SMART BUILDINGS


The benefits of smart circuit protection


Russell Wood examines how next-generation air circuit breakers are reshaping resilience in data centres, where rising energy demand, grid instability and cyber threats challenge traditional protection methods.


Sensors that continuously monitor key parameters make it possible to move from general system checks to targeted interventions


Russell Wood


Product marketing director at ABB Electrification


new.abb.com/uk I


n today’s digital-first world, data centres have become the critical infrastructure powering commerce, communication, AI, healthcare, and


more. The cost of downtime continues to rise: according to Uptime’s 2025 Outages Analysis, more than half of digital infrastructure outages now exceed $100,000, with one in five costing over $1 million. And beyond the financial impact, outages can cause irreversible damage to reputation and trust. Yet achieving true resilience has


never been more difficult. Energy demand is surging as AI workloads grow exponentially. Grid conditions, meanwhile, are becoming less predictable due to the integration of intermittent renewables, infrastructure upgrades such as the UK’s Great Grid Upgrade, and more frequent extreme weather events. As power systems become more interconnected and digitalised, cybersecurity presents a new frontier of vulnerability. One bad actor can achieve what used to take a lightning strike. In this context, traditional electrical


protection methods are no longer sufficient. The humble circuit breaker – a passive safety device designed to trip during fault conditions – is now evolving into an intelligent guardian of system health, uptime, and operational insight. Leading the charge is the next generation of Air Circuit Breakers (ACBs), engineered not just to react to


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events, but to anticipate and outrun them in real time.


Conventional protection Traditional ACBs have long served their core purpose reliably. Using air as an arc-quenching medium, they protect circuits against overloads, short circuits, and other dangerous conditions. They are cleaner and safer than legacy oil or gas-based designs, and with fewer moving parts, they require less maintenance. But in environments like data


centres, where electrical loads are high and fast-changing, a breaker’s performance under fault conditions is only one part of the story. Without visibility into power quality


and system health, operators lack the information they need to optimise the network and intervene before failures occur. As sites grow larger and more distributed, manual inspection or reactive maintenance becomes impractical, if not untenable. True


protection demands insight and control.


SACE Emax 3 The latest evolution of ABB’s flagship breaker, the SACE Emax 3, redefines what an ACB can do. Purpose-built for high-demand environments like data centres, factories, and critical infrastructure, it’s engineered to solve the emerging reliability and energy challenges that legacy breakers were never meant to address. At its core, Emax 3 combines lightning-fast breaking with built- in intelligence. Equipped with the industry’s leading power sensors and diagnostics, Emax 3 can identify emerging faults before they lead to downtime. A wide array of internal sensors continuously monitor key parameters such as temperature, wear, voltage, and current, offering a predictive health index that allows engineers to plan service proactively, rather than reactively.


This predictive element is a


game-changer for uptime. It allows maintenance to be scheduled when it’s needed, rather than on a fixed timeline, and certainly not post- failure. Used alongside cloud-based service platforms, this data makes it possible to move from generalised system checks to targeted interventions that save time, cost, and emissions.


Security built in Cybersecurity has rapidly become a frontline issue in digital infrastructure. Networked equipment must strike a delicate balance between being both accessible for remote management and impenetrable to malicious attacks. Emax 3 is the world’s first air circuit breaker to achieve IEC 62443 Security Level 2 certification. This ensures readiness at both product and system levels. It also includes integrated arc-flash


protection. RELT protection (reduced energy let through) reduces the risk of dangerous and costly arc flash incidents by detecting light intensity and tripping the circuit faster than conventional methods. An RRD (remote racking device) also allows operators to rack the circuit breaker from a safe distance. These are vital features in high-energy environments where personnel safety is paramount.


Ready for retrofi t SACE Emax 3 is as much about flexibility as it is about intelligence. It’s backward compatible with systems using the trusted Emax 2 platform, enabling easy upgrades without full replacement. This is ideal for retrofit projects focused on circularity and cost control. Its modular architecture means it can be easily upgraded in-field with new measurement, communication, or protection functions as needs evolve. This is especially beneficial for modular or edge data centres, where rapid deployment in limited floor space calls for compact and upgradeable solutions. The data centres of today and


The SACE Emax 3 has been purpose-built for high-demand environments


tomorrow must be ultra-reliable, efficient, and secure by design. They must withstand everything from power quality disturbances to cyber assaults, while consuming less energy and performing with precision. That’s a tall order for any technician – but it’s one a well-designed air circuit breaker can now help fulfil. Circuit protection must evolve with the times. ABB is setting this new benchmark because in a high-stakes world of 24/7 uptime, what lies behind the server rack could be just as important as what’s inside it. ■


EIBI | SEPTEMBER 2025


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