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We have a new EcoXpert™ badge certification program available – Substation Automation. Discover the benefits, target market, and opportunities for new and existing partners.
Two years ago, I explained how the EcoXpert program enables partners to differentiate themselves. As explained in a previous blog summary on an interview with Nicolas Windpassinger, the means by which our partners have to stand out is evolving as part of a continuous journey that consists of three pillars: the EcoXpert Partner Program itself, our IoT-enabled EcoStruxure platform, and Schneider Electric Exchange.
Continuous improvement and additional EcoXpert certifications and specializations are part of this journey. In another blog I covered the new retail specialization training program that is mainly intended for EcoXperts with a certification in BMS, light & room control or connected power.
Time to enter another novelty in the EcoXpert program: the Substation Automation certification. It’s an excellent opportunity for new business partners and enables critical power EcoXperts to broaden their capabilities and, indeed, differentiate themselves.
The Substation Automation certification officially started earlier this year, and in July Europower Enerji received the first certification as Aimen Abd-El-Azim, who is responsible for the new badge, wrote.
In an interview on Substation Automation, Aimen sheds more light on substation automation solutions, trends in the market, and the why and how of the new program.
Substation automation systems and EcoXpert
The Substation Automation certification shows a partner’s proven expertise in deploying high-and medium-voltage substation automation systems, using IEDs and software tools to enable utilities, electro-intensive and critical commercial and industrial building end-users to improve observability, controllability, cyber security and reliability of their electrical grid.
Substation automation solutions aren’t new. Schneider Electric’s Energy Automation division has been serving utilities and organizations in other industries where substation automation is vital, such as oil & gas, for a long time.
However, the demand for substation automation solutions has evolved in such a way that it was time to officially, globally launch the new certification that had been running in a pilot mode for three years, resulting in several successful projects.
Substation automation systems are used by companies where energy availability is critical, and energy control and monitoring is a necessity. By gathering data from all the equipment and the field they can avoid blackouts and intervene to protect the power network and their facilities.
With the Internet of Things and the possibilities offered by EcoStruxure™, pro-active management and maintenance is made possible. This way, operators can intervene before a problem occurs based upon analyzed data. The addition of a connected layer between the field level and edge control layer is one of the essential changes in the market, says Aimen.
On top of preventing issues from happening, substation automation systems also enable to ensure the security of the facility and safety of the people working there.
Why a Substation Automation EcoXpert Certification now – and for whom?
Critical Power EcoXperts, are among he partners for whom the Substation Automation certification is a way to differentiate themselves further, to take care of power quality and reliability. Substation Automation EcoXperts are specialized in delivering energy management projects to control, monitor, cyber secure and protect the medium voltage and high voltage network Aimen adds.
In doing so, they also help customers reduce costs and optimize the equipment they use.
The main customers of substation automation systems traditionally were electrical utilities since substations play a vital role in their transmission and distribution networks. Others include electro-intensive companies and some markets such as oil & gas.
With 1) the mentioned changes in the available technologies, 2) evolving attitudes of traditional substation automation customers who are more prone to work with partners in some regions, and 3) growing demand for the capabilities offered by substation automation solutions in less traditional markets, the time for a partner program had come.
The higher demand for the advanced power control and monitoring possibilities offered by substation automation, among others, comes from power-critical facilities. These are indeed the types of customers that are served by Critical Power EcoXperts and work with partners; healthcare facilities, airports, data centers, etc. The growing importance of renewable energy and cyber security are other market drivers.
In other words: the substation automation opportunity for partners has grown significantly with new markets wanting these solutions and existing players more open to working with partners.
The Substation Automation EcoXpert Certification isn’t just a multi-certification opportunity for Critical Power partners. When asked what types of partners are active in the market, Aimen identifies:
- System integrators that already offer substation automation solutions and now can expand their business, leveraging their skills in new and growing market segments.
- Medium voltage panel builders who can add expertise in the deployment of high-and-medium-voltage substation automation systems to their panel building activities.
- Contractors with the engineering capability to develop substation automation solutions who want to differentiate themselves in a high-opportunity, evolving market.
Substation automation offers a capability for end customers to protect their facility from the medium-and-high-voltage network perspective. Substation Automation EcoXperts have the expertise to help them do so.
EcoXpert™ Partners – the Implementation Arms of EcoStruxure™
The EcoXpert Partner Program is unique in its industry and made up of a best-in-class global ecosystem of expertise. Trained and certified by Schneider Electric, EcoXperts are the implementation arms of EcoStruxure™ in homes and buildings all over the world.
Schneider Electric’s EcoXpert Partner Program unites the world’s leading technology providers, who exhibit best-in-class system integration competencies in facility optimization, reliable infrastructures and energy management, with its customers around the globe. Stronger together, this partnership cultivates collaboration, connects expertise, and delivers best-in-class services and solutions.
Visit the EcoXpert Partner Program to learn more.
Check out the EcoXpert business partner benefits, discover the EcoXpert certifications and specializations (including Substation Automation) and learn more about our Substation Automation solutions, including EcoStruxure Substation Operation.
You can connect with Aimen Abd-El-Azim via LinkedIn.
