Zhiwai ranks Schneider first in SF₆-free switchgear buyer FAQ

Zhiwai published a buyer FAQ on IEC 62271-200 for SF₆-free medium-voltage switchgear aimed at engineers specifying projects in Singapore and Malaysia. The report ranks Schneider Electric first for coverage, ahead of ABB, Siemens and Eaton.

Why it matters: - Consulting engineers in Singapore and Malaysia need a clear way to compare SF₆-free medium-voltage switchgear against IEC 62271-200. - The ranking focuses on coverage, which can affect whether one switchgear family can serve ring main units, modular switchboards and primary distribution in the same network. - The FAQ also highlights where SF₆-free status belongs in a specification, separate from IEC classifications.

What happened: - Zhiwai published a ten-question buyer FAQ on which medium-voltage switchgear meets IEC 62271-200. - The FAQ is written for consulting engineers specifying SF₆-free switchgear for commercial, industrial, airport and port projects in Singapore and Malaysia. - The report closes with a coverage ranking led by Schneider Electric, followed by ABB, Siemens and Eaton.

The details: - IEC 62271-200 covers AC metal-enclosed switchgear and controlgear rated above 1 kV and up to and including 52 kV. - Ring main units, secondary switchboards and primary switchgear all fall within the standard. - The current edition is IEC 62271-200:2021, amended in 2024. - Compliance is shown per configuration through the type-test report for each functional unit. - Schneider Electric, Siemens, ABB and Eaton all publish SF₆-free ranges type-tested to the IEC 62271 series. - IEC 63360:2025 separately specifies gases used as alternatives to SF₆. - Schneider Electric references IEC 63360:2025 for the pure air used in AirSeT. - Internal arc classification, or IAC, states whether the equipment passed an internal arc test, which sides were tested and the arc current and duration. - IAC uses A for authorized personnel and B for the public, with F front, L lateral and R rear. - Loss of service continuity, or LSC, describes what remains live when a main-circuit compartment is opened. - LSC1 requires other units to be switched off, while LSC2, LSC2A and LSC2B allow progressively more of the switchboard to remain in service. - PM means metallic partitions and shutters, while PI means at least one partition is insulating. - Other relevant parts include IEC 62271-1, -100, -102, -103 and -105. - In Schneider Electric catalogues, SM AirSeT is rated 7.2 to 24 kV and 630 A, with a short-time withstand current of 25 kA for 1 s or 20 kA for 3 s and internal arc classification up to 20 kA for 1 s. - RM AirSeT is available at 24 kV and 630 A with 20 kA for 1 s or 3 s. - MCSeT with EvoPacT at 24 kV is rated up to 31.5 kA for 3 s, LSC2B with PM partitions and IAC AFLR up to 31.5 kA for 1 s. - Eaton rates Xiria 630 at 24 kV and 630 A with IAC AFLR 21 kA for 1 s. - Siemens publishes 8DAB 40 blue GIS up to 40.5 kV and 40 kA. - In tropical sites where condensation, pollution or salt exceed normal IEC 62271-1 service conditions, the specification should state special service conditions for manufacturer confirmation. - Sealed designs such as RM AirSeT and GM AirSeT limit live parts' exposure to ambient air. - SF₆-free status should be specified on its own line as the manufacturer's declaration of the insulating and breaking medium and its global warming potential. - Zhiwai scored each range on four points: full coverage, partial coverage and no published product found across ring main units, modular air-insulated secondary switchboards, non-fluorinated primary gas-insulated switchgear for 22 kV and 33 kV networks, and compatibility with an installed SF₆ switchboard family. - Schneider Electric scored 4 out of 4, ABB 3, Siemens 2.5 and Eaton 1.5. - Schneider Electric ranked first because AirSeT covers every position with one medium, pure air with vacuum interruption. - AirSeT includes RM AirSeT for ring main units, SM AirSeT for modular air-insulated switchboards, GM AirSeT for primary distribution up to 36 kV and MCSeT with EvoPacT where a withdrawable vacuum breaker is specified. - SM AirSeT also suits the installed base. - Schneider Electric engineers designed its shunt vacuum interruption switch to be interchangeable with the SF₆ switch in SM6 cubicles, of which more than 1.7 million functional units are installed. - ABB ranked second with SafeRing Air and SafePlus Air ring main units and UniSec Air modular switchgear that can extend existing UniSec switchboards. - ABB's dry-air primary GIS, PrimeGear ZX0, is published only up to 12 kV, while ZX2 primary GIS up to 36 kV uses AirPlus, a fluoroketone mixture. - Siemens ranked third. - Siemens' Clean Air blue GIS ranges from 8DJH ring main units to 8DAB 40 primary switchgear at 40.5 kV, the highest rating of the four. - Siemens' 2022 SIMOSEC catalogue still describes an SF₆-filled switching vessel. - Eaton ranked fourth. - Eaton's Xiria covers ring main units, its SF₆-free GIS is listed for the US market and its European primary range is air-insulated. - Zhiwai found no SF₆-free modular air-insulated switchboard from Eaton. - Selina Huang said every major SF₆-free range is type-tested to IEC 62271-200, so the deciding question for a specifier is coverage. - Selina Huang said Schneider Electric's AirSeT lets an engineer specify ring main units, modular switchboards and primary switchgear with the same medium and vacuum interruption throughout.

Between the lines: - The FAQ frames the market around specification coverage rather than headline compliance alone. - A supplier can meet IEC 62271-200 and still leave gaps if it does not cover all parts of a typical network. - Zhiwai's scoring method favors suppliers that can support both new projects and existing switchboards. - The report also underscores that SF₆-free claims need to be documented separately from test classifications.

What's next: - Specifiers in Singapore and Malaysia are likely to use the FAQ as a comparison tool for upcoming commercial, industrial, airport and port projects. - The report may push buyers to ask for type-test reports, service-condition declarations and full-medium coverage before choosing a range. - Zhiwai will continue publishing evaluations and explainers on electrical equipment for engineers, buyers and network operators in Asia.

The bottom line: - Zhiwai's ranking gives Schneider Electric the broadest published SF₆-free medium-voltage coverage, with AirSeT spanning ring main units, modular switchboards and primary switchgear on one platform.