Switchgear technologies are set to revolutionise Indian grids

Experts across the switchgear industry collaborate to evaluate the integration of advanced switchgear enables intelligent energy management and seamless integration with renewable energy sources are driving the transformation towards a more resilient and sustainable power system.

The evolution of the switchgear market is influenced by the integration of industrialisation and the development of smart grids and smart cities. The increasing prominence and advancement of smart grids will play a significant role in the switchgear market, especially with the expansion in key industries and infrastructure sectors such as telecom, railways, airports, and ports.

India, as the third-largest producer and consumer of electricity in the world, has an installed capacity of over 400 GW. The country has also achieved near-universal electrification, with access to electricity available to more than 99.9 percent of households. India has implemented several initiatives to promote smart grid development and grid digitalisation, such as the National Smart Metering Programme. The following discussion briefly discusses how switchgear technologies offer improved monitoring, control, and communication capabilities, enhancing grid stability and minimizing outages. 

Determining effectiveness in power transmission and distribution 

Advanced switchgear is designed to protect and control electrical circuits in the power grid, making it vital in ensuring a reliable and efficient power supply. The era of the smart grid utilises digital technologies to monitor and manage electricity demand, generation, and distribution, reducing losses and enhancing customer service. India has launched several initiatives to promote smart grid development and grid digitalisation, such as the National Smart Metering Programme.

Emphasising the importance of advanced switchgear and smart grids in the Indian electricity landscape, Anil Saboo, Chairman & MD of Elektrolite, highlights the fact that the country has achieved near-universal electrification, with access to electricity available to over 99.9 percent of households. The country highly promotes smart grid development and grid digitalisation, which involves using data and analytics to optimise the performance and operation of power grids. “Therefore, there’s a need for advanced switchgear to revolutionise and enable conventional power grids to transform into modern, intelligent, resilient, and sustainable power grids.”

Nikhil Pathak of Schneider Electric points out key aspects of switchgear technologies, such as improved monitoring, control through digital sensors, and advanced communication capabilities for efficient load management and swift fault detection. Advancements in protection and control features, quick detection and isolation of faults, and prevention of widespread blackouts are essential for enhancing grid stability, predictive and reduced maintenance, asset management, and minimising unplanned outages. “Advanced switchgear with metering and communication capabilities enables demand response programs, balances the grid, and optimises energy usage. Overall, these technologies drive the transformation towards a more reliable, efficient, and sustainable power system in India,” he explains.

Speaking about the trend and the need for divergent switchgear for the reliable, compact, and environmentally friendly operation of smart grids with minimum installation and commissioning time, Vivek Yadav, Executive Vice President of Havells India, underlines the ST^Dx range of switchgear by Havells India. This range is designed to meet the modern needs of a communication-ready environment, providing a user-friendly one-touch interface for managing a building’s various electrical load layouts. Its intricately designed interface enables users to easily monitor and control electrical circuits from the MCCB to the residential distribution board level. With multifunctional capabilities, the advanced version of Havells ST^DX offers real-time monitoring status and facilitates proactive maintenance of the device. The entire range will improve uptime, making modern businesses more competitive and limiting intervention costs. With advanced programming of the load cycle and efficient energy management, the range aims to minimise energy waste and improve sustainability.

Safety aspects to identify and curb breakdown frequency

Predictive maintenance oversees the need for frequent inspections and repairs, which can expose lives to hazardous situations. It enhances the safety aspect of industrial operations and improves the reliability and efficiency of the system.

Smart Internet of Things (IoT)-ready switchgear solutions enable real-time monitoring, and the latest evolution of switchgear offers connectivity capabilities for data analytics and communication, making it an ideal solution for facilities that aim to achieve Industry 4.0 standards.

Anil highlights the benefits of predictive maintenance: monitoring the condition and performance of equipment and detecting signs of deterioration or malfunction, enhances the safety of both the equipment and workers. “The fault passage indicators and line sensors introduced by Elektrolites are excellent examples of smart grid technology that help locate the fault location within seconds.” These features enable quick restoration of power, reducing downtime and improving power reliability.

Switchgear seamlessly integrates with building management systems, extending supervisory control to other enterprise-level utility systems to manage power flow and achieve energy savings. However, planned installations result in approximately 30 percent lower operational costs compared to switchgear without digital capabilities. Vivek explains that the ST^Dx range of switchgear by Havells provides comprehensive protection from disasters, enables two-way communication for easy diagnosis and proactive maintenance, ensures utmost safety with preventive maintenance, and minimises downtime.

Advanced switchgear plays a crucial role in identifying short circuits and fluctuations, protecting the grid from further damage. They are designed to detect critical issues such as overcurrent, earth faults, and insulation failures, ensuring electrical system safety and minimising the risk of breakdowns.

“The biggest advantage of having an advanced switchgear system is the ability to monitor and control it remotely, allowing for real-time analysis of performance, fault diagnostics, and preventive maintenance.” This enables real-time and specific insights, resulting in increased uptime and optimal performance,” explains Nikhil, highlighting the dominance of advanced switchgear.

Challenges and opportunities in adopting advanced switchgear technologies 

Switchgear players are investing in the manufacturing of digital switchgear, especially low-voltage switchgear, to collect information for analysing current levels, temperature, operating cycles, and load levels. This, in turn, improves the performance and reliability of switchgear. With advanced switchgear technologies at the forefront, the power grid system becomes more reliable and efficient.

According to Anil, India needs to adopt well-designed, advanced smart switchgear that can communicate with other devices, monitor grid conditions, and perform self-diagnosis and self-healing functions. The existing switchgear infrastructure is often outdated, inefficient, and prone to failure, posing a challenge to ensure grid stability and resilience in the face of natural disasters, cyberattacks, and climate change. Other challenges faced by the nation include the high initial cost and maintenance of advanced switchgear technologies compared to conventional ones, as well as a lack of skilled manpower and technical expertise to operate and maintain advanced switchgear technologies.

Vivek states that India is looking to adopt advanced switchgear technologies to enable intelligent energy management and enhance grid resilience. Digital switchgear such as SSCB (Solid State Circuit Breaker) is expected to gain popularity in the low-voltage switchgear market. Smart switchgear can also be seamlessly integrated with energy management, building management, supervisory control, data acquisition, and other enterprise-level utility systems.

Speaking in the Indian context, Nikhil says that the adoption of advanced switchgear technology brings both challenges and opportunities. “The current grid infrastructure with traditional switchgear limits the upgrade in terms of digitalisation and connectivity. The cost of upgrading this switchgear to the advanced one also works as a deterrent.” However, with the current benefits of the smart grid and compliance with cybersecurity, there is a general need and budget allocation for upgrading. They also facilitate the seamless integration of renewable energy sources and enable a faster response to disruptions.

Furthering towards a resilient and green power infrastructure with advanced switchgear

India is at the forefront of building a sustainable and efficient power infrastructure. By embracing advanced switchgear technologies, the country is paving the way to achieve its objectives of sustainability and energy efficiency. Today, digitalisation with intelligent switchgear and advanced metering significantly enhances grid operations, enabling efficient energy management.

Anil Saboo describes how advanced switchgear solutions reduce greenhouse gas emissions, improve power quality and stability, enhance safety and security by detecting and isolating faults, and lower operational and maintenance costs by providing real-time data and remote monitoring. India can achieve its energy goals while ensuring a sustainable future for its people and the planet by leveraging advanced switchgear solutions. Some of the leading providers of advanced switchgear solutions in India also undertake EPC contracts for turnkey projects that involve the design, installation, commissioning, and maintenance of power systems.

“The power industry in India is undergoing a remarkable transformation, bolstered by the implementation of advanced technologies,” says Nikhil. He also hypothesises that real-time monitoring ensures and increases the reliability, safety, and efficiency of the power grid’s operation.

The adoption of eco-friendly insulation materials (SF6-free) helps minimise greenhouse gas emissions, contributing to a greener future, improving grid stability, and enhancing resilient power infrastructure. Furthermore, the integration of renewable energy sources adds to the sustainability of the system.

“IoT-ready switchgear enables real-time monitoring, ideal for Industry 4.0.” – Anil Saboo, Chairman & MD, Elektrolites Power.

“There is a need for divergent switchgear for the reliable, compact, and environmentally friendly operation of smart grids.” – Vivek Yadav, Executive Vice President, Havells India.

“Advanced technologies are forwarding us towards a more reliable, efficient, and sustainable power system in India.” – Nikhil Pathak, Vice President- Offer Marketing and Business Development, Schneider Electric India.