Energy Dilemma is going to be at the heart of an organization | Electronics Maker

Eaton, a leading global company in power management products and services with its India headquarter based in Pune. Eaton provides sustainable electrical, hydraulic, mechanical, e-mobility and vehicle electrical components products and solutions. They also provide Vehicles and mobile machinery controls, automation & power management.

Ripunjay Parikh, Director Sales – Power Distribution, Eaton India shares his outlook on switchgear market in India, recent advances and Eaton 2022 focus in this exclusive interview with EM.

What is the current size of the Indian switchgear industry and at what rate do you think the industry will grow?

The switchgear market in India in 2020 according to market estimates and research was about approx. 12,500 Crores. India Switchgear Market size is projected to grow at a CAGR of 7.7% during 2020-2027.

What are some of the new products you have added to your switchgear portfolio in India?

With a vision to improve the quality of life and the environment, through the use of innovative power management technologies and services, Eaton is well committed to sustainability. We endeavor to make our factories and facilities zero-waste and zero-landfill. All our products are RoHs compliant. Eaton is driving innovations in the field of Energy transition and Digitalization and well as addressing the key issues of fire safety in our buildings and factory with the use of unique Arc Fault detection Devices.

Eaton is offering XIRIA family of SF6 free, solid insulated medium voltage switchgear which is hugely successful in Europe and has successful installation reference in India. The unique design eliminates SF6 gas for both switching and insulation, Utmost safety with visible isolation of earth contacts and compact space saving designprovides multiple benefits for customers. Not only does such equipment have the lowest total cost of ownership, but the technology enables switching up to 10,000 times, the maintenance is greatly reduced, and the equipment can adapt to new, smart grids. Eaton has more than 100,000 installations of these worldwide and we are now offering these to the progressive customers in India.

What are the changes you are seeing in the global electronics manufacturing industry in the post Pandemic world?

The growing demand for intelligent computing power has fueled the growth of the semiconductor industry over the years. However, the pandemic has resulted in a shortage of semiconductor microchips globally and in India. Industries are suffering, but the dampening situation could unlock opportunities.

The Indian electronics manufacturing sector to grow to around USD 300 billion (about Rs 22.5 lakh crore) by 2024-25.There is a huge demand for semiconductor chips in India among electronic goods manufacturers, automobile, defence, space and new-age technology industries. At present, the country imports all semiconductors to meet a demand of $24 billion, which is likely to reach $100 billion by 2025.

The government hopes that the soaring demand will prompt global manufacturers to invest in India. The government may offer tariff cuts in some components, financial support on capital expenditure, and benefits through production-linked incentives (PLI) or Scheme for Promotion of Manufacturing of Electronic Components and Semiconductors

What have been the recent technology advancements at Eaton on switchgear?

Eaton is working on extending the range for Solod insulated switchgear to higher current ratings and breaking capacities. Another new technological advancement is in development of “hybrid switchgear” mainly for the 33KV switchgear. The 33KV conventional air-insulated switchgear (AIS) is bulky and difficult to handle, on the other hand, there is GIS with switching devices in a SF6 insulated tank, which is compact, but has SF6 and much expensive.

Eaton offers hybrid switchgear which uses a compact isolator housed in an SF6 epoxy enclosure (uses negligible quantity of SF6) and a fixed circuit breaker in series. The system design offers much smaller footprint as compared to a conventional AIS (upto 50% smaller). At the same time, we achieve the same level of performance without compromising on safety. It results into minimal maintenance and very high uptime, as there are no draw out parts or moving parts. In short, you achieve the same level of performance, saving on space, saving on cost with the minimal use of SF6.

Eaton is a pioneer in RCD technology and has introduced the next generation of arc fault detection Device (AFDD) which is a very effective device in preventing electrical fires. This device offered the conventional protection against overcurrent, short circuits and earth leakages. In addition to this, it provides protection against arc faults in the systems, which is one of the major cause for electrical fires. Available in single pole + neutral configuration, upto 40A, these are a must have, in the homes, hospitals, offices and commercial establishment. You may get more insights into this from the video link belowhttps://http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UtOmau4ym1Q

What is Eaton’s focus for 2022?

Eaton is committed to lead in the efforts of Sustainability and drive efficiencies with the use of Energy transition as well as Digitalization. Further, in our commitment towards growth in India, Eaton will be bringing more products in the power distribution space (both MV and LV) and offer the same from our Indian factories.

Eaton will focus on offering our world class products and solutions for the focus sectors, which are also the emerging trends in India.

Data center and Cloud technology – Offering end to end electrical power distribution products, Highest efficiency UPS system, intelligent DCIM and power management software for complete insights int your facilities and for effective control and management.

Renewable Energy – Eaton is a leader in offering switchgear and circuit protection components for renewable energy, whether it is for supply of the compact 33KV switchgear or Compact substation or the DC switchgear. Eaton also provides best in class solutions for Energy storage systems.

Utilities – Offering the RVAC smart RMUs manufactured in India, in addition to the low voltage fuse gear and circuit breaker for upgradation of distribution infrastructure. In addition we are leading the initiatives with progressive utilities in the adoption of SF6 free MV switchgear with the XIRIA solid insulated switchgear.

Electrical Vehicles and charging Infrastructure – Year 2022 will see and major thrust in this space. Eaton provides with the proven and most reliable fuses /circuit breaker for use in Electrical vehicles. When it comes to the EV charging infrastructure we can work to optimize and offer the solutions for MV/LV switchgear, and energy management tools, solutions for smart grids which can handle multiple sources of power from grids to renewables in a facility.  

Vocal for local – The year 2020 saw the birth of a new vision. Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave the nation a new vision, a new mission called ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’. Atmanirbhar Bharat, which translates to ‘self-reliant India’ or ‘self-sufficient India’, is a policy formulated for making India “a bigger and more important part of the global economy”, pursuing policies that are efficient, competitive, and resilient, and being self-sustaining and self-generating. At Eaton, we have a roadmap for introducing products that are in line with our global strategy of Energy Transition. Energy Dilemma is going to be at the heart of an organization as we move ahead and that’s primarily since consumption will go up on one hand and on other hand, all organizations will be in need to reduce their carbon footprint. The energy transition journey would be one of the effective ways to handle this challenge. The energy transition will be enabled by information technology, smart technology, policy frameworks, and market instruments.