SPECIAL FEATURE
CIRCUIT PROTECTION & SWITCHGEAR
Today, there are over 30 million units of medium-voltage switchgear installed worldwide using sulfur hexafluoride (SF6)
TIME TO SWITCH YOUR SWITCHGEAR? Alexandre Golisano, Strategy Director – Power Systems at Schneider Electric, assesses how switching your switchgear to a ‘SF6-free’ option can help to combat the fight against climate change.
F
rom forest fires in Australia to climate activist Greta Thunberg, the world is finally listening and working to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions and slow down climate change. Concerns in the electrical industry revolve around the commonly used SF6 or sulphur hexafluoride gas. While it can vastly reduce the switchgear footprint and is easy and cost effective to use, it also has
the highest global warming potential of any known substance. Clearly, the need to replace technology using SF6 to SF6-free, has become more attractive. Distribution network operations (DNOs) in the UK are increasingly expected to provide a trajectory of the amount of SF6 emissions emitted and phase it out of their infrastructure altogether. Due to the durable design of components in our electrical infrastructure, it can take many years or even decades until all the old components are replaced, and the new technology becomes the norm.
However, the industry is expecting the introduction of new legislation and regulation around the use of SF6 gas, especially in medium voltage applications, to be introduced over the next few years – meaning that DNOs need to begin rethinking their approach to substation insulation now in order to be ahead of the curve. That’s exactly what’s behind the development and adoption of new switchgear technology, which allows electricity companies and building managers to wage war on global heating and slash their carbon footprint.
ISOLATORS • Switch Disconnectors
Control & Automation www.niglon.co.uk
0121 711 1990 | sales@niglon.co.uk 44 | July 2020
Circuit Protection & Switchgear – Schneider.indd 44
• Manual Changeover Switches • 20A -125A • IP54 - IP65
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26/06/2020 11:50
