How important is sustainability?

Sustainability has been the subject to very dynamic discussions in the scientific and technological communities during the last a couple of years. However, as the approach is relatively new, there are still many different views on the topic in terms of what should be covered by this subject, what metrics should be used, what limits should be set, etc. This article focuses on this topic based on an extensive Transformers Magazine’s Industry Navigator research

Editorial message

Dear Readers, You are holding in front of you our Special Edition on Substations. This topic is the result of our readers\u27 choice and I think this is a good opportunity for all of us dealing with specific products, to look at the big picture and the conditions in which these products are made – substations. This issue confirmed once again that digitalization is the dominant trend which enables new opportunities and imposes new challenges for power products. The first conclusion would be that monitoring as we know it, will slowly cease to satisfy practical needs. Power products must be, starting for their design, increasingly able to communicate with other devices and systems in the power gird which comprise the Internet of Things (IoT)

Trends in transformers technology - Part I

Many papers and reports show that the operating conditions of transformers in the grid are becoming more and more severe while the impacts and costs of loss of power supply are high and growing, forcing utilities to improve the requirements for transformers. This opens the space for innovations in transformers technology. The promise of main trends in transformers technology seems to be huge, and while there are many publicly available reports that analyse and forecast markets trends, there are no similar reports that focus on transformers technology trends despite the need for them in the industry. One of the reasonable means to evaluate trends is survey. This article describes a survey which was prepared and conducted with an aim to obtain an unbiased insight into the future trends in transformers technology over the next five years

Editorial

I believe you will all agree that the digitalization is a trend that has been dominant in our industry for the last two years. During that time, the so-called digital transformers which are designed for connectivity, digitalization and exchange of data and transformer parameters appeared on the market. Interestingly, Siemens called their digital transformer Sensformer, demonstrating the great trust in the concept. They are sending the message that it is not just the transformer with a new functionality, but much more

Editorial message

If you examine closely the topics we will discuss in this issue, you will find many themes ranging from rural areas electrification projects to megacities. Megacities and rural areas are two extreme cases for transformers. Rural areas, which are usually vast and scarcely populated, have simpler technical requirements, however, the building of needed infrastructure is harder to finance. Densely populated urban areas, where many people live in a smaller area, usually have the finances for infrastructure projects but the technical requirements are extremely demanding. Since megacities are to some extent the highlight of this issue, let me say something about this topic

Editorial message

If you examine closely the topics we will discuss in this issue, you will find many themes ranging from rural areas electrification projects to megacities. Megacities and rural areas are two extreme cases for transformers. Rural areas, which are usually vast and scarcely populated, have simpler technical requirements, however, the building of needed infrastructure is harder to finance. Densely populated urban areas, where many people live in a smaller area, usually have the finances for infrastructure projects but the technical requirements are extremely demanding. Since megacities are to some extent the highlight of this issue, let me say something about this topic

Editorial message

Half a year ago, in the editorial message of the magazine\u27s Vol. 6, Issue 1, I mentioned a discussion on the Eco-Design Regulation, held at a conference, and how that discussion catalysed some unanswered questions about the Regulation, such as the effectiveness of the total cost of ownership (TCO) which was taken as a measure for transformer specifications in the Regulation. Two key reasons for introduction of the Regulation were the reduction of greenhouse gas (CO2) and the reduction of energy consumption

Editorial

I believe you will all agree that the digitalization is a trend that has been dominant in our industry for the last two years. During that time, the so-called digital transformers which are designed for connectivity, digitalization and exchange of data and transformer parameters appeared on the market. Interestingly, Siemens called their digital transformer Sensformer, demonstrating the great trust in the concept. They are sending the message that it is not just the transformer with a new functionality, but much more

Editorial message

Dear readers, First of all, I wish you a happy, healthy, and successful 2022 on behalf of our entire editorial team. Based on the feedback we have received from our readers and partners, 2021 was a good year. We were also very busy with many projects, the outcomes of which I hope proved useful to you, whether it was something from the magazine editions, the book, or Transformers Academy courses and study programs, TM’s Industry Navigator report or conference. The transformer market outlook for 2022 is very promising, provided that major problems in the supply chain are resolved. Our plans for 2022 can be summarized into a sentence: continued improvement and growth of all editions, media and products. We have already announced the magazine’s editorial calendar for 2022, focusing on the most current topics. Study programs and courses available in Transformers Academy offer learning and training for virtually any job in our industry. TM’s Industry Navigator report and conference provide critical information to managers for making important decisions. Our books hold treasures from the lifetime experience of the world’s leading experts, but they also provide an opportunity to gain an extraordinary visibility in the industry. We are starting this year with the edition focused on sustainability. In this regard, I recommend reading the interview with Giuseppe Petrelli, the Global Head of Marketing and Sales for Transformers business at Hitachi Energy, article ‘Sustainable digital distribution transformers’ by Dr. Bhaba Das, ‘Circularity of medium-power transformers’ by Bruno De Wachter and Tomas Jezdinsky, as well as article ‘EconiQTM: Transformers with a purpose’. One of the drivers behind spin-offs of the industry giants Siemens Energy and Hitachi Energy, which have recently taken place, was to achieve a leaner organisation and release the potential for growth in a more entrepreneurial manner. We have been reporting on these spin-offs, and now we are bringing a story about building a company from the ground up, organically and through acquisitions. You can read this story in the interview with Thibaut George, the CEO of the Axciss Group. They have bought Israeli Von Roll Transformers (VRT), and they are looking for other acquisition opportunities as well. This edition abounds with other valuable content on topics such as: an increasing demand for new transformers, evolution of the transformer core production, field testing methods by Vitaly Gurin, gas extraction by Marius Grisaru, books on power transformers by P. Ramachandran and Vitaly Gurin, detection of internal electric arc by Peter Werle et al., surface-mounted radiators by Viktor Ivankov et al., and an article on the importance of sustainability, authored by Anto Banovic and me. I hope that in this abundance of topics you will find plenty of useful information and enjoy your reading