When your electrical equipment is outdoors, don’t forget about climate control!

In the world of electrical infrastructure, the notion of outdoor installations often comes with a misconception – a belief that once equipment is placed outside, nature will regulate its temperature. However, this couldn’t be further from the truth. Sitting equipment in the great outdoors is not a ‘fit and forget’ solution, if anything, once something goes outside, the need for a secure and protective environment increases drastically.

31/01/2024 16:28:50

The unseen challenge
Outdoor electrical enclosures face a myriad of environmental challenges. They are confronted with temperature fluctuations, humidity, dust, water ingress and even the risk of vandalism, all of which can significantly impact the performance and lifespan of sensitive electronic components.

Even an enclosure sited in very cold environments year-round could still require a large cooling unit to reduce the internal temperature. The ambient temperature alone cannot be relied upon to reduce the heat within, as there may be large pieces of equipment (such as pumps) which are working hard and generating significant excess heat.

This heat needs to be quickly removed, as every degree above the optimum operating temperature erodes at the performance and lifespan of your critical infrastructure. This can lead down the dangerous path of unexpected breakdown, which means a deeper level of issues for your site.

There is also the flip side of this.

Read the full article in DPA's February issue