Eaton, Autodesk Unite New Digital Twin Tools Promising to Optimize Building Electrical System Performance

Energy management firm Eaton and design software provider Autodesk are joining forces to improve building lifecycle management for the built environment.

The two companies announced a new collaboration today that is designed to simplify complex energy system simulations and optimize electrical system performance at facilities such as commercial buildings and data centers.

The partnership will leverage Eaton’s Brightlayer portfolio of energy management and optimization solutions and Autodesk’s Tandem. Tandem is a digital twin platform that transforms building information modeling (BIM) data into an operational digital replica of a facility, helping owners and operators optimize performance, maintenance and lifecycle management.

“Eaton and Autodesk are introducing new dynamic capabilities for the building and data center industries that will fundamentally change how electrical systems are designed, built and operated,” said Justin Carron, director of buildings and campuses at Eaton.

Commercial and public buildings account for 75% of all electricity and 40% of total energy consumed in the U.S., according to the Department of Energy. The residential and commercial building sector is responsible for 31% of all U.S. greenhouse gas emissions.

Designed to optimize building energy use

Powered by Tandem, Eaton’s new Brightlayer Digital Energy Twin capabilities will help designers, contractors and building operators improve resilience, efficiency and sustainability, according to a statement from the company.

Drawing on data from the AI-powered Brightlayer energy software, the system allows facility managers to simulate and monitor building performance, predict how facilities will operate under different conditions and assess the impact of infrastructure upgrades before implementation.

“By combining actionable insights from energy management systems and reliability-centered maintenance programs with advanced visualization, simulation and modeling capabilities, we’re enabling a more intelligent and productive approach to building lifecycle management,” Carron said.

The collaboration highlights a growing trend of linking operational data with design workflows, signaling a shift in how building performance and construction planning are coordinated across the industry.

“We’re giving building operators the tools to move from reactive to predictive strategies – unlocking new levels of resilience, efficiency and sustainability,” added Robert Bray, vice president and general manager of Autodesk Tandem. “It’s exciting to see how these capabilities are being applied to real-world operational challenges and helping shape a smarter, more digital future.”

The two companies also announced they will collaborate on a new BIM generation application for Autodesk Revit, which architects, engineers and contractors use to design, document and coordinate building projects in a unified 3D environment. This partnership will allow design and engineering professionals to dynamically generate BIM files for electrical systems, streamlining pre-construction planning.