More than 80 energy enthusiasts recently attended Schneider Electric’s Best Practice Days at its Midrand campus. The Best Practice Days are free events hosted by Schneider Electric with the purpose of introducing customers to new technol-ogies and products designed to achieve energy efficiency.
Ernie Smith.
“Best Practice Days are not focused on product presentations or sales pitches, but provide a platform for Schneider Electric to create awareness of the latest developments in energy efficiency solutions. We have also found them ideal to assist people in changing their mindset from legacy technology to the business benefits new technology can bring – both from a cost and productivity point of view,” says Ernie Smith, southern Africa’s vice president: partner business at Schneider Electric.
“Consequently, a fundamental objective of the events is to equip delegates with the knowledge to utilise these new products appropriately, as when proven products are not applied correctly they are both subject to premature damage and do not show all the benefits that they are designed to achieve.”
The latest event was structured around two main technical topics: surge protection devices (SPDs) and residual current protection. The day highlighted, in particular, how SPDs provide a degree of protection against transient over-voltage, a concept that was contrasted at the event against that of temporary over-voltage. The second topic emphasised protective devices that are aimed at mitigating the risks associated with electric shock, and dealt with both direct contact and indirect contact scenarios.
“In general, people will typically only install what is required by law, or by insurance providers. We, however, believe that it is fundamental to have a proactive rather that reactive approach to energy management and, as such, inform our clients about the benefits of prudent selection and deployment of protective equipment as a preemptive measure,” adds Leslie Monk, specification engineer at Schneider Electric South Africa.
Indicative of the success of the event was the genuine interest expressed by delegates and their engagement with the subject matter and Schneider Electric specialists.
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