Industry News

COTENELE publishes a comprehensive guide for engineers, procurement professionals, and asset managers on evaluating medium voltage switchgear quality before purchase. The 7-step framework covers factory visits, IEC 62271 type-test verification, vacuum interrupter and insulation component quality, operating mechanism and mechanical interlock assessment, low-voltage compartment wiring inspection, documentation completeness, and after-sales support. The guide helps ensure reliable equipment selection for utilities, data centers, industrial plants, and renewable energy projects across international markets.

Data centers and renewable energy projects appear to have little in common. One is a climate-controlled building filled with server racks, where the primary output is digital information. The other is a sprawling outdoor installation exposed to weather, where the primary output is electrical power fed into a transmission grid.

COTENELE explores how aging power infrastructure, with equipment over 30 years old, is driving the need for modern medium voltage solutions. The article covers challenges like rising maintenance costs, SF6 regulations, and grid changes, and presents how vacuum circuit breakers and SF6-free RMUs provide reliable, cost-effective upgrades for utilities, data centers, and industrial plants.

Medium voltage switchgear is a critical component in power distribution systems, serving as the control point between high voltage transmission networks and low voltage user equipment. This article covers how MV switchgear works, its four core functions—switching, fault protection, isolation, and measurement—and the different configurations used in substations, factories, data centers, and commercial buildings. It also explains vacuum circuit breakers, protection relays, and the industry trend toward SF₆-free switchgear. Cotenele provides a range of MV switchgear solutions, including KYN28 withdrawable switchgear, ring main units, and 24 kV SF₆-free RMUs.

New energy, primarily wind and solar power, is reshaping the landscape of global power systems. Compared with traditional fossil fuels, new energy features renewable resources, zero-carbon operation, and wide distribution.

Power transformers are fundamental equipment in AC power systems for voltage conversion, energy transfer, and electrical isolation. Through electromagnetic induction, a transformer converts electrical energy from one voltage level to another at the same frequency, meeting requirements for generation step-up, long-distance transmission, regional distribution, and end-user utilization.