivity for Eaton, Cleveland.

Cradeur shared how the hoteling scenario appeared 15 years ago. Companies tried it but it didn’t take then. 

“Timing can be everything. COVID reshaped office thinking,” he said.

Huddle spaces are something new. An alternative to large conference rooms, these are small meeting places or rooms. Office workers can gather quickly in these spaces that may be equipped with audio, video and other technology.

“The office is a more mobile environment, as you might start at a desk and then move to a huddle space for collaboration, maybe a privacy pod for a phone call or video conference,” Cradeur said. “For those contractors designing and powering these new office spaces, it can be a challenge. For instance, I may use wireless to connect to a network.”

To help installers, Cradeur explained that hoteling promotes the use of plug-and-play technology. 

“At a reserved desk, you plug your laptop into your desktop and directly into the network. In fact, everything can be up on the desk for quick connections. Traditional power may still dominate the entire office infrastructure, but now you see USB-C, a growing connector of choice because it serves both power and data at high rates,” he said.

Also showing up increasingly are riser tops or adjustable-height desks. Such products have made their way to the home office, too. Other devices are also now part of new power needs in the office.

“Pro AV commercial products are increasingly popular,” Cradeur said. “There are new power needs to enable a reservation system and accompanying digital signage, maybe a large LED display on a wall for conferencing or one that can be rolled out. Though there may be more things to power, hoteling and hybrid office attendance has lessened the power draw in offices, in fact far less than, say, five years ago.”

“Offices are getting smarter in some ways,” Snyder said. “Planners wonder if they really need the large conference rooms, or 400 cubicles. A smaller office footprint can consume less electricity. Control systems are also becoming more popular. Almost every facility has control systems to make a space more power efficient.”

Making the installer’s job easier

In another design trend, Kohl sees a move toward personalization.

“Traditionally, you’ve got fixed positions on walls that can’t really be moved easily. But what if you could? To create convenience and personalization, why not have flexible types of ways to interact with power in a space, smart management of power,” he said. 

“Wireless switches or dimmers play a role, too. I can now interact with my lighting from a little module on my desk. The module is portable and modular, providing that personalization of lighting.”

Prewired systems may make installers’ jobs easier. Contractors often install modular power connection systems under raised floors to configure office spaces at will. Floor-based raceways continue to dominate and have modernized to flexibly manage power and data distribution. Single-circuit or 4-­circuit raceways that are customizable, movable and expandable are important advances in addressing today’s needs, Snyder said. 

Refinements in end-to-end wire and cable management extend to floor boxes, poke-throughs and more. That includes power to furniture power and supporting a growing interest in outdoor officing.

“[The outdoor office] has continued to grow and quite honestly in the latest research we’ve done, I think every facility we talked to said they are spending money on outdoor workspace connectivity,” she said.

The term “plug-and-play” is often used to define and describe a way to make power installation easier when possible. Connecting multiple circuit wires to a device, such as an outlet receptacle, plays an important role. Using Legrand’s PlugTail line of connectors as an example, Kohl described a prewired connector in the wall that is swappable, UL Listed and fully compliant.

“For example, I can replace my existing duplex receptacle with a different one featuring two USB ports,” he said. “When adding a three-way switch, you don’t have to pull wire.”

Game changing USB-C

The USB Implementers Forum Inc. is a nonprofit corporation founded by companies that developed the Universal Serial Bus (USB) specification to advance and promote adoption of USB technology. USB-C connectors may be in everyone’s future. Already mandated in the United Kingdom, USB-C transmits power and data.

“We’ve seen more change in the office space in the past three years than in the past 20 or 30 years. For the EC, it’s a future of making sure what’s in the core and shell of the building has been thought through for how the office will operate today and into the future.”  —Sabrina Snyder, Legrand North America

“The old type-A ports could only transmit power at a 5V profile and max out at like 2.4A,” Kohl said. “About 12W of power could go over that USB type. USB-C has been opened to around 240W and counting. Voltage can be manipulated up and down. There’s a computer chip inside of the connector to communicate and determine the appropriate voltage profile to use. For example, we have a USB-C receptacle that can offer 30W of power through a single port and operates using a 15V profile at something like 2A of current. So, more power is one component of USB-C. It can also transmit power and data at the same time.”

Kohl explained USB-C makes a docking station much simpler, removing many of the wires. 

“A USB-C connector could power my laptop and two monitors at the same time, so that’s one connector where there used to be three,” he said.

Cradeur explained USB-C has 24 conductors, allowing for multiple pathways.

“Basically 12 conductors for power and 12 for data,” he said. “That’s what makes USB-C so powerful and why it’s becoming increasingly popular.”

Kohl doesn’t see traditional 100V and 120V outlets going away. Rather, they will co-exist with USB for some time.

Offices are still traditionally wired, but cable use is no longer niche. For Kohl, his experience showed an “overwhelming” preference for wired architecture, but “the lighting side of things is definitely evolving. In my experience, the power side of the equation is still very slow to change. An evolution will be helped by revised [and more stringent] energy codes, but will require some level of integration with a facility management system. It’s certainly easier to run category cable [e.g., for low-voltage] than a traditionally wired architecture in many cases,” he said.

“I think we’ve seen more change in the office space in the past three years than in the past 20 or 30 years,” Snyder said. “I don’t expect that momentum to change. For the EC, it’s a future of making sure what’s in the core and shell of the building (e.g., floor boxes and poke-throughs) has been thought through for how the office will operate today and into the future.”

Snyder said planning includes consideration of what devices will need power, and how.

“Figure out how to layer in flexibility, as well,” she said. “Taking advantage of prewired and labor-saving type solutions can eliminate installation time, but also make future changes easier. For the electrical contractor, it’s a world of opportunity if you can think through the entire office space, then advise what kind of power will help meet the needs of that space.”

Power, devices and connectivity are meeting a new day.

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