March 12, 2018 – Introduced in the U.S. last year, Premset MV switchgear just debuted in Canada and—according to Schneider Electric’s Kareem Nakhla—being rated “inadvertently touchable” is just one of its highlights.

With its 3-in-1 design, the 15kV Premset system’s operational interface is simple, intuitive and user-friendly, says Schneider. The circuit breaker is in series with the isolating grounding switch; when combined with safety interlocks, it provides integrally designed protection for the operator.

There are also only three possible operating positions: closed, open and grounded. The 3-position scheme provides an integrated cable test feature implemented by dedicated grounded rods, accessible from the front, without needing to enter the cable box or unmount cable terminations. This helps makes Premset the safest MV switchgear in its class, says Schneider.

The platform also boasts the 2SIS (shielded solid insulation system)—the first global product to do so, says the company. 2SIS promises several design benefits: protection from environmental impact; negation of electric fields in the switchgear; and long maintenance intervals.

Intelligence can be added by integrating protection, control, and monitoring devices. These devices have dedicated locations and cabling, and are daisy-chained throughout using RJ45s and Modbus. A gateway can be used to connect the monitoring and controls to a supervision system via ethernet, TCP-IP and/or RF communication. Premset switchgear is also web-enabled, so you can check on the installation via a standard browser.

Premset can be connected to a building management system, smart grid, e-houses, etc., noted Nakhla, and an outdoor version is expected on the market by October 2018.