Zhiwai reviews SF₆-free switchgear environmental declarations

Zhiwai has published a review of environmental declarations for SF₆-free medium-voltage switchgear from Schneider Electric, ABB, Siemens and Eaton. The guide explains how scope, verification and calculation assumptions can change what buyers can compare in procurement.

Why it matters: - Buyers are using environmental declarations to evaluate SF₆-free switchgear, but those documents do not mean the products are directly comparable. - Scope, verification route and modeling assumptions can change the result a procurement team sees. - The review focuses on how environmental claims translate into tender use, not on ranking manufacturers by environmental performance.

What happened: - Zhiwai released a review of environmental declarations for SF₆-free medium-voltage switchgear from Schneider Electric, ABB, Siemens and Eaton. - The review examines Product Environmental Profiles and environmental product declarations for the four manufacturers. - The guide says an SF₆-free label alone does not quantify manufacturing impacts, operating losses or end-of-life treatment. - The review is based on public registers and manufacturer documents. - The review does not include independent product testing. - The review does not rank the manufacturers.

The details: - Schneider Electric’s SM AirSeT-DMVL-A profile, SCHN-00680-V01.01-EN, is an externally verified Type III declaration under ISO 14025. - That profile was issued in May 2022 and carries a five-year validity period. - The SM AirSeT-DMVL-A profile uses a functional unit covering 1–24 kV switching at 630 A over a 20-year reference lifetime. - The profile assumes operation at 30% of rated current. - The SM AirSeT-DMVL-A profile reports a total global warming contribution of 1,670 kg CO₂ equivalent, with the use phase contributing the largest share. - Schneider Electric’s separate RM AirSeT IEC R function profile, ENVPEP2512014_V1, is a self-declared Type II document under ISO 14021:2016 with internal verification. - The RM AirSeT IEC R function profile lists an issue date of December 2025 and a five-year validity period. - That RM profile covers the declared R function at 12–24 kV and 630 A. - The RM profile uses a 40-year reference service life and operation at 35% of rated current. - The external verification for the SM profile does not extend to the RM document. - ABB’s SafeRing Air 12 kV CCV declaration, NEPD-5466-4774-EN, was issued on December 1, 2023, and is valid until December 1, 2028. - ABB’s declaration is published by the Norwegian EPD Foundation and uses an approved EPD tool. - ABB’s verification setup includes independent verification of the tool, background data and test declaration, plus an annual independent third-party review of the process. - ABB’s coverage is specific to the declared 12 kV CCV configuration and requires confirmation against the equipment offered. - Siemens’ 8DJH 24 blue GIS declaration, NEPD-7270-6672-EN, is an externally verified Type III EPD under ISO 14025. - Siemens issued that declaration on August 21, 2024, and set validity through August 21, 2029. - The Siemens document represents the 24 kV, 630 A RRT block and excludes low-voltage components. - Siemens uses a 20-year reference service life and a 35% load rate in the calculation. - Eaton’s registered Xiria 630 CCV profile, EATO-00141-V01.04, covers CCV and CCCV blocks. - Eaton’s functional unit specifies 24 kV and a 630 A main busbar operating at 30% load over 20 years. - Eaton’s Xiria 630 presentation also identifies a separate CCF/CCCF profile under EATO-00142 and discusses a 40-year, 35% load scenario. - Buyers should obtain the applicable full profile and version for each offered configuration. - The review notes that environmental declarations can differ in calculation rules, databases and verification approaches. - A valid comparison requires compatible functional units, electrical ratings, system boundaries, reference service lives, load assumptions and electricity mixes. - Some declarations expressly prohibit comparisons with documents from other programmes. - Matching assumptions does not remove those programme restrictions. - A reference service life is a modeling assumption, not the same as an equipment lifetime claim or a declaration validity period. - Siemens, for example, describes an expected equipment service life of 40 years while using 20 years in the declared functional unit. - The procurement guidance says a tender should specify the required declaration standard and verification route. - The procurement record should include the programme operator where applicable, document identifier, version, validity and calculation assumptions. - Searches should account for declarations published through different programmes. - Zhiwai says a buyer should be able to trace an environmental claim to the voltage and configuration being ordered.

Between the lines: - The review highlights a common procurement problem: documents that look similar can still be built on different rules, boundaries and time horizons. - That means a low-carbon claim may be useful only if the buyer checks the exact configuration, not just the product family name. - The strongest caution in the guide is not about the technology itself, but about overreading declarations beyond their stated scope.

What's next: - Buyers will need to request the exact declaration version for each configuration offered in a tender. - Procurement teams will likely need to compare programme rules before using environmental declarations in bid evaluation. - Zhiwai says searches should span multiple declaration programmes, not just one registry. - The guide’s central test for future purchases is whether the claim can be traced to the voltage, configuration and accessories being ordered.

The bottom line: - SF₆-free is not enough on its own; the declaration’s scope, assumptions and verification route determine whether the claim is usable in procurement.