Schneider Electric Simplifies Selective Coordination With NQ And NF Panelboards And Unveils New Internally Mounted Surge Protective Device

Palatine, IL – Schneider Electric, a global specialist in energy management, is announcing the release of their Selectively Coordinated NQ and NF Panelboards with PowerPact™ Mission Critical Circuit Breakers. The next-generation technology delivers high levels of selective coordination, improved uptime and continuity of service, integrated metering and enhanced energy management capabilities. The Panelboards can also come equipped with Schneider Electric’s new Surgelogic™ SurgeLoc internally mounted surge protective device (SPD), enabling significant space and cost-savings.

With over 100 years of experience and following the company’s recent announcement around their investment and commitment to product innovation, Schneider Electric continues to expand their market leading portfolio of power distribution solutions. The new NQ/NF Panelboards with PowerPact Mission Critical circuit breakers and the Surgelogic SurgeLoc device address customer pain points, helping them to improve performance, reduce costs, and save space within facilities.

PowerPact Mission Critical circuit breakers deliver a high level of selective coordination within the NQ/NF panelboards, minimizing the need for time-consuming and costly selective coordination studies. Additionally, the next-generation circuit breaker technology provides reliable protection, integrated metering, and energy management capabilities to improve safety, optimize energy costs, and develop effective preventative maintenance programs.

Schneider Electric’s NQ/NF Panelboard with PowerPact Mission Critical Circuit Breakers simplify selective coordination by reducing the need for full system studies while also offering the advantage of adjustability for specific loads. L-frame Mission Critical 400 A and 600 A circuit breakers within the panelboards are selective with QO-style and E-frame circuit breakers up to 30 kA when the amperage of the main circuit breaker is at least two times the amperage of the branch circuit breaker. By adjusting the long-time (or short-time, if equipped) and the instantaneous settings to maximum, customers can assure selectivity without a coordination study. However, if there are certain loads that the end-user needs more precise protection for; they have the option to do a coordination study and adjust the trip unit settings for protection and selectivity up to short circuit currents of 30 kA.

Schneider Electric’s panelboards can be customized with the company’s new Surgelogic SurgeLoc device. Engineered with input from contractors and specifiers, the innovative SurgeLoc device is a factory or field-installable, internally mounted SPD for NQ Panelboards which enables easy installation and significant space and cost savings.

Key features of the SurgeLoc device include:

• Space-Saving Design: While external SPDs require additional wall space, internal mounted SPDs like SurgeLoc save wall space and increase the performance of the SPD. The SurgeLoc eliminates 18 inches of extra panel space because custom bus bars, rails, dead front, and fasteners are not required. Additionally, SurgeLoc uses standard panels, therefore requiring only 0 to 6 inches of increased panel size based on the number of breaker slots needed.
• Ease of Installation: The unique design allows for field mounting and retrofitting and it can be installed in two minutes or less – a significant reduction from an externally mounted installation which typically takes up to 20 minutes. Additionally the device eliminates the need for specialized hardware at the bottom of the panel and offers an increased kA range of 80kA – 240kA.
• Advanced Equipment and Power Protection: Users can easily access information and monitor the health of the SPD through a diagnostic interface which provides LED diagnostics, two test buttons, LCD diagnostic display, and a Piezoelectric Alarm Sounder.

The NQ/NF Panelboards and the SurgeLoc device will be featured in Schneider Electric’s booth during NECA 2013 (Booth #416).