In today’s world, every hour of downtime could cost your business up to €300,000. And the stakes are high. Whether it’s a data center, a wind farm, or a commercial building, even brief outages can result in significant revenue losses, damaged assets, and frustrated stakeholders. Despite this, over half of facilities rely on reactive “run-to-failure” maintenance strategies. This outdated approach persists despite the clear connection between proactive maintenance and the reliability of electrical networks.
Recognizing the growing complexity of energy networks and the rising demands of electrification, we at Schneider Electric embrace digital transformation through our licensed partners, enabling them to meet new market needs, gain deeper expertise, and differentiate. This strategic shift sharpens our competitive edge and enables us to deliver unparalleled value to our customers.
The case for digital transformation in medium voltage systems
The rapid evolution of the energy landscape demands smarter, more agile strategies for businesses managing medium-voltage (MV) infrastructure. Digitalization offers more than just data collection—it provides real-time insights into asset health, energy consumption, and system performance, enabling data-driven decision-making to improve reliability, reduce costs, and optimize operations.
A digital approach transforms MV infrastructure by integrating IoT sensors, arc monitoring, partial discharge detection, and advanced protection relays. These tools enable predictive maintenance, allowing operators to anticipate issues before they escalate into failures. Beyond reducing downtime risk, digitalization streamlines operations, improves sustainability, and enhances overall system efficiency.
Crucially, digital transformation is not just about installing new devices—it’s about creating an interconnected ecosystem that provides a comprehensive view of MV assets. Advances in user-friendly sensors and upgraded telecom networks, such as 5G, have made these solutions accessible beyond large enterprises, allowing businesses of all sizes to improve efficiency and resilience in an increasingly electrified world.
The digital shift to predictive maintenance
Traditional maintenance follows rigid schedules, regardless of an asset’s actual condition. Predictive maintenance flips that script. Real-time monitoring and advanced analytics make it possible to maintain assets based on actual conditions rather than a fixed timetable.
Consider a wind farm operating under harsh climate conditions. Predictive insights enable facility managers to anticipate mechanical stress, adjust maintenance intervals, and take preventive actions before performance degrades. Operators can also mitigate risks from frequent lightning strikes over mountainous terrain by deploying arc monitoring solutions with rapid response times. This approach extends asset life, reduces unexpected downtime, and fortifies overall system resilience—outcomes we deliver for our customers.
High-quality data underpins the entire predictive maintenance journey. Real-time asset health metrics, harmonic levels, and power quality indicators paint a detailed picture of network performance. With this data information, businesses with thin margins—such as data centers and manufacturers—can optimize energy consumption, schedule maintenance at ideal intervals, and enhance grid stability. Our expertise in deploying advanced switchgear and analytics platforms elevates this process, helping operators identify earlier inefficiencies, fine-tune system performance, and consistently meet operational targets.
Overcoming challenges: Practical steps to unlock ROI
In the past, cost and complexity often discouraged smaller firms from embracing digital solutions. However, modern IoT sensors and more intelligent, cloud-connected platforms have lowered these barriers significantly. For us, helping organizations navigate this shift starts with pilot projects, proving the value of digitalization on a manageable scale, and justifying subsequent investments. The return on investment (ROI) materializes in various forms: lower maintenance costs, fewer emergency repairs, optimized energy usage, and compliance with evolving regulatory mandates. Many companies see tangible benefits by leveraging medium voltage panels like Schneider Electric’s digitally connected MV switchgear (SF6-free), gaining complete visibility into their energy and maintenance data.
If your organization is considering taking its first steps into digital MV solutions, here are some practical first steps:
- Start small with pilot projects: Test new sensors or analytics tools on a limited scale to demonstrate value without overcommitting resources.
- Invest in user training: Equip staff with the knowledge and confidence to utilize new digital tools effectively.
- Collaborate with experienced technology providers: Leverage expertise from partners to ensure a smooth transition from legacy systems.
- Scale gradually: Use early successes to justify broader deployments across multiple facilities or sites.
- Simplify complexity: Focus on clear, measurable wins to instill confidence in digital solutions and overcome hesitations.
Charting the future: AI and machine learning smart grids
The MV switchgear market is growing fast and evolving quickly. Renewable energy, digitalization, and sustainability targets add more complexity to MV infrastructure. In the next 5–10 years, AI and machine learning will play a central role in interpreting these complex datasets, automating decision-making, and refining predictive models. These models help organizations detect subtle inefficiencies or early warning signs of failure well before a human operator might notice them. Companies that embrace digitalization now position themselves for sustainable growth amid a changing energy market.
Your path to smarter, more resilient MV networks
By helping transition from traditional to more proactive, predictive maintenance, we at PSS, with the support and tools from Schneider Electric, help organizations improve resilience, cut operational costs, and unlock actionable insights. As industries strive to balance reliability, sustainability, and profitability, digital transformation is the path that leads to a more predictive, efficient, and future-ready MV infrastructure.
Are you interested in how digital solutions can transform your operations? Visit our Panel Builders partner page to learn more.
EcoXperts are the enablers of net-zero buildings
The EcoXpert Partner Program is unique and comprises a best-in-class, global ecosystem of expertise. Trained and certified by Schneider Electric, EcoXpert partners digitize and electrify our world for a more sustainable future.
The path to net-zero requires delivering solutions for sustainable, resilient, efficient, and people-centric buildings. For our EcoXpert partners, this unveils immense growth opportunities through the transition to end-to-end portfolio sales that will resolve our customers’ most critical needs. For our shared customers, this means that together with our EcoXpert partners, we will drive the building industry transformation and help our customers survive and thrive today – and tomorrow.
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