Schneider Electric, a leader in energy technology and sustainability, has launched a new digital twin service with its software business, ETAP. This physics-based solution will transform how utilities and critical infrastructure companies design, develop, and run power systems. The launch took place at the DTECH trade show in San Diego. This is a major milestone for the Energy, Power & Sustainability industry.
Digital twins are virtual copies of real-world systems. They help optimize performance and predict problems before they occur. Also, they combine complex engineering data with real-time operations. Schneider’s new digital twin is unique. It uses physics-based models and includes engineering-grade electrical simulation. This feature helps in making better operational decisions. This feature allows for predictive analysis, which boosts grid reliability and shortens the time to power.
What the New Digital Twin Technology Offers
In contrast to traditional digital twins, which tend to concentrate on visualization or isolated data views, the Schneider-ETAP solution is based on the principles of electrical physics. This enables the operator to perform what-if analyses, check protection schemes before they act, and predict electrical faults before they lead to outages.
The digital twin is integrated with the One Digital Grid Platform and EcoStruxure ArcFM Web geospatial information system from Schneider Electric. The digital twin offers a comprehensive lifecycle model that links planning, engineering, and real-time operation in one place. This fills the traditional gap between design and operational management of the grid that has long existed. The living model goes beyond visualization and links strategic planning with real-time grid conditions, which enhances confidence in operational decisions.
Key capabilities include:
Contingency scenario modeling and protection validation – reducing operational risk.
Arc-flash studies and safety compliance testing – with real-world electrical behavior.
Predictive switching simulations – preventing mistakes before they occur.
A unified model from design through operations – eliminating data silos and reducing errors.
Why This Matters for the Energy, Power & Sustainability Industry
The energy sector is in a very significant transition where the main drivers are the main drivers the decarbonisation of the industry, rapid electrification, distributed energy resources (DERs) and the increasingly frequent extreme weather events. All these trends make grid planning and operations more complex. Digital twins use physics and real-time data. They offer a way to handle this complexity with confidence.
1. Bridging the Divide Between Planning and Operations
Utilities have usually separated engineering planning from real-time operations into different systems. That kind of separation makes it slower to analyze situations and more risky when conditions change quickly like during storms, load spikes, or DER integration. By bringing these areas together into one model, Schneider Electric and ETAP provide grid operators with a complete picture of the system’s behavior, thus reducing the time for analysis and allowing quick, intelligent decisions.
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2. Supporting Resilience in a More Electrified World
The global shift to electrification in transportation and industry strains our power grids. Predictive modeling helps utilities anticipate and prepare for faults or changes in demand. This way, they can act before problems arise. This predictive edge is vital for keeping service reliable. It helps us tackle aging infrastructure, adapt to climate changes, and meet rising demand.
3. Accelerating Integration of Renewable and Distributed Energy
Grid behavior changes as power systems include more renewables and decentralized sources. This includes rooftop solar and battery storage. Digital twins based on physics help operators test scenarios and model outcomes. As resources shift or new assets connect, they improve integration efficiency and cut delays.
4. Enhancing Sustainability and Operational Efficiency
Energy suppliers are under increasing pressure to cut carbon emissions and run their operations in a more environmentally friendly way. Among other things, digital twins enable better planning and operational efficiency, thus helping to decrease waste, e. g. , from excessive generation, reactive maintenance, or protection miscoordination. Continuously enhanced performance will also back up the green energy goals of the sector through a lower energy loss in the system and better resource dispatch.
Effects on Businesses and Infrastructure Operators
Improved Planning and Risk Management
The utilities have always devoted considerable time to contingency planning and protection coordination. The physics-based digital twin developed by the company cuts down risks by allowing testing of configurations, switching, and protection schemes on a virtual platform before actual implementation, thus preventing costly outages.
Faster DER Interconnection and Modern Grid Projects
Early adopters have reported benefits such as up to 40% faster DER interconnection studies and 30% fewer nuisance protection trips through automated coordination and predictive analysis – results that directly support the speed of grid modernization projects.
Broader Application for Critical Infrastructure
Although the main beneficiaries of digital twins are utility companies, mission-critical facilities like data centers, healthcare facilities, and aerospace facilities, where power continuity is critical, also derive significant benefits. Digital twins can be used for compliance, safety analysis, and predictive maintenance in facilities where downtime results in substantial losses.
Enhanced Workforce Productivity and Safety
Digital twins help technical staff visualize complex behaviors, run realistic simulations, and validate actions without physical risk, reducing training time and human error. In sectors where convenience and safety are paramount, this becomes a key productivity and risk management tool.
Conclusion
The physics-based digital twin solution offered by Schneider Electric and ETAP represents a significant step forward in the Energy, Power & Sustainability industry – one in which the needs of real-time operational intelligence and engineering-grade modeling are brought together to enable sustainable power systems. With the ongoing evolution of the power grid in terms of electrification and digitalization, solutions such as this will become even more pivotal.