Retrofitting

“Reduce, reuse, recycle” — the 3Rs — is a familiar phrase that reminds people to make environmentally responsible decisions. For power distribution systems, there’s another important R — retrofit. Retrofitting focuses on reusing, refurbishing, recycling, and renewing electrical distribution equipment, rather than simply replacing it altogether.

Retrofit solutions extend the life of equipment and keep it compliant with evolving standards and legislation, while reducing the environmental impact and cost compared to installing a new product. For example, in a typical primary distribution installation, retrofitting the circuit breakers while keeping the switchgear housing and accessories instead of replacing them, saves around 40 tons of CO2 and 773,904 MJ of energy. This is equivalent to a car driving 8 times around the world and 135 barrels of oil respectively.

Modernizing equipment doesn’t have to mean a major capital expense. Retrofit operations can cost up to 65% less than new installations. They aren’t just economical, but are also quicker to install, which cuts production downtime, reduces installation risks, and requires minimal civil work. Calculation tools create a life cycle assessment, which analyzes the complete environmental impact of a product and financial cost. It will help in making the decision whether to replace equipment or modernize.