ELECTRIC.IE • The Magazine & Website for the Irish Electrical Industry • 63 Industry News Trend #4 = Cybersecurity Decentralisation, and digitalisation involve processing vast quantities of data and this raises cybersecurity concerns because incorporating more data into a system increases its vulnerability. There is collective accountability in readying the grid for the energy transition and ensuring buildings are not compromised by cyberattacks. In 2023 expect to see the energy and cybersecurity sectors working closely together to safeguard the grid to ensure that net zero ambitions are not thwarted by cyberattacks. Governments, too, must work closely with the energy sector to this end, to ensure strategy is robust. This must involve embracing private investment and innovative new technologies that pave the way for better risk management processes and structures. Trend #5 = SF6-free switchgear The EU, and other European countries including the UK, are set to ban the use of global warming SF6 gas in medium voltage switchgear from the mid-2020s. Utilities, together with the many other sectors that use this type of switchgear, will need to select alternatives for future projects. If this happens, the use of SF6gas in switchgear will be totally forbidden in the EU with the likely effect is that prices will rise for SF6 switchgear re lls, and end-of-life decommissioning and recycling will become more costly, too. As a decentralised high renewable grid will require more frequent switching, the European switchgear market for new switchgear, as well as replacements, is growing. Fortunately, SF6-free medium voltage switchgear technology is mature, and widely available in the range up to and including 24kV. This should make the decision to go SF6-free an easy one to make in 2023, and the years to follow. A more sustainable future will bene t us all. Eaton is launching a new addressable fire alarm and detection control panel that reduces installation time and cost while optimising ease of use and cybersecurity. xDetect simplifies control of fire alarms and other peripherals in commercial buildings, enabling a faster response in the case of a fire or other emergency. “Owners and managers of commercial buildings must protect people and assets, not only against fires but also other threats such as cyber terrorism; nearly four in ten smart building automation control systems were attacked in the first half of 2019[1],” comments Kris Conner, Senior Product Manager, Fire Systems, Electrical Sector, EMEA, Eaton. “While safety and security are top priorities, keeping cost and downtime to a minimum is also paramount. Eaton xDetect addresses all these challenges.” xDetect has increased loop power compared to its Eaton launches xDetect fire panel with instantly familiar interface and cybersecurity in its DNA to protect people, property and data predecessor, meaning a single loop can handle more current hungry devices, reducing cabling costs and installation time. The xDetect system is networkable and can be connected in a ring design network so that the system continues to work even if a panel short-circuits. This makes the use of a redundant network unnecessary, minimising cabling and associated costs further. Not only is xDetect easy to install, but it also makes scalability and customisation simple. Available in a few core variants, the panel is extremely easy to upgrade (in line with changing standards, regulations or building use) and expand by adding and swapping colourcoded loop cards as required. Another core feature is xDetect’s instantly familiar large 7’’ colour touchscreen with intuitive menus and icons. Its adaptive, colour-coded HMI automatically changes colour to re ect the re system’s status. This feature enables users to monitor, at a glance, the status of a building’s re peripherals and zones so that faults can be addressed swiftly and res prevented. The panel is also an Eaton secure-by-design solution that ensures the highest level of cybersecurity, enabling secure communications and protecting both data and assets from hackers. As the system is entirely futureproof and ready for remote access, it can be safely integrated into a Building Management System (BMS). In the future, it will be able to connect directly to the re brigades’ alarm receiving centre, enabling an even faster response in case of a re. xDetect Fire Panel with Devices
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