Four Ways Permanent Power Enhances Outdoor Spaces

April 14, 2025

Today’s workplaces are expanding beyond the four walls of an office. As technology continues to evolve, employees are looking for new and alternative workspaces to inspire creativity and increase productivity. This includes taking their work to outdoor spaces.

Bringing technology to outdoor spaces has become a challenge for facility managers and property owners who want to increase the value of their workspace while keeping their businesses running smoothly and their employees happy.  Here are 4 ways permanent power enhances outdoor spaces.

1 — IT MAKES MILLENNIALS HAPPY.

Forrester Research has been tracking the rise of the mobile workforce. According to its 2013 Mobile Workforce Adoption Trends report, “Gone are the days when employees wielded a simple set of tools to get work done. In today’s world of anytime, anywhere work, employees use whatever device is most convenient: desktop at home, laptop at work, tablet in a client meeting, or smartphone everywhere.” The one thing these devices have in common is the constant need for power. By 2025, Millennials will make up three out of four members of the workforce, according to a study by Forbes magazine. As mobile technology has developed, Wi-Fi and cell phones have blurred the lines between where people connect, making the traditional nine to five workday a thing of the past. This demographic has been raised in a digital world and has a firmly entrenched need for constant connection.

Companies must continuously look for ways to inspire workers, guests and tenants as well as increase productivity. One way they’re doing it is by leveraging the often-overlooked outdoor workspaces.

“Some companies do have outdoor spaces, but they treat them as leisure space. If they put business furniture and power and data outside, that would make a huge difference.  It would make it look like a workplace instead of a barbecue or café,” said Jonathan Olivares*, a New York–based designer and author of A Taxonomy of Office Chairs With this in mind, companies must adapt their workspaces to leverage all available workspace options including outdoor spaces.

IN TODAY’S WORLD OF ANYTIME, ANYWHERE WORK, EMPLOYEES USE WHATEVER DEVICE IS MOST CONVENIENT.

2 — IT ’S SAFE AND BLENDS INTO THE EXISTING LANDSCAPE.

Additional research conducted by Legrand with 215 facility managers revealed that there is an increasing use of outdoor space in a variety of markets around the country, and it’s being driven by property owners looking to maximize their real estate investment by getting more revenue and use from their outdoor spaces.

This upsurge in the use of outdoor workspaces is driving the need for power and data connectivity at locations away from the main buildings where there is traditionally no power and data wiring. It also helps decrease office density, moving more workers outside where air circulation is better and social distancing is possible.

What is currently available to facility managers and building owners is a myriad of temporary power, workarounds and products not UL rated for outdoor use—which is unattractive and unsafe. The installations often need repair and replacement because they are susceptible to rust and corrosion.

These solutions often involve bringing cabling or wiring from a building and then putting mats over the cable to prevent tripping. This leads to:

• Increased labor costs
• Time laying and pulling the wiring and cabling and laying the protective mat
• Damaged wiring and cabling due to improper application
• Tripping hazards from both mats & cords

3 —  IT HAS MANY BENEFITS BEYOND THE OBVIOUS.

Permanent and safe power enhances the way employees, guests and customers think of an exterior space. Facility managers need products that help create an environment that promotes longer stays, better productivity and more positive experiences.

Any permanent outdoor power solution must be tested and approved, perform in harsh outdoor conditions and have an appearance that’s acceptable to architects and property owners.

After an initial investment in the infrastructure, benefits include:

• Lower labor costs
• Reduced material wear and tear
• Ability to provide more reliable service to guests or customers
• Minimal liability risk
• Improved aesthetics of outdoor space

4  —  IT’S AVAILABLE IN SEVERAL OPTIONS TO MEET THE NEEDS OF ANY OUTDOOR SPACE.

Legrand offers safe and versatile solutions to bring permanent power outside, transforming the commercial spaces where people work and visit.  The elegantly designed mobile device chargingstations support connectivity with a combination of USB outlets, power outlets and LED lights to illuminate pathways. The durable Outdoor Ground Box safely provides permanent power, communications, and A/V to any outdoor space– in any weather condition, all year long. Deliver the power you need, right where you need it with the outdoor power products from Legrand.

TO LEARN MORE: LEGRAND.CA/OUTDOOR