Switchgear is the backbone of every facility’s electrical system, powering the technologies that ensure business success. And as technology is continually updated to increase operational efficiency, drive better results, and increase performance and safety, keeping switchgear up to date is a critical competitive differentiator (and, in data center facilities, imperative for business continuity).
While switchgear has an expected lifecycle of around 15 to 20 years, making maintenance or modernization requirements relatively predictable, budget and staff constraints oftentimes lead facility managers to push modernization to the last possible minute, increasing the risk of electrical failures such as unplanned outages that lead to costly downtime — which, in the data center space, can have major financial and reputational impacts. It is imperative data center facility managers keep up with modernization best practices to ensure their facilities are operating efficiently and reliably, and are up to date with the latest safety regulations.