#solar monitoring device

[pvmarketofficial]

Must-Have Features for Solar Monitoring Systems

In the evolving world of solar energy, monitoring systems are crucial for maximizing efficiency and ensuring optimal performance. Here, we explore seven must-have features for solar monitoring systems that every solar energy user should consider.

1. Real-Time Data Tracking

Real-time data tracking is essential for providing immediate insights into your solar system's performance. With this feature, you can see how much energy your system is producing at any given moment. This is vital for quickly identifying and fixing any issues that may arise, helping you maintain optimal performance and efficiency.

2. Remote Access

In today's connected world, remote access is a must-have. This feature allows you to monitor your solar system from anywhere using an internet-connected device, whether it’s a smartphone, tablet, or computer. The convenience and flexibility of remote access mean you can keep an eye on your system’s performance without being physically on site.

3. Comprehensive Reporting

Detailed, comprehensive reports are crucial for understanding the overall performance of your solar system. These reports can include information on energy production, system efficiency, and potential savings. Having access to this data helps you make informed decisions about maintenance and potential upgrades, ensuring your system runs smoothly and efficiently.

4. Alerts and Notifications

Alerts and notifications are essential for immediate awareness of any issues with your solar system. Whether it’s a drop in performance or a technical fault, timely alerts allow you to address problems quickly, maintaining consistent performance and extending the life of your system.

5. Historical Data Analysis

Historical data analysis provides insights into performance trends and seasonal variations. By looking at past data, you can better understand how your system performs over time and identify any patterns or recurring issues. This information is valuable for predictive maintenance and long-term planning, helping you keep your system in top shape.

6. Energy Consumption Monitoring

Monitoring your energy consumption alongside your production gives you a complete picture of your energy usage and savings. This feature helps you optimize how you use the energy your system produces, potentially increasing your savings and improving overall energy management.

7. User-Friendly Interface

A user-friendly interface ensures that anyone, regardless of technical expertise, can easily navigate and understand the data provided by the solar monitoring system. An intuitive and easy-to-use interface enhances the user experience, making it simpler to monitor and manage your system effectively.

Conclusion

A robust solar monitoring system equipped with these seven features can significantly enhance the efficiency, reliability, and financial benefits of your solar energy setup. Whether for residential, commercial, or industrial use, these features provide the necessary tools for comprehensive monitoring and effective management, ensuring you get the most out of your investment in solar energy.

[techtoio]

The Best Eco-Tech Products for an Energy-Efficient Home

Introduction

The newly developed innovations regarding eco-tech products have become necessary when building an energy-efficient house. Yet such innovation does not only lead to energy consumption reduction but also pulls efforts towards a sustainable future. Well, TechtoIO is forever committed to bringing the latest eco-tech products that make your home smarter, greener, and more performant. Here are the top products to make your house a comfortable and efficient sanctuary.

Now, with the Smart thermostats are one of the game-changers in energy-efficient homes. They learn your habits and optimize the temperature based on your habits and preferences so energy isn’t wasted when you’re not around. Among other smart devices, energy usage reporting with remote control in some popular monitored models include Nest Learning Thermostats and Ecobee SmartThermostat with voice control.

Optimized with significant energy savings, courtesy of smart thermostats, the efficiency of heating and cooling systems can increase. Read to continue link

[villainoustrioau]

Okay, guys, here's the plot

Fanfic by Milkyr (thanks @peachyfnaf for editing <3)

Art by CreesA

Reunion

“Eclipse… Promise me one thing before I turn off and you're loaded into your own body..."

"Yes, of course! Anything for you, Sunny."

"No matter what happens… Don't lose yourself."

Gray fingers touched golden ones, and Eclipse looked at Sun. At his beaming smile and pale blue eyes filled with care and slight excitement.

"Whatever that means, I promise."

This was the last time Eclipse saw his Sun happy and alive.

***

Emerging from his own memories, Solar raised his head from the table. He fell asleep on the blueprints again. Grumbling softly to himself, the inventor got to his feet and stretched, hearing his iron joints creak. The animatronic soundlessly walked in soft slippers to the laboratories exit door. Focusing his hearing module on the space beyond the door, Solar listened to the sound of… nothing.

It was pretty quiet here.

Leaving the lab, Solar shoved his hands into the pockets of his lab coat.

"Ruin?"

He called softly, going first into the living room, then into the kitchen, then into one of the bedrooms.

"Eclipse?"

But he wasn't here either.

"Jack?"

It seems that he was completely alone in the bunker.

Solar went through all the rooms once more to make sure that no one was here, and then returned to his lab, blocking the front door and turning on the sound insulation in the room.

He pulled off the worn gray cloth from a capsule, which was located in the depths of the lab and was securely disguised as a "garbage can" so that no one would have the desire to ask questions about what was there. Pushing aside some wooden crates, the mechanic looked at the horizontal capsule with regret in his eyes. Inside, under the glass, laid Sun. But not Sun of whose dimension they now live.

It was his Sun. It was Sunny. The one who was always kind to Solar when he first woke up in someone else's body and didn't understand why he was no longer part of Moon. The one who sacrificed his life in order for Solar to get a chance at his own. The mechanic shook his head, pushing away the obsessive thoughts. His gaze was determined.

He's going to get Sunny back. He will get Sunny back. He's sacrificed too much not to. His fingers quickly tapped on the keyboard of the hidden device in the capsule, and the light inside it lit up. Solar frowned in concentration as he immersed himself in his calculations. He has been working on restoring Sun for several months now- it was very dangerous to work when someone else was in the bunker. His plans could be discovered, so he had to do everything slowly and carefully.

Suddenly, the computer let out an approving beep. The inventor opened his eyes in surprise, looking at the big green check mark on the screen. Did… Did he do it..? Did he really succeed..?

With trembling hands, Solar typed a couple of commands, and a progress bar was displayed on the monitor, gradually filling in black. The mechanic pressed his palms against the glass of the capsule, watching with hope in his eyes as the light inside grew brighter.

“Download complete. All systems stabilized. All external modules running properly. Turn designation: ‘Sunny’ on?”

Solar pressed the confirmation button on the keyboard, staring in fascination as the animatronic in the capsule began to make soft noises. At first it was the crackle of electricity, then the noise of the fans, which became quieter almost immediately as he switched to silent mode.

Sunny opened his eyes.

At first, his eyes were cloudy, he heard only isolated sounds- an incomprehensible buzzing- and felt a heaviness all over his body. He saw a dark blue spot above him.

"Moon..?”

His vision began to clear, and the dark blue spot turned into a dark orange. Who is that? Sunny could say with confidence that this was the first time he’d seen such an animatronic model, but his gaze caught on a couple of details in the appearance, and he gasped.

"Eclipse..?"

Sun spoke with hesitance, still unsure of his assumption.

"Yes."

Solar replied in a quiet, trembling voice, feeling tears running down his cheeks.

"What… What happened?" Sunny asked in surprise, noticing out of the corner of his eye that he was lying in some kind of capsule, a lot of wires were plugged in all over his body. "There must be some mistake here..."

"What do you mean? You're alive, and that's good!"

Solar replied in euphoric disbelief, opening the lid of the capsule. "...You probably didn't understand me," Sunny smiled awkwardly, "the separation should have killed me. I knew I was going to die, but… I wanted to give you the opportunity to live in your own body, live your own life!..

Or..." Sun's gaze suddenly became sad and hesitant. "Or… Or are we both dead and this is the afterlife? Oh no- I'm so sorry- I never meant for this to happe-..."

"-No, no, it's okay! I'm alive, and you're alive too," Solar grabbed Sunny's hand so that he could feel his touch, squeezing it like he would leave him again if he dared to let go, "And I promise I won't let anything happen to you. Never again."

"...Wait!" Sunny suddenly realized something. Attempting to sit up, he rapidly looked around, whipping his head from side-to-side. But Solar restrained him from his attempts, holding Sunny still as carefully disconnected the capsule's wiring so that nothing would be damaged. "W- Where are we? Where’s Moon?!"

"Be careful! Your systems are still very fragile after such a long period of inactivity," the inventor replied, "I'll... I'll explain everything, just let me make sure you can move safely, okay?"

"...Solar, you're making me a little nervous. Where is our brother?"

Sunny asked his question once more, feeling a familiar anxiety slowly creeping up on his mechanisms, making its way under his endoskeleton and stirring the very core of the animatronic. Finally, he was able to sit up and look around. What kind of place is this…

"...Yes. Yes, you did die that day." Solar began with bitterness in his voice, trying not to look into Sunny's eyes as he recounted the memory. "It shocked both Moon and I, and it broke us, and then… And then..." the inventor's voice went tight as a lump formed his throat, forcing him to sound on the verge of tears as he continued.

"...His killcode took over his body. I couldn't save him, Sunny. There was an… accident." He bitterly squeezed out the words. "I'm Sorry, Sun. I'm so, so sorry. Moon is no longer with us."

The final statement hit Sunny like the crack of a painful whip. The whole world trembled right in front of his eyes. Shaking hands clutched at the face plate, despair flooding his features.

"...N-No... nononono, NO! T-This can't… It can't be..." Sun's voice warbled out in despair, "Please, tell me you're lying! T-That this is all a bad joke! PLEASE!"

Before Sunny could lose himself anymore, he felt thin and trembling arms wrap around his back. It was Solar.

Sunny buried his face in Solar's shoulder, shaking and sobbing like a traumatized child. He was absolutely shattered by the news. Moon was his day-one. His other half. His brother. The animatronic he was closest to before they separated and Eclipse appeared.

Gradually, slowly, the sobs in the air began to subside. A numb, pulsating sadness took the place of despair. Sun slightly pulled away from Solar and sighed loudly, causing his fans to flare up for a moment.

"But... What happened then..? H-How are we here?" He asked hollowly, looking at the mechanic.

"I had to conspire with dangerous criminals to survive. Working with them, I at least had a chance to get you back." Solar lowered the tone of his voice, "As of now, my name is no longer Eclipse. My name is Solar."

"Oh my God…" Sunny gasped in fright, taking Solar's face in his hands and looking at his rays. It was only now that he noticed how dirty and broken they were. "D- Did they do this to you? The criminals?!"

"No, no, I'm fine. They won't touch me, we have an… agreement," the inventor shook his head slightly, "But they must not find out about you. We're currently in a bunker under the pizzaplex. This is my lab, and we're in another dimension. But I promise we'll escape from here. I'll find a way.”

"B-But how can they not find out about me if they literally live here?" Sunny shivered, feeling fear creep up his spine. Poor Solar, what kind of mess did he get into..?

"Don't worry, they won't come into my lab. This is my personal space, and no one can come here without my permission." Solar took Sunny's hands in his own once more and looked into his eyes.

"Their names are Ruin and Eclipse. They're both very dangerous- Ruin can infect you with a virus that makes you want to kill, and Eclipse is just out of control when he's not in the mood- and he's always not in the mood. Knowing him, he'll tear you apart as soon as he sees you! Swear to me that you will not leave the lab under any circumstances. Please."

"Solar, I..." Sunny spoke quietly, confused and terrified eyes gazing into the tired and sad ones of the mechanic. "...I trust you. I promise that I will do whatever you say, and help in any way I can."

"Thank you, Sunny. Thank you." Solar leaned forward to hug Sun again, "I'm glad you're back." "Yes..." Sunny hugged the animatronic in response, "I'm so glad to see you, too…"

[vectorisheree]

"While the Celestial Wave Project does not usually condone the removal of their ribbons as they are embroidered with unique identification numbers, we have extended this right to Solar as he is rather fashonable" - Dr. Newton, co-head of the @celestial-waves-project

Solar wears fingerless leather gloves due to the webbing between his fingers making it impossible for him, or any of the merr, to wear fingered gloves

Solar, like all characters that come from alternate dimentions in tsams, comes from a nearby shoal

Solar does not take good care of himself and will always put others first, leading to him tearing the delicate tissues around his neck and waist

Solar's star fragment flickers occasionally and feels rubbery, a sign of poor health. Due to this, Solar's heart rate is constantly monitored by the Celestial Waves Project through a device sewn into one of his gloves

He has an interest in fashion being one of the only mer who wear clothing outside of ribbons

As the Celestial Waves au mirrors the main dimention, Solar does die, just not for a while. After a long period of time, Eclipse agrees to share some of the Newton Star's energy with a revived version of him, leading to the two of them becoming very close

After his revival, Solar prefers isolation. He finds it hard to do much of anything and would much prefer to stay in his and Eclipse's cave while he heals

He is months away from being the person he once was between the memory loss and the whole newton star eating him from the inside out thing. He can hardly think straight half the time due to the pain

[serve-764]

Experimental helmet.

SERVE is incessantly and tirelessly seeking continuous improvement.

Not only are the organization and action improved, not only the operational and logistical capacity, not only the recruitment techniques.

Even the improvement of the recruits' performance and the shortening of assimilation times are the subject of research.

Some human subjects may show a greater need for reinforcement in the PURPOSE, in DEDICATION and the activation of the realignment protocols may involve the use of resources otherwise useful for carrying out daily operations within the HIVE and in the human world.

To shorten and optimize the times and methods of correcting every minimal onset of moments of misalignment SERVE-000 on the orders of THE VOICE has developed a special cybernetic helmet equipped with a respirator capable of carrying out a series of brainwashing cycles for a defined time that does not require fixed stations.

The plan is to install the helmet at the first failure episode and for times established based on the severity. Unlike the SEALED DRONES helmet, this one will have to be removed at the end of the process, after which each Drone will continue to complete its total assimilation.

The respirator, connected to the SERVE Neural Network, will introduce very high concentrations of rubberized pheromones into the human respiratory system, which will increase the level of arousal in a totalizing way, defeating any attempt at diversion, channeling the recruit into the totalizing circle OBEDIENCE-PLEASURE that is the basis of the existence of every SERVE Drone.

To begin the experimental phase of the device SERVE-000 chooses SERVE-764, SEALED DRONE and SERVE-530, unsealed.

First a SERVE-764 is temporarily removed the regulation helmet from SEALED DRONE, then both units are placed the experimental helmet.

The frequencies of the helmets are tuned to the different conditions of SEALED and UNSEALED, to allow monitoring any possible data variation. The new helmets pulsate as soon as they are activated. The respirator begins to filter the tabular dosages of rubberized pheromones. The Drones record and transmit the data constantly collected. For two solar cycles the devices will be in operation during the usual ordinary activities. At the end each unit will return to the previous state.

If the data collected are optimal the next phase will be the experimentation on the recruits. SERVE does not tire, does not exhaust, does not cease to pursue improvement. SERVE is INEVITABLE.

In this story: @rubberizer92, @serve-530

Thinking about joining SERVE? Do you seek freedom from chaos and disorder? Your place in the Hive awaits. Contact a recruiter drone for more details: @serve-016, @serve-302, or @serve-588.

[willowwindss]

100 Inventions by Women

LIFE-SAVING/MEDICAL/GLOBAL IMPACT:

Artificial Heart Valve – Nina Starr Braunwald

Stem Cell Isolation from Bone Marrow – Ann Tsukamoto

Chemotherapy Drug Research – Gertrude Elion

Antifungal Antibiotic (Nystatin) – Rachel Fuller Brown & Elizabeth Lee Hazen

Apgar Score (Newborn Health Assessment) – Virginia Apgar

Vaccination Distribution Logistics – Sara Josephine Baker

Hand-Held Laser Device for Cataracts – Patricia Bath

Portable Life-Saving Heart Monitor – Dr. Helen Brooke Taussig

Medical Mask Design – Ellen Ochoa

Dental Filling Techniques – Lucy Hobbs Taylor

Radiation Treatment Research – Cécile Vogt

Ultrasound Advancements – Denise Grey

Biodegradable Sanitary Pads – Arunachalam Muruganantham (with women-led testing teams)

First Computer Algorithm – Ada Lovelace

COBOL Programming Language – Grace Hopper

Computer Compiler – Grace Hopper

FORTRAN/FORUMAC Language Development – Jean E. Sammet

Caller ID and Call Waiting – Dr. Shirley Ann Jackson

Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) – Marian Croak

Wireless Transmission Technology – Hedy Lamarr

Polaroid Camera Chemistry / Digital Projection Optics – Edith Clarke

Jet Propulsion Systems Work – Yvonne Brill

Infrared Astronomy Tech – Nancy Roman

Astronomical Data Archiving – Henrietta Swan Leavitt

Nuclear Physics Research Tools – Chien-Shiung Wu

Protein Folding Software – Eleanor Dodson

Global Network for Earthquake Detection – Inge Lehmann

Earthquake Resistant Structures – Edith Clarke

Water Distillation Device – Maria Telkes

Portable Water Filtration Devices – Theresa Dankovich

Solar Thermal Storage System – Maria Telkes

Solar-Powered House – Mária Telkes

Solar Cooker Advancements – Barbara Kerr

Microbiome Research – Maria Gloria Dominguez-Bello

Marine Navigation System – Ida Hyde

Anti-Malarial Drug Work – Tu Youyou

Digital Payment Security Algorithms – Radia Perlman

Wireless Transmitters for Aviation – Harriet Quimby

Contributions to Touchscreen Tech – Dr. Annette V. Simmonds

Robotic Surgery Systems – Paula Hammond

Battery-Powered Baby Stroller – Ann Moore

Smart Textile Sensor Fabric – Leah Buechley

Voice-Activated Devices – Kimberly Bryant

Artificial Limb Enhancements – Aimee Mullins

Crash Test Dummies for Women – Astrid Linder

Shark Repellent – Julia Child

3D Illusionary Display Tech – Valerie Thomas

Biodegradable Plastics – Julia F. Carney

Ink Chemistry for Inkjet Printers – Margaret Wu

Computerised Telephone Switching – Erna Hoover

Word Processor Innovations – Evelyn Berezin

Braille Printer Software – Carol Shaw

⸻

HOUSEHOLD & SAFETY INNOVATIONS:

Home Security System – Marie Van Brittan Brown

Fire Escape – Anna Connelly

Life Raft – Maria Beasley

Windshield Wiper – Mary Anderson

Car Heater – Margaret Wilcox

Toilet Paper Holder – Mary Beatrice Davidson Kenner

Foot-Pedal Trash Can – Lillian Moller Gilbreth

Retractable Dog Leash – Mary A. Delaney

Disposable Diaper Cover – Marion Donovan

Disposable Glove Design – Kathryn Croft

Ice Cream Maker – Nancy Johnson

Electric Refrigerator Improvements – Florence Parpart

Fold-Out Bed – Sarah E. Goode

Flat-Bottomed Paper Bag Machine – Margaret Knight

Square-Bottomed Paper Bag – Margaret Knight

Street-Cleaning Machine – Florence Parpart

Improved Ironing Board – Sarah Boone

Underwater Telescope – Sarah Mather

Clothes Wringer – Ellene Alice Bailey

Coffee Filter – Melitta Bentz

Scotchgard (Fabric Protector) – Patsy Sherman

Liquid Paper (Correction Fluid) – Bette Nesmith Graham

Leak-Proof Diapers – Valerie Hunter Gordon

FOOD/CONVENIENCE/CULTURAL IMPACT:

Chocolate Chip Cookie – Ruth Graves Wakefield

Monopoly (The Landlord’s Game) – Elizabeth Magie

Snugli Baby Carrier – Ann Moore

Barrel-Style Curling Iron – Theora Stephens

Natural Hair Product Line – Madame C.J. Walker

Virtual Reality Journalism – Nonny de la Peña

Digital Camera Sensor Contributions – Edith Clarke

Textile Color Processing – Beulah Henry

Ice Cream Freezer – Nancy Johnson

Spray-On Skin (ReCell) – Fiona Wood

Langmuir-Blodgett Film – Katharine Burr Blodgett

Fish & Marine Signal Flares – Martha Coston

Windshield Washer System – Charlotte Bridgwood

Smart Clothing / Sensor Integration – Leah Buechley

Fibre Optic Pressure Sensors – Mary Lou Jepsen

[mysticstronomy]

WHAT WILL IT TAKE TO REACH ZERO SPACE DEBRIS??

Blog#476

Saturday, February 1st, 2025.

Welcome back,

The space debris problem won’t solve itself. We’ve been kicking the can down the road for years as we continue launching more rockets and payloads into space. In the last couple of years, organizations—especially the European Space Association—have begun to address the problem more seriously.

Now they’re asking this question: What will it take to reach zero space debris?

At first glance, it may seem unreal, maybe naive. There are billions of pieces of space junk orbiting Earth, and more than 25,000 of those pieces are larger than 10 cm. Though small, these pieces are travelling fast and can cause significant damage when impacting satellites or space stations. What will it take to get rid of all this debris?

The ESA has released the Zero Debris Technical Booklet to elucidate the challenges to a zero-debris future and propose solutions to get there. The Booklet’s development follows the signing of the Zero Debris Charter by members of the Zero-Debris community.

“Despite several initiatives for space debris mitigation in recent years and modest improvements in public awareness, there is a general consensus that more ambitious actions are urgently needed from all space stakeholders to prevent, mitigate, and remediate debris,” the report states. The report points out that the Guidelines for the Long-term Sustainability of Outer Space Activities of the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space outlines how access to space is hindered by debris.

The booklet defines zero debris targets and presents “technical needs, solutions and key enablers” that can help organizations achieve them.

The obvious first step is to cease creating more debris.

It begins with avoiding the unintentional release of debris. Exposure to the space environment can degrade materials during missions and beyond their end date, and unintentional impacts can also release debris. The Booklet promotes the “Development of multi-layer insulation and coating technologies preventing long-term degradation of materials” and similar developments for materials that can resist impacts. Improved monitoring, simulations, and testing can help us get there.

The Booklet also points out the need for different propulsion technologies. Some propulsion technologies release enormous quantities of small particles. The Booklet promotes the development of alternate propulsion systems based on things like electromagnetic tethers, momentum-transfer tethers, and drag or solar radiation pressure augmentation devices.

Originally published on https://www.universetoday.com

COMING UP!!

(Wednesday, February 5th, 2025)

"COULD HUMANS SURVIVE LIVING IN SPACE??"

[reasonsforhope]

"It may sound surprising, but when times are tough and there is no other food available, some soil bacteria can consume traces of hydrogen in the air as an energy source.

In fact, bacteria remove a staggering 70 million tonnes of hydrogen yearly from the atmosphere, a process that literally shapes the composition of the air we breathe.

We have isolated an enzyme that enables some bacteria to consume hydrogen and extract energy from it, and found it can produce an electric current directly when exposed to even minute amounts of hydrogen.

As we report in a new paper in Nature, the enzyme may have considerable potential to power small, sustainable air-powered devices in future.

Bacterial genes contain the secret for turning air into electricity

Prompted by this discovery, we analysed the genetic code of a soil bacterium called Mycobacterium smegmatis, which consumes hydrogen from air.

Written into these genes is the blueprint for producing the molecular machine responsible for consuming hydrogen and converting it into energy for the bacterium. This machine is an enzyme called a “hydrogenase”, and we named it Huc for short.

Hydrogen is the simplest molecule, made of two positively charged protons held together by a bond formed by two negatively charged electrons. Huc breaks this bond, the protons part ways, and the electrons are released...

The molecular blueprint for extracting hydrogen from air

With Huc isolated, we set about studying it in earnest, to discover what exactly the enzyme is capable of. How can it turn the hydrogen in the air into a sustainable source of electricity?

Remarkably, we found that even when isolated from the bacteria, Huc can consume hydrogen at concentrations far lower even than the tiny traces in the air. In fact, Huc still consumed whiffs of hydrogen too faint to be detected by our gas chromatograph, a highly sensitive instrument we use to measure gas concentrations...

Enzymes could use air to power the devices of tomorrow

It’s early days for this research, and several technical challenges need to be overcome to realise the potential of Huc.

For one thing, we will need to significantly increase the scale of Huc production. In the lab we produce Huc in milligram quantities, but we want to scale this up to grams and ultimately kilograms.

However, our work demonstrates that Huc functions like a “natural battery” producing a sustained electrical current from air or added hydrogen.

As a result, Huc has considerable potential in developing small, sustainable air-powered devices as an alternative to solar power.

The amount of energy provided by hydrogen in the air would be small, but likely sufficient to power a biometric monitor, clock, LED globe or simple computer. With more hydrogen, Huc produces more electricity and could potentially power larger devices.

Another application would be the development of Huc-based bioelectric sensors for detecting hydrogen, which could be incredibly sensitive. Huc could be invaluable for detecting leaks in the infrastructure of our burgeoning hydrogen economy or in a medical setting.

In short, this research shows how a fundamental discovery about how bacteria in soils feed themselves can lead to a reimagining of the chemistry of life. Ultimately it may also lead to the development of technologies for the future."

-via The Conversation, March 8, 2023. Article written by the authors of the study.

[almondenterprise]

The Difference Between Low, Medium, and High Voltage Switchgear

Switchgear plays a critical role in the generation, transmission, and distribution of electrical power. It ensures safe and efficient operation by controlling, protecting, and isolating electrical circuits and equipment. But not all switchgear is created equal — low, medium, and high voltage switchgear are designed for different voltage levels and applications.

Understanding the differences between these types is crucial for electrical engineers, electricians, project managers, and anyone involved in power systems. In this article, we break down what sets them apart in terms of voltage range, components, applications, design, and safety considerations.

What is Switchgear?

Before diving into the differences, let’s clarify what switchgear is.

Switchgear refers to the combination of electrical disconnect switches, fuses, or circuit breakers used to control, protect, and isolate electrical equipment. It is essential for de-energizing equipment for maintenance and for clearing faults in the power system.

Classification by Voltage Level

Low Voltage Switchgear (LV)

Voltage Range:

Up to 1,000V AC (typically 400V/690V in 3-phase systems)

Key Components:

Miniature Circuit Breakers (MCBs)

Molded Case Circuit Breakers (MCCBs)

Residual Current Devices (RCDs)

Contactors and relays

Busbars, metering, control panels

Applications:

Residential and commercial buildings

Data centers and office spaces

Light industrial automation

Control panels and motor control centers (MCCs)

Characteristics:

Compact and easy to install

High frequency of operation

Relatively simple maintenance

Often enclosed in modular panels

Standards:

IEC 61439

NEC (National Electrical Code)

Medium Voltage Switchgear (MV)

Voltage Range:

1kV to 36kV (sometimes up to 72.5kV)

Key Components:

Vacuum circuit breakers (VCBs)

SF₆ (sulfur hexafluoride) insulated switchgear

Current and voltage transformers (CTs, VTs)

Protective relays

Grounding switches

Applications:

Electrical substations

Large factories and industrial plants

Railways and airports

Renewable energy farms (wind/solar)

Characteristics:

Higher insulation and safety requirements

More robust protection systems

Often installed indoors or in compact outdoor enclosures

May use gas-insulated or air-insulated designs

Standards:

IEC 62271–200

IEEE C37 series

High Voltage Switchgear (HV)

Voltage Range:

Above 36kV (commonly 66kV, 132kV, 220kV, up to 765kV)

Key Components:

SF₆ circuit breakers

Air blast or oil circuit breakers (older systems)

Gas-insulated switchgear (GIS)

Disconnectors and earthing switches

High-end protection relays and SCADA integration

Applications:

National and regional power transmission networks

Power generation plants

Interconnecting large substations

Critical infrastructure (e.g., large data centers, airports)

Characteristics:

Complex installation and high-cost infrastructure

Requires rigorous safety procedures and specialized training

Often installed outdoors or in GIS (Gas Insulated Switchgear) format

Includes extensive monitoring and automation

Standards:

IEC 62271–100 (HV circuit breakers)

IEEE C37.06

ANSI C37 series

Safety Considerations

Always follow local electrical codes, use personal protective equipment (PPE), and conduct routine maintenance regardless of switchgear type.

Conclusion

Choosing the right switchgear type is critical for ensuring safe and efficient power distribution. Whether you’re designing a residential panel or a high-voltage substation, knowing the difference between low, medium, and high voltage switchgear helps you make informed decisions about equipment, safety, and performance.

Mastering this knowledge isn’t just good practice — it’s essential for anyone serious about a career in the electrical field.

[materialsscienceandengineering]

Organic compound boosts solar cell stretchability without sacrificing power

A solar cell developed by RIKEN physicists can be stretched without greatly affecting its ability to convert light into electricity. It is thus promising for powering the next generation of wearable electronics. Today's smart watches can monitor an impressive array of health metrics, while more-specialist wearable devices are being developed for specific medical applications. But such devices need to be recharged periodically. To eliminate this need, researchers are seeking to develop flexible, wearable solar cells. However, it is vital to ensure that the performance of these solar cells doesn't drop off when they are stretched by body movements during everyday life. "We're focusing on making very thin, flexible devices. But such devices don't have intrinsic stretchability," explains Kenjiro Fukuda of the RIKEN Center for Emergent Matter Science. "Rather, they're similar to plastic wrap used to wrap food—you can maybe stretch them by 1% or 2%, but 10% is impossible since they tear easily."

Read more.

[kat-124]

HAI HAI HAI HAI!!!

I followed your rbg Trio blog, and ur art there is so So cute!!!

And I wanna know more about your 'robot boombox' au cus I'm curious and honestly, that headcanon is so real for boom!

EEEEK HAII ^_^

tyuu eueu... it means alot :3

so uhhh robot boombox au is pretty much just in my brain, i havent posted abt it or anything. but ive got vague ideas about it!

im gonna put bullet points under the cut in no particular order, cause again, this is mostly just concepts, so expect a bunch of yapping

in this au boombox would be created by someone, and was made to be a sort of 'testing device' for a manufactured gear (his boombox). while also being a sort of artificial life based on mimicry.

(note, i am not well versed in robotics stuff, if something seems stupid uhhh whoops)

i havent come up with a creator or creators, but they made him with the intent of seeing if they could basically make an artificial demon that could get along with other demons well! (thats where his creators got the idea to make him a dj, or a glorified mp3 player came from.)

hes entirely mechanical, his power source is through electrical charging. he charges often, which comes across as him sleeping often.

i imagine him with a charger tail that can also somewhat extend.

his visor is literally attached to his face and would be more emotive than regular boombox phighting

i imagine he got let out to interact with other demons, he was given a lot of carefully monitored data, and even now seeks out ways to be more empathetic, and to be responsive to others emotions and to help them.

he doesnt become evil or anything like that

his 'skin' would be some kind of rubber or latex, used to protect internal components and appear more demon-like.

he has two speakers imbedded in his chest, and in the rubber skin there'd be mesh to let sound travel clearer, which happen to look like top scars ( :P )

in place of where a human heart would be, he has an internal metronome, which he can set the tempo of. it can also be heard if youre super close, like a faux heartbeat.

his horns work as a secondary charging method throughout the day, acting like low powered solar panels, (like the ones youd find on calculators).

his horns take in uv light and convert it to energy. amd they are covered with a transparent solid material (imagine something like resin) to give the appearance of a normal demons horn. however this means charging through his tail is much more optimal than the passive uv charging.

has a database in his torso containing specifically music knowledge. audio can be downloaded to there and sorted and dissected to make him work better and understand the tastes of demons

in his heads a mini computer.

his mouth is a simple metal open close rectangle shape, with small components that either make the faux-skin sides of his mouth pull up (to make a smile) or down (to make a frown)

also in this au rgb trio still a thing because i am insane abt them

i imagine skate and sling learn that boombox is a robot, but they still care for him and treat him the same as before

he doesnt 'feel' anything in a person sense, and he hasnt gained sentience or anything. his programming makes it so he's drawn to other demons, and wants to make them happy. and in return, he feels 'happy' when he accomplishes that.

he learns about friends and other relationships and such, and if he has a few people he's especially close to that he can make happy just by being around, it means he's achieving his goal.

so he does have favorites, mostly because he learned that demons tend to have favorite people, and therefore replicated that behavior

he's in a qpr with skate and sling, who r both dating eachother, theyre all very affectionate.

sometimes if he gets too many positive inputs at a time, you can hear his fans running quicker (like, example, his partners are being super sweet to him, verbally or physically.

he doesnt know who made him, nor really cares to find out

when he was made, he was given the knowledge of about a 17 year old, and the mentality of one. he counts his birthdays as aging, being currently 23.

sometimes when him, sling and skate are sleeping together, he'll play calming music directly from himself.

he doesnt sleep, but shuts off non-essential components and kind of pretends to sleep while charging. since he has to be plugged into a socket of sorts. usually during that mode hes sorting any files, or things he's collected. throughout the day

sling and skate dont know that he isnt actually sleeping, and think he's just powered off

his gear works as youd expect, able to play music and use its abilities. he's just also able to directly play music from his body

when being created, he was made first, and the idea of an artificial gear came second. which is why theres overlapping abilities that may seem redundant.

his creators are no longer alive

his creators were from playground

he would likely be 'killed' for having an artificial gear and used for parts if certain people knew (the law)

and heres some silly sketches i made in class awhiiile ago (note again that i do not make robotics or know pretty much anything abt them. im just having fun ^^')

i yapped alot, but if you have any specific questions, put them in my askbox and ill happily answer! -w-

[ariadnelives]

Dokkaebi Fire - A Short Story

Author's Note: The bulk of this story takes place during the events of "Force Majeure," directly between chapters 8 and 9, during the crew's time in hiding in Xiagu. It is not intended to be read in sequence. If you'd like to catch up on the series so far, you can do so on ao3 or tumblr.

“Cookie?” Pilar called into the flat as she entered, not waiting to be let in. “It's me today. Ariadne's making final preparations for her surgery tomorrow, but she'll be by as soon as she's back on her feet.”

Aoibheann sat on the armchair in the living room, pointed at the television which appeared to be carrying a local news broadcast from one of Saturn's other moons. She had a blanket draped over her lap, and she watched the news broadcast idly, taking in none of it.

“Remember, starting tomorrow, Ariadne won't remember anything beyond the six-month point in our stay here, and we have to keep it that way, so, be careful what you say around her.” Pilar laughed without joy.

Aoibheann did not.

“You know,” Pilar tacked on, “I'm a complete liar. You could dime out the whole plan and I'm pretty sure me and Ari would absolutely leap for joy as long as it meant you were talking again.”

Aoibheann glanced over at Pilar wistfully, dark circles under her eyes, but said nothing. These little responses indicated their old friend could still hear them in there, that they could get through to her, even if she couldn't muster the strength to respond. She'd barely spoken since they lost the station. She was usually a tightly-wound powder keg, full of fire and passion, and she had to direct it towards her purpose or else she’d explode. Now, it was like all that fire inside her had gone out, and all that was left of her was an exhausted shell of a woman.

She seemed able to move around on her own, but rarely found the motivation to do so. She had grown somewhat thin and gaunt, as she only ate when fed, so every day, Pilar or Ariadne or one of her apprentices would stop by to see her and make sure she ate. Sasha had been spreading herself far too thin on Ariadne's project, but still found time to check in on her and monitor her physical health. Her apprentices had removed all sharp objects, belts, and shoelaces from the premises, but Pilar thought that was overkill. She had known Aoibheann long enough to know she would never physically harm herself. Still, it didn't make it easy to watch her torture herself like this.

Pilar sat next to her, and gently took her hand.

“I hate having to feed you this stuff, Cookie,” she said, opening up a small gray package she'd brought with her. “Replicated MREs. No wonder Baltimore and Beam went to a convenience store twice a week when they were in the army.”

Aoibheann looked with disdain at the lump of meat before her, served with a mush that could only be described as “prepared grain.” She hated eating it as much as Pilar hated serving it to her.

In their small hidden town of Xiagu, all of the food came out of the replicators. Xiagu had a surplus of energy, with its passive solar collection and years of nobody to use the stored power, so nobody was worried about the expenditure of creating food and water from reserves.

Back on the station, they had only managed to earmark power for replicator use two years previously. Like most spacecraft, all of the water fixtures were powered by replicators, generating as much water as needed from a stored bank of energy, which was in turn refilled by a device in the drains which converted waste-water into energy. The food replicator could make prepared meals, but crew members would only be allowed to use it if they could make up the energy cost. This happened pretty naturally, as everybody had to use the bathroom regularly and could credit this to their account, and had the handy benefit of encouraging people to clean up after themselves-- every time you emptied your trash into the energy-reclamation chute, you added replicator energy to your canteen account.

However, back home, most people didn't bother to use the replicators, because truly, Cookie's food was better fresh than anything they could produce, and she loved making it. Here in Xiagu, however, the replicators had nothing but military-grade “Meals Ready to Eat” and raw ingredients programmed into them. When the town was alive, there had been gardens to produce the vegetables, and people to tend them, harvest them, and cook them in the many small restaurants. Now, all that was left was replicators.

Cookie's star apprentice, Yellow, had been put in charge of the replicators while Cookie was indisposed, and had very few requests for anything other than the prepared MREs since they'd been there. Everyone on the crew was required to learn to cook, from Cookie, and nobody particularly felt up to trying to fill her shoes. Everyone had pretty much accepted meals of nondescript lumps of meat, vegetables, and starches on the firm belief that any day now, Cookie would be back on her feet, doing what she loved.

Yellow was the one in charge of food distribution, and had desperately been asking Ariadne to authorize them to reopen Cookie's kitchen, with her at the helm, until Cookie was well enough to resume her post. It's what Cookie would want, she insisted, but Ariadne was taking Cookie's condition unusually poorly, and had refused to allow the kitchen to operate without Cookie present. Yellow was frustrated, but understood. Nobody would feel right about having communal meals like before without Cookie.

Pilar carefully cut up the packaged meal and fed bites to Cookie, who halfheartedly complied with each bite. She offered her a cup of tea, which Cookie held for warmth but wouldn't drink without prompting.

“Look, Aoibheann...” Pilar said, “I know you're not well. I know this has been harder on you than anyone.”

Cookie met her gaze.

“But I don't...” Pilar began, and choked. “I don't think Ariadne will go through with this with you in this condition. She cares about you too much. You know what you mean to her. To me. She's not going to put herself at risk until she knows you're okay.”

Aoibheann looked downcast.

“She needs you,” Pilar whispered. “I need you. Please come back to us.”

****

Aoibheann's mind drifted back to when she’d met Ariadne and Pilar, thirteen years previously. She had been living on the streets for two years and had only passing contact with Pilar. She had been homeless since the Hanguk-Éire massacre, when Susan Weaver’s bombs had incinerated her family’s house and restaurant, left her and her mother destitute, and claimed her father’s life. Her mother had turned to drugs to cope with the loss, and ultimately found herself bleeding out in the gutter after an altercation with a pusher who she couldn’t pay for her latest fix.

She had distrusted the new girl at first. In her experience, another new person living under the overpass was another person who might get to the good scraps before her. She didn’t need any more competition. There was, however, a certain unspoken respect between her and the Aguilar girls. They were the only kids living on the streets of that particular block, and they had to look out for one another. They didn’t talk much, but they had struck up an arrangement. Pilar needed to go foraging to keep Sasha fed, and knowing that she would have to dig through trash bins and steal from loosely-guarded shops to make this happen, she felt it was too dangerous to bring her nine-year-old sister along with her.

So, she struck up an arrangement with Aoibheann: if she kept Sasha safe while she went out on runs, Pilar would try and steal a little extra food so Aoibheann could eat as well. Pilar and Sasha had been squatting in an abandoned house on a nearby side-street, and Aoibheann could crash there in exchange for keeping an eye on Sasha. It was shelter, and food, and it was a better deal than she was getting anywhere else. Under normal circumstances, Aoibheann would’ve developed a mighty crush on Pilar, but crushes were the sorts of things normal girls got to have. Aoibheann needed to focus on staying alive.

The new girl had been Racquel when they met. She had been raving about how the world was going to end, a secret conspiracy to reign atomic hellfire onto the bio-domes. It was the standard fare of the doomsaying lunatic, so nobody paid her much mind, but she’d named Ramos and Ramos specifically in her raving, and that caught Pilar’s attention. Nobody hated the Ramoses like Pilar, although Aoibheann didn’t yet know why.

So, Pilar and Racquel started going out on runs together. Suddenly, they were bringing back more than enough food, not only for the four of them, but they even got to share it with the others under the bridge. One day, they came home clean, wearing fresh clothes, and carrying a bundle of new clothes under their arm. They told her that Racquel’s name was Ariadne now, and that they would be needing her help a lot more often. They’d found some sort of mentor, who would “get them out of here,” but they’d need to spend hours, even days, with her at a time.

Aoibheann wasn’t a fool. She knew that if they succeeded in getting out of here, that she would be left behind. She couldn’t, however, risk being thrown out on the street. She’d watch Sasha and crash on the floor of this abandoned townhouse as long as they’d let her.

Sasha seemed like such a little kid then, although Aoibheann knew on a logical level that she was only three years older.

“If you could be anything in the world when you grow up,” Sasha had asked her one day, while the other girls had been away at their mysterious mentor’s for a few days, “what would you be?”

“I’m just trying to grow up,” Aoibheann said, “if I can make it that far, I’ll see what I can get.”

Sasha scrunched her nose. “You’re not playing the game right.”

“I’m being realistic,” Aoibheann said.

Sasha breezed past this. “I’m going to be a doctor when I grow up.”

Aoibheann considered pointing out that Sasha had a third-grade education and no money, but thought better of it, and instead just sighed. “Well, it’d be a crying shame if you starved to death before then,” she said. “Let’s see what your sister left us.”

Aoibheann looked at the handful of scraps Pilar had left on the table. Pilar had stolen them an entire rotisserie chicken, which Aoibheann had admonished her for-- the abandoned house did not have a working refrigerator, she pointed out, so she’d have to use the meats straightaway or they would quickly spoil and attract flies-- and several cans of diced white potatoes, which Pilar figured would keep Sasha’s stomach full, but Aoibheann pointed out had very little nutritional value. This was, of course, in addition to the six chocolate bars Pilar had, being thirteen years old, been sure to nab on her little excursion.

Aoibheann had nothing in the way of seasonings, except for a variety of salt and pepper packets she’d taken from a loosely-supervised outdoor seating area at a nearby restaurant, as well as, on one extremely lucky day, three sets of cheap silverware and a bottle of hot sauce.

She did, however, have access to a small metal trash can with a lid, water from a neighbor’s hose spigot-- Aoibheann felt bad about this, because water was so tightly regulated on Mars and the owner would surely be steeply charged for the waste, but this was a low priority compared to their survival-- and an old gas stove that the new girl had rigged up to illegally supply them with heat.

Aoibheann had cut the meat off the bones of the rotisserie chicken and plopped the bones into the cold water with all the fat and gristle, and opened up a few of the salt packets into the mixture. She put it on the stove and let it heat up to a boil, then turned down the gas and watched as the mixture turned a translucent yellow. She eventually fished out the bones with her knife, and dumped all the potatoes, and the meat from the chicken, into the broth.

After it had stewed for a while, Aoibheann took a taste. It was thin, watery, and somewhat bland, but it would do for the time being. Using the now-empty potato cans, she scooped out two servings of soup and handed one to Sasha.

“Now, we just have to keep it just hot enough,” Aoibheann said, “and it won’t go bad. We’ll be able to eat this until your sister gets back.”

Sasha took a taste. “It’s…” she had been taught, if she had nothing nice to say, to say nothing at all, so she didn’t finish her sentence. Aoibheann had spent enough time with her to know what she meant.

“It’s a tick bland like this,” Aoibheann shrugged, passing her the hot sauce. “Give it a dash of this, it’ll be a sight better.”

Sasha complied, tasted it, and her face made it clear that while it was in fact a sight better, it still wasn’t quite tasty.

“My mom used to make potatoes with a cheesy sauce,” Sasha said sadly. “They were really spicy. Pilar’s favorite food.”

“My dad was more of a cabbage man,” Aoibheann said. “My mom handled the meats, him the veggies. Hanguk-Éire cuisine is… all about things coming together in the pot.”

Sasha added a little more hot sauce to her soup.

“I wanted to be a cook,” Aoibheann said. “Like my folks, before, all this. My dad was a cook. His dad was a cook. His dad was a cook. And so on and so on, all the way back to our homelands.”

“You could still be a cook,” Sasha said, eyeing her soup. “...someday.”

“Well, we’ll have to get your sister to scrounge us up some quality ingredients, then, won’t we?” Aoibheann said.

The two of them finished their soup, and Aoibheann noted that it was getting late, and insisted that Sasha go to bed. Sasha refused without a story, and Aoibheann tossed back a “tough titties” which was met with an infuriatingly irresistible pout.

“FINE,” Aoibheann groaned, and improvised a story.

“Once upon a time, there was a kingdom,” Aoibheann began. This was how all her stories began, they all took place in this kingdom. “The kingdom, you see, had been through every horror you could put a kingdom through. It had been invaded. It had been burned. It had been taken over and torn in half and put back together again more times than you could count. Every evil overlord you could name had taken the place over, at one time or another. So the people in the kingdom, they were always sad, and they started to wonder, would they ever be free? And then, one day, they found out, there was another kingdom, just like them, halfway round the world, and they decided to join forces. But then, after a few decades of unity and prosperity, the entire world fell into darkness, and the people of the two kingdoms had to run. They ran far away, and found a new promised land in the desert, and built a home there.”

“Then, one day, in the new kingdom, there was a little girl who lived in a little house with her ma’ and her da’, and she loved her life. The dark creature from the old world, it caught up with them. It took her da’, and burned down her house, and she and her mother had to go out into the woods.”

Sasha looked scared. “The woods?”

“Aye,” Aoibheann said, “and her mother dear didn’t last long. There were these flares of Dokkaebi Fire, the goblin lights, and mother dear thought surely she could follow them to safety… Pretty soon, the little girl was all on her own.”

“I don’t like this story,” Sasha said, trying not to betray how frightened she was.

Aoibheann sighed. “Neither do I. But see, the story has a happy ending.”

“Happy?” Sasha asked.

“Happy enough,” Aoibheann replied, “for now. See, the little girl knew not to follow the goblin lights. She ran into the dark, and there she found… a brave, dashing adventurer. A gorgeous girl, noble and good, who’d been lost in the woods herself.”

Sasha’s eyes brightened at this. “Did she have a sword?”

“A little one, aye,” Aoibheann laughed. “And she was on a quest, to find a way out of the woods. But the problem was, she had to look after a sweet, wee little baby, and couldn’t leave it long enough to make any real progress. So the little girl, she’d faced all the darkness in the world. She could handle a wee little baby! She agreed to take care of the baby while the adventurer looked for a way to save herself and the little one.”

“Did she find a way out?”

“Someday she will,” Aoibheann said, “but all she found so far was… a sorceress.”

“This story has everything,” Sasha said.

“The sorceress was as beautiful as the adventurer, and sharp as a tack, but she was untrained. Powerful magic, but she didn’t know how to use it.” Aoibheann explained, “so, together, they managed to track down the Baba Yaga, a wise but crafty old witch, who could teach the sorceress and adventurer how to find the way.”

“And the little girl?” Sasha asked.

Aoibheann thought about this. “The little girl gets to spend time with the sorceress, and the adventurer, and that sweet wee little baby,” she said, “and she appreciates the time she has with them. Someday, they’ll find their way out, and she’ll still be in the woods, but she’ll always be glad to have met them. The end.”

Sasha crinkled her nose. “That’s a bad ending,” Sasha said bluntly. “The little girl should just leave the woods with them. Then find the creature that took her house, and kill it.”

“And how’s she gonna do that?” Aoibheann laughed.

“The adventurer and the sorceress will help her!” Sasha said. “Maybe the Baby Yaga can tell her some spells!”

“Baba Yaga,” Aoibheann corrected. “Okay, so say she does. Say she tells the adventurer and the sorceress everything that happened, and they go slay the evil creature. What happens next?”

Sasha thought about this. “Maybe they fight another creature,” she said. “An octopus?”

“Why are they fighting an octopus?” Aoibheann asked, still chuckling.

“It’s guarding a treasure,” Sasha said as though it were the most obvious thing in the universe. “You have heard a story before, right?”

“Fair enough,” Aoibheann said. “And then, say, they beat all the creatures. What then?”

“Happily ever after,” Sasha said triumphantly.

“Well, you’re a sight more deft at this than I am,” Aoibheann said. “Let��s get you to sleep, I’ll do better next time.”

Aoibheann swaddled Sasha in the dirty, tattered blanket that they’d found a few weeks earlier, sat out in the hallway, and began to cry.

In the present day, Aoibheann thought back to her sobbing in the hallway. At the time, she was convinced that Ariadne and Pilar would surely abandon her when they finished training with Blue. When they started building their first spacecraft in an alley under the bridge, she’d defended it from thieves and scrappers at knifepoint, even thinking that they would use it to leave her behind. When, against all odds, Ariadne had built a spaceworthy craft, she was stunned into silence when they invited her along.

“Don’t be dumb,” Pilar had said, extending a hand to her “of course we’re taking you with us. We started this crew to keep Sasha fed. How are we gonna do that without a cook?”

And so, Cookie had been born. As the goblin lights lit the way to ruin, Pilar’s hand pulled her onto the right path.

****

Now, Pilar’s hand was busy cutting up bites of nondescript meat and placing them into Aoibheann’s mouth.

“Do you remember… back in our street urchin days,” Pilar asked, “Me and Ariadne would come home from Blue’s, put Sasha to bed, and then you, me, and her would stay up late gossiping. We’d show you all the cool stuff Blue had taught us in our lessons, and you’d take the ingredients we’d stolen for you-- better ones, after you started giving me lists-- and you’d teach us how to cook like you.”

Aoibheann almost smiled, and Pilar saw it.

“Alright, you’re right,” Pilar said, cutting her another bite and placing it in her mouth. “Nobody can cook like you. Don’t let it go to your head. But you taught us to cook better than most people.”

Aoibheann accepted another bite wordlessly.

“You know, Ariadne used to use Blue’s tricks to fix up that abandoned house, Alan’s house, and I used to show you all the martial arts tricks, and you’d be rapt with attention,” Pilar said. “When me and Ari started dating, we had a friendly debate about it. See, I thought you had a crush on her, and she thought you had a crush on me. Joke’s on us, turns out you were more than capable of having both.”

Aoibheann came close to smiling again.

“Funny, that’s a fond memory now. Back then, it was the worst year of our life,” Pilar said. “Wonder what we’ll remember fondly from now, when we’re older.”

Aoibheann’s fractional smile faded away. She couldn’t imagine anything worth cherishing from this time. But then, she couldn’t back then, either.

“And we don’t have to talk about…” Pilar cut herself off. “I mean, the… what we’ve had together… The unspoken closeness between the three of us. Rare as it might be that we’ve acted on it, it’s still special to me. To us.The problem has never been that we don’t feel about you, the way you feel about us. If you wanted... what’s between the three of us... to be more, it’d be yours in a heartbeat.”

Aoibheann looked down at her lap.

“We’ve always loved you, Cookie,” she explained. “And don’t get twisted up on the definitions. Every sense of the word. Whatever you’re thinking I surely can’t mean… I mean it. I don’t know what’s going on in your head. I just hate to think that… I mean… we’re going into the most dangerous time we’ve ever faced. If something happens, to me or to Ari… I just want to know you know what you mean to us. To me.”

Pilar gave her another bite, and Aoibheann didn’t fight her on it.

“Do you remember our wedding?” Pilar asked, and laughed. “Of course you do. Hard to forget something like that. Do you remember how angry you were that we wouldn’t let you cook us a grand feast?”

There was a spark in her eyes that demonstrated that she had not, in fact, entirely let this go.

“We stole the supplies for hamburgers from a local grocery store, and made Beam cook them,” Pilar said. “We actually almost got caught, pulled over for speeding on the way home. Ariadne told the cop her name was Ariadne Baltimore. Small town, local cops, everybody knew their parents, they figured they’d just miscounted the sisters, and let her go. Idiots.”

Pilar sighed.

“You weren’t allowed to cook because Ariadne needed you by her side,” she explained. “You were her maid of honor for a reason, Cookie. Our crew, our marriage, our family… where would we be without you? Would we even be us?”

Pilar offered Aoibheann another bite, and she didn’t take it. Pilar looked concerned. She hadn’t eaten nearly enough to be satisfied yet.

“What is it?” Pilar asked.

Aoibheann opened her mouth, thought hard, her eyes darting back and forth as though she was trying to make sense of something she couldn’t put words to.

“Aoibheann, are you… are you alright?” Pilar asked. “Should I get Sasha?”

Aoibheann shook her head vigorously. She had been lost in her depression for months, wondering if she was really better off waking up in the morning, but suddenly, the floodgates had come open, and she couldn’t wait one more second to let out what had been eating at her and destroying her soul ever since they’d lost the station.

Her voice was dry and raspy. She had not spoken more than two consecutive words in weeks, and her body vehemently protested the sudden change in this policy.

“Was it my fault?” She asked, thinking back to a conversation she'd had with their tormentor years ago. “Did I do this to us?”

****

“Excellent work today, everyone,” Cookie’s voice boomed through the kitchen. “The festivities went off without a hitch. This is an anniversary our captain won’t soon forget.”

“Thank you, Chef,” her crew echoed back.

“Dismissed,” she said to the assembled kitchen staff, and then quietly approached one of the greener pirates who’d recently started the galley rotation that was mandatory for the whole crew. “Libby, a word?”

Cookie ushered Libby into a small room at the back, which she used for prep when she was working on more intimate, personal projects. This was the room where she prepared birthday meals for Spacebreather, Ariadne, and Sasha. This was the table on which she’d painstakingly crafted Ariadne and Pilar’s wedding cake. The small walk-in freezer was the one where she’d had a brief, clumsy tryst with Blue on a rare visit to the station, after Cookie had enraged her by challenging her to a contest to see who could make a better mole negro oaxaqueño sauce, and then winning it.

Libby had been invited into the inner sanctum, and the look on Cookie’s face made it absolutely clear that it was not an honor.She was in deep trouble. Worse still, there was a salt shaker on the table in front of her.

“Do you think this is funny, lass?” Cookie asked. “Is this a fun game to you?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about, Chef,” Libby said, actually looking somewhat convincing.

“The cap of the salt shaker was unscrewed. One shake, and dinner would’ve been ruined.” Cookie said. “It was your responsibility to set the table in the captain’s quarters.”

Libby got immediately defensive. “Anybody could’ve done that,” she said, “I didn’t do it, it’s totally unfair that you--”

“Anybody could’ve,” Cookie said. “But I gave you a responsibility. You were responsible for the Captain’s table. You signed off on a table with an unscrewed salt shaker on it. That makes you responsible for the salt shaker, whether you placed it there or not.”

“How is that fair?” Libby replied indignantly.

“Lass, why do you think Ariadne requires all crew to complete a rotation in my kitchen before they’re cleared for field service?” Cookie asked.

“She needs someone to cook for her?” Libby asked derisively.

Cookie sneered. She did not care for Libby, and never had. The girl seemed to attract drama. How, she wondered, could someone with so few friends be so perpetually in the middle of a falling out with a group of them? “And why do you think my standards are so meticulous?” Cookie asked.

Libby declined to answer, because she knew her honest answer would get her in trouble, but her face betrayed what she wanted to say: “Because you’re a huge bitch?”

Cookie answered her own rhetorical questions. “The skills you need to be successful in here, will be invaluable to you out there. You didn’t go over your loadout with a fine-toothed comb. You didn’t take the responsibilities you were trusted with seriously. You allowed your crewmates to operate with faulty equipment, that, had I not intervened, would’ve caused the mission objective to fail.”

“To be clear,” Libby said, “the ‘mission’ was serving them dinner.”

“IN HERE IT’S DINNER,” Cookie bellowed, her eyes full of all the rage and fire that she kept tamped down in her heart every second of every day, and slammed her fists on the table, knocking down the salt shaker. The chrome lid clattered off, and salt spilled onto the teak countertop. Cookie wordlessly grabbed a pinch of it and tossed it over her left shoulder. “In here, you fail in your duties and it means dinner isn’t very good that night. Out there, you fail in your duties and your sisters in arms die. That’s why Ariadne makes you work with me before you’re allowed to work for her. You can’t be trusted to handle the stakes out there if your team, and your commanding officer, can’t even trust you to do your job correctly when the stakes are only whether tonight’s chicken will be a little dry. Is that crystal clear?”

Libby looked as though she was about to protest, or accuse Cookie of being melodramatic, but Cookie cut her off. “Think very carefully about what you say next,” she said, “and if you’re lost as to what answer I’m looking for...” She pointed at the band that she kept tied around her head, so that even if one of her brilliant red hairs slipped out of its tight bun, it would still not fall into her face. It was white, and said, in bold black text, “YES CHEF.”

Libby grumbled. “Yes, chef,” she said. “next time, I’ll check the table settings more carefully.”

“Glad to hear it,” Cookie said. “But I think it’s important that you know… I know you put the shaker on the table.”

“What?!” Libby snapped.

“If the Captain, or her first mate, were to be poisoned, I would need to be able to verify who’d done the deed.” Cookie said. “Every step of my meal preparation is accounted for. There is a record of every action taken in this kitchen, cupboard-to-table. If something goes wrong with a meal, within seconds I will be able to identify the point of failure and exactly who was responsible for preventing it. Of course, it helps to have a private video feed into the captain’s quarters.”

Cookie tossed her communications device onto the table, and hit play. It projected a small, but surprisingly clear, hologram of Libby setting the table, smirking as though struck with an idea, and unscrewing the cap of the salt shaker.

“You have… a security camera… in their quarters?!” Libby asked.

“I’m the only person in the system they trust with it,” Cookie said. “I trust them with my life, and they trust me with theirs. Now, I gave you a chance to confess to your little prank, and you decided to lie, to pass the buck onto someone else. I’m afraid I can’t let that slide. I’ll have to fail you for this rotation. Come back at the start of the next one and you can reapply.”

“What?!” Libby snapped again. “I’m two days away from finishing! I have to start my galley rotation over again just because you caught me playing a harmless prank on your little pervy peep-show?”

“Call it pervy if you like,” Cookie said dismissively. “The nature of my relationship with the captain and her first mate is enthusiastically sanctioned and is, frankly, none of your concern. The behavior you showed in here, would’ve only spoiled Captain Ariadne’s dinner. If you showed the same level of carelessness and irreverence out there, it might’ve gotten someone killed. ‘Harmless’ indeed. You’re not responsible enough for field work until you can prove you can handle kitchen duty.”

“This is bullshit,” Libby said, gathering up her things to storm out of the room. “Like it even matters whether that bitch’s little dinner is ruined.”

Cookie slammed her fists on the counter again.

“Captain Ariadne is the greatest woman who ever lived,” Cookie growled, “and if I hear you speak of her like that in my presence again, you’ll lose a hell of a lot more than your galley rotation.”

Libby moved to storm out, but Cookie rushed the door and held it shut.

“Now, you listen to me, you little twerp,” Cookie said, jabbing a finger into Libby’s chest, shaking with anger. “That woman pulled me out of the gutter-- pulled all of us out of the gutter. There is nothing more important than the work she does, and we are the beating heart that allows her to do it. So if you want to be a part of this crew, you���ll show her some goddamned respect and start taking your work fucking seriously.”

Libby looked furious.

“What do I want to hear?” Cookie asked pointedly.

Pilar was astonished. “You think… because you were hard on the Nameless in her galley rotation… that she went totally off the rails, tried to kill us, and drove us out of our home?”

“Yes, chef,” Libby grumbled after a beat, and Cookie allowed her to pass.

****

“She tried to say we were like a cult,” Cookie said weakly. “That we were just minions blindly following Ariadne’s orders. That we turned against anybody who didn’t fall in line.”

“Is any of that true?” Pilar asked rhetorically. “Does the crew actually act like that?”

Cookie let the tears come. “I do,” she said. “What if she… how do I know she isn’t holding my devotion, my zeal, against the entire crew?”

“You… blindly follow Ariadne’s orders?” Pilar asked, entirely rhetorically. “That’s a surprise, I thought you really believed in our mission.”

Cookie was taken aback. “I do!’

Pilar smiled. “There’s some of that fire,” she said. “I’ve missed it. Aoibheann… when is the last time Ariadne actually gave you an order?”

Cookie had to think about this, but came up short.

“Exactly,” Pilar said. “This is what’s been eating you, all this time?”

Aoibheann looked afraid to reply, so she just asked what she’d wanted to ask, ever since they were driven out of their home.

“Do you forgive me?” She asked. “Does she… does she forgive me?”

Pilar looked Aoibheann square in the eyes. “Cookie, you’ve never needed our forgiveness. An insane terrorist attacked our home. There’s nothing you could’ve done to prevent that.”

This was not what Aoibheann wanted to hear.

Pilar sighed. “Of course we forgive you, Aoibheann,” she said in a voice that sounded entirely earnest, but using words that betrayed how sarcastic she was being: “for not allowing someone who turned out to be a sexual predator and an actual serial killer tamper with our food and ruin our anniversary. We forgive you for being the most devoted friend we’ve ever had. Because someone else mistreated us, it must’ve been wrong that you treated us right. We will always forgive you for loving us, Aoibheann. You will never lose our forgiveness for that.”

Aoibheann was struck speechless again.

“Don’t go quiet on me,” Pilar said affectionately, “I just got you to talk again! I’ve missed your voice.”

“I appreciate your taking care of me,” Cookie admitted, “while I’ve been… not myself.”

Pilar gently put her hand on Aoibheann’s, and gave it a squeeze, and then told her the most reassuring truth she had.

“The Nameless is a user,” she said. “She wants a bunch of people who act like puppets and put her well-being first. Ariadne spends every second of every day encouraging her crew to think and act for themselves, and to put each other’s well-being above all else. That’s why she thinks Ariadne’s a tyrant. Not because you defended her honor after a sociopath tried to ruin her anniversary and then called her a bitch.”

Aoibheann felt as though she’d just received absolution for something that had been dragging her through the muck for months. How could she not believe Pilar, of all people? She began to cry openly.

“Hey, hey,” Pilar said, “it’s okay! I got you.”

“I’ve let the crew down,” she said, “had them eating this flavorless mush for however many months. I’ll be back at a stove first thing in the morning, don’t you worry--”

Pilar laughed. “Aoibheann… Cookie, I’m glad you’re back but… don’t push yourself too hard, okay? Let your apprentices handle it for a bit. Besides, you haven’t walked by yourself in a pretty long time. It’ll take a bit before you’re seaworthy again, let alone fit to run a kitchen.”

Aoibheann looked downcast. “Well, I’ve spent enough time sitting around like a lump being no good to anybody,” she said indignantly.

“You’re plenty good to us,” Pilar said flatly, “just by being here. We love you, Cookie. You don’t need to… justify your existence by being a devoted servant.”

Aoibheann was uncomfortable with this sentiment, and it showed on her face. This was, after all, how she showed her affection for Ariadne and Pilar. How could she show them her love and devotion without being able to cook for them?

“I don’t know how to…” Cookie began. “Please… Please, just… tell me what to do.”

Pilar sighed. She knew Cookie was far too devoted to her duties to go completely without orders. “She and I will be back in a few hours, for dinner. Let her hear your voice. Tell her you love her, and wish her luck on her procedure. If you have the strength, give her a hug. And, most importantly, just… please, be okay. Be kind to yourself and take all the time you need to get back on your feet. We’ve only got the one Cookie, so take care of her for us, okay?”

Cookie smiled, and squeezed Pilar’s hand back with what little strength she could muster.

Pilar picked up the now-empty tray that the MRE had been on. “Now that you’re back, do I have your permission to start up the kitchens? Let your apprentices do some real cooking?”

Cookie nodded her head.

“Then I guess this is truly an event worth of celebration: you’ve had your last Meal-Ready-To-Eat,” Pilar laughed. “I’ll see you tonight, Cookie. I want to put some meat back on your bones, so I’ll be cooking, and I expect you to be looking over my shoulder and barking orders at me the whole time.”

Cookie looked at her and smiled, and Pilar’s heart melted. It had been a long time since anyone had seen that.

****

Cookie’s apprentices stood in a straight line at the back of the Hotpot Spot, an abandoned restaurant that Sweettalk had identified as her childhood favorite. Cookie, wearing the chef’s coat she’d fled the station in, freshly laundered, and her trademark “YES CHEF” headband, limped into the restaurant, supported by a cane that Sweettalk had fished out of her childhood home, and said had belonged to her grandfather.

Cookie was still not back to full strength, but her apprentices could see the fire they’d come to fear and love had returned to her eyes.

“As you may have noticed,” Cookie announced, the natural loudness of her voice undiminished by her time indisposed, “I have been… unwell, of late. As such, I am unable to resume my duties at this time.”

Her staff turned to her chief apprentice, Yellow, for guidance. Yellow remained silent, so the rest of them did as well.

“It’s alright, kids,” she said, stamping the cane on the ground loudly. “You don’t have to pretend. I’m not my old self yet. It’s fine. I wouldn’t feel right resuming my post here anyhow. This isn’t my kitchen. I’ve called you all here because you are the apprentices most equipped to run a kitchen of your own.”

Yellow nodded in assent.

“As such, I have a new directive for each of you, until such time as we’ve retrieved my kitchen, and I’m back to my usual vim and vigor, each of you is to select one of the defunct restaurants in this town, take your pick of the remaining staff and any available volunteers, and you will run your kitchens to the standard I have taught you.”

Cookie sighed.

“I know what you all think,” she said. “I know what you’ve said to me, in the past. You think your best is only a pale imitation of my cooking. But I need you all to know that… isn’t true.”

“Chef?” Yellow asked.

“I was the fourth person on this crew, lass,” Cookie said. “The first person to join, after the founding members. At the beginning, we had one mission: Keep Sasha Fed. There is nothing I value more highly than that mission. I live for it, and if I’m blessed with the chance, I will happily die for it. We may have expanded the definition of ‘Sasha’ to include everyone we love, but this mission is and will always be my life’s labor. Food doesn’t just sustain us. It is love, in physical form. The Captain and the First Mate have been very gracious to me, in the time we’ve known each other, by allowing me to show them my love and devotion in the way I’m able to offer. Over the last nine months, they have shown me the devotion was not one-sided, and given me the love I was able to accept. So your mission is, as it always has been: get in the kitchen, and show your love to the crew. Fill their bowls with it, in the way only you can, with or without me. And when your cup is empty…”

Cookie choked up a bit, and did a halfway decent job masking it.

“...When your cup is empty, allow those who love you to fill it back up, until you’re ready to pour from it again.”

After a long, uncomfortable beat, her crew shouted back “Yes, Chef!”

“I have been derelict in my duties,” Cookie said. “I let you go this many months without loving one another properly, because you wouldn’t do it without me.”

“Chef, permission to speak freely?” One of her younger apprentices, a quiet young boy who specialized in pastries, piped up.

“Granted,” Cookie said.

“You never ordered us not to run the kitchens without you. In fact, before…” He paused carefully, then opted to leave it unsaid, “before, you always taught us how to take the lead for the rest of the crew, when you had to cook for the Captain’s table. We wouldn’t run the kitchens without your say-so because…”

“It’s okay, lad, no need to be scared of the likes of me,” she reassured him.

“We were ordered not to,” he told her. “The Captain was very clear: ‘There’s no crew without Cookie.’”

Cookie leaned on her cane and looked a bit sad.

“She couldn’t handle it, Chef,” Yellow explained. “Knowing somebody else was doing your work, while you were suffering the way you were.”

Now Cookie could feel her heart melt. “She said that, did she?”

The young baker boy winced. “She said that there’s nothing more important than the work you do, and that everything the crew does, is just so you can do it,” he said. “She said… well, she said she was derelict in her duty to you, and that she couldn’t replace you until she’d made it right. Until you’d forgiven her for letting you down.”

Cookie laughed. “We’ve known each other a long time, indeed,” she said. “The captain is a sentimental one, I’m afraid. She blames herself for all this. For my condition. Don’t tell her I said this, but she’s still more Catholic than she’d like to admit.”

Everyone’s eyes flared at this. Of course none of them would tell her she’d said that, as they all valued keeping their heads attached to their necks too much. Cookie was one of the only people in the system who could get away with saying something like that in front of Ariadne.

“She could never let me down if she tried,” Cookie said, “and even if she did, I will always forgive her. That you can repeat to her. Now, that’s enough prattling on from an old fool. You all have restaurants to open. To work!”

“Yes, Chef!” Her apprentices all shouted, and broke formation to claim their restaurants.

“And remember,” she shouted after them. “If you talk to the Captain, this was her idea!”

She had, in fact, passed her forgiveness along to Ariadne the previous day, before her surgery, and assured her that she didn’t need forgiveness, the same way Pilar had done to her. After her procedure, Ariadne wouldn’t remember Cookie giving her consent to reopen the kitchens, but she was delighted that when she came out of it, she seemingly remembered, on some level, that she had been absolved of all wrongdoing.

She was relieved when, during the fight Alicia staged with her, Ariadne had suggested they put her apprentices to work in the kitchens. Despite being set back several months, she was done punishing herself, and letting everyone else punish themselves with her. It was a do-over many were not fortunate enough to get, and after all she’d lost, Aoibheann was not one to turn her nose up at a second chance.

****

Months later, when all this was over and Sasha’s medicine and a lot of good eating had restored her muscles into mostly proper working order-- she still felt uneasy at times, and preferred to keep the cane on hand, just in case-- they were repatriated to their home, the Nameless had been defeated, and the station had erupted into a celebratory frenzy. Yellow and the kitchen staff had burned the candle at both ends to supply enough party snacks to keep anyone from drowning in all the wine. Two former crew members, Baltimore and Beam, had returned to the station to join in the celebrations. Sweettalk and Sasha had, believing themselves slick, pulled Ghostrunner and her new girlfriend Vigil back to their quarters. Alicia had brought Blue back to the station and, in the haze of wine, loudly announced her intention to start a relationship with her, before disappearing back to her own quarters. Cookie and Blue had, despite their past rivalry, a deep, abiding respect for one another, and Blue was one of the few people who was authorized to do as she pleased in the kitchen. Cookie knew firsthand that after Blue’s enthusiastic and athletic lovemaking, she would likely need something to eat, and a bit more wine, so she’d set a bottle of red and a bowl of fresh mozzarella in conspicuous locations in the hopes that she would find them. Cookie was, uncharacteristically, not in the kitchen that night.

If she had learned anything from the past year, it was that she had to sometimes set the weight of the world down, and allow the people she loved to take care of her as much as she took care of them. So, as had become tradition, once per month, she would retire to the Captain’s quarters instead of her own, and allow her friends to show them how much they loved her. Pilar spent the day marinating meats, just the way Cookie had taught her, and Ariadne had built a heating element into her personal dining table so that Pilar could cook them some of Cookie’s favorite foods.

They would then retire to the bedroom for a night of passion-- Ariadne always had some new device she’d built and wanted to show off. Being married to Spacebreather, she was in the unfortunate position of being a bit of a pillow princess, but not on pillow principle, and so never had anyone else to use it on, and Cookie was the only person other than Ariadne who Spacebreather was willing to touch. They would spend this time laughing, and experimenting, and making sure not an inch of her, or the captain, went unkissed, and then they would fall asleep in each other’s arms, all the while gossiping and reminiscing the way they had back on Mars.

Sometimes, on these nights, Cookie would think back to what Spacebreather said to her, during her episode, about how if she ever wanted something more between them, she could have it.

The thing was, she didn’t want something more. She treasured these nights they had together, but as far as she was concerned, nothing had changed about what they were to her. They were her best friends, and they were her calling in life. She would, to the best of her ability, serve their mission with almost religious zeal. Even unto her death, she would prioritize keeping her loved ones happy and healthy. She had already loved them, more, she believed, than she could ever love anyone else, even when they had started an exclusive relationship with one another, and she was just a heartbroken teenager pining after them both. How could she want something more, when she couldn’t even imagine something better than what she already had?

The first time the three of them had ever fallen into bed together, years after Ariadne and Pilar had made it clear they were soulmates, they had been a ball of teenage hormones, propelled by a raunchy party game that had gotten a bit out of hand. Aoibheann had awoken mortified and furious at herself for daring to succumb to her own desires like this. Her whole life, whenever she’d allowed herself to love something, it was taken away, and that only when she accepted that something was beyond her grasp, would she stand a chance of being lucky enough to attain it. She was sure that by admitting to her wants, and acting on them, she had ruined everything. Except, Ariadne and Pilar noticed her embarrassment and simply chose to behave as though nothing had changed. It had happened only occasionally in the past, and each time, Ariadne and Pilar would wait for Cookie to bring it up. Otherwise, it was completely unspoken.

The one crucial difference was, now, Aoibheann “Cookie” Gyeong, once the saddest girl on Mars, had finally accepted that it was okay to want, and to act on those wants, that this was not following the goblin lights to her death as her mother had. She, who loved her life so much that she shut down for the better part of a year when she feared it had changed irreparably, spent most of her time refusing to acknowledge what she loved about it. She did her job, showed her love, and asked for nothing in return except for the ability to keep doing it.

“You know,” Ariadne said, running her fingers through Aoibheann’s long, smooth, bright red hair, as a sleeping Pilar cradled them both in her arms, “we don’t do any of this for you. We do it because we like doing it. It’s fun for us.”

Cookie laughed. “Oh, I hadn’t noticed,” she quipped.

Ariadne smiled, and told her something she’d waited years to be sure Cookie would be ready to hear. “Thank you,” she said, “for being my friend. For loving me. For making what we do worth it.”

Aoibheann shot a smile right back. “I could say the same to you.”

[daleeltrading]

Low Voltage Switchgear for Commercial Buildings: Key Requirements, Standards, and Best Practices

In the construction and modernization of commercial buildings, low voltage switchgear plays a critical role in ensuring safe, reliable, and efficient power distribution. From office complexes and retail malls to hospitals and data centers, these buildings rely on robust electrical infrastructure — and low voltage switchgear is the backbone of that system.

Whether you’re an electrical panel manufacturer, a building contractor, or a facility manager, understanding the key requirements for selecting and integrating LV switchgear in commercial buildings is essential.

What Is Low Voltage Switchgear?

Low voltage switchgear is an assembly of electrical devices designed to control, protect, and isolate electrical circuits under 1,000V AC. It typically includes:

· Air Circuit Breakers (ACBs)

· Molded Case Circuit Breakers (MCCBs)

· Miniature Circuit Breakers (MCBs)

· Contactors and Relays

· Busbars

· Metering and Protection Devices

Why LV Switchgear Is Critical in Commercial Buildings

Commercial buildings demand:

· Continuous power availability

· High energy efficiency

· Electrical safety for occupants

· Scalability for future expansion

Low voltage switchgear delivers:

· Protection against overloads and short circuits

· Isolation for maintenance and fault conditions

· Load management for energy optimization

· Monitoring via smart metering and IoT integration

Key Requirements for LV Switchgear in Commercial Applications

Safety & Protection Standards

Must comply with IEC 61439 or UL 891 depending on the region

Must include overcurrent, short-circuit, and earth fault protection

Arc flash safety features (like arc fault containment) are crucial in populated buildings

2. Compact Footprint and Modular Design

Space is often limited in commercial utility rooms. LV switchgear should be:

Compact to fit tight electrical rooms

Modular for easy expansion as building loads increase

3. Smart Metering and Monitoring

Today’s commercial buildings demand energy-efficient and intelligent systems. Choose LV switchgear with:

Integrated smart meters

IoT-based energy monitoring

Remote control via BMS (Building Management Systems)

4. High Service Continuity (Form Segregation)

To ensure maintenance without full shutdowns, opt for:

Form 3b or Form 4b segregation

Withdrawable ACBs or MCCBs

Dual incomer and bus coupler arrangements for redundancy

5. Scalability and Flexibility

Commercial facilities evolve. Your switchgear must too:

Allow for load expansion

Be compatible with renewable sources (like solar panels)

Support future retrofits and upgrades

Standards to Follow

Ensure LV switchgear in commercial buildings is compliant with:

IEC 61439–1/2 — General and Power Switchgear Assemblies

UL 891 — US Standard for Dead-Front Switchboards

NEC (National Electrical Code) or local building codes

Also factor in:

Ingress Protection (IP Ratings) — IP54/IP65 for dusty or humid environments

Short Circuit Withstand Ratings — Ensure it matches building fault levels

Best Practices for Installation in Commercial Building

Centralize the switchgear for easy maintenance and reduced cable runs

Provide ample ventilation or forced cooling

Use color-coded wiring for clear identification

Ensure emergency shutdown mechanisms are accessible

Document the system with single-line diagrams and load calculations

Applications in Commercial Buildings

Office Buildings: Smart load shedding and energy metering

Hospitals: Redundant systems for life safety

Data Centers: N+1 configurations and continuous monitoring

Malls & Retail: Segmented load distribution for different zones

Hotels: Backup and emergency panel integration

Choosing the Right LV Switchgear Partner

Look for a supplier who provides

Customized switchgear assemblies

Fast lead times and local support

Engineering assistance for layout and specs

Pre-tested or type-tested assemblies

Future Trends in Commercial LV Switchgear

Digitization & predictive maintenance

Energy-efficient, low-loss designs

AI-assisted load forecasting

SF6-free eco-friendly designs

Need Help Choosing LV Switchgear for Your Next Commercial Project?

At Daleel Trading, we supply certified, compact, and smart low voltage switchgear solutions tailored for commercial buildings. Whether it’s a small retail site or a multi-floor office tower, we deliver performance, compliance, and reliability — on time.

👉 Contact us today for a quote, a technical consultation, or a custom panel solution.

[mindblowingscience]

Small, low-cost sensors developed by space scientists at The University of Texas at Dallas to study the Earth's upper atmosphere recently—and unexpectedly—provided information about the sun, something the devices were not designed to do. The devices, called ionospheric scintillation monitors, or ScintPi sensors, will be in the spotlight again as UT Dallas researchers deploy them to collect data during the April 8 total solar eclipse and make them available for citizen science projects.

Continue Reading.

[tgrailwar-zero]

Check out the Pad?

It really only seemed to come to life when MUSASHI came in contact with it. You could turn it on, but it seemed like she was the 'passkey'. So, she picked it up and booted it up.

It seemed like you had new messages, and a list of all of your fellow fighters.

-

New Messages: ✴{JAGUAR} - 1 New Message! (Hey, newbie!…) † {FATHER} - 1 New Message! (Hello…)

-

Recent Messages:

🗲 {THUNDR} - Fighter: THUNDERER

-

❀ {JERAN} - Fighter: WINTER PRINCE JERAN ✩ {3STAR} - Fighter: TRI-STAR ☠︎︎ {MNSLYR} - Fighter: MAN-SLAYER ✘ {BLADE} - Fighter: WANDERING BLADE ☕︎ {CHAJIN} - Fighter: CHAJIN ♛ {JISHNU} - Fighter: JISHNU ✴ {EAGLE} - Fighter: CUAUHTLI 🗡{STRONG} - Fighter: STRONG MASK ➶ {KARASU} - Fighter: CROW PRIEST ༄ {MOBYDK} - Fighter: MOBY DICK ⟡ {ADAMAS} - Fighter: ADAMANT 𓆟 {WTRREV} - Fighter: WATERSIDE REVENANT 𖦹 {TWISTR} - Fighter: FLESH-TWISTER ☀︎ {CITT} - Fighter: SUN SOLDIER

-

MUSASHI opened up the two new messages, reading the one from 'JAGUAR' first.

--

-{JAGUAR}: -- [ Hey, newbie! So, you've got yourself a fancy new Flame Pad, made especially for fighters in the Flaming Bout! Maybe talk strategy, or just about fighting, or about whatever else comes to mind. I dunno. We're supposed to be monitoring these, but isn't that kind of creepy? I do scroll through the logs once everything's over. MAN there's some juicy stuff in those. I totally won't do it this time though, so just message people as you usually would. Best of luck! I've got high hopes for you! DON'T DISAPPOINT! You got picked because you're powerful, so I don't wanna see any slackers! This is serious stuff, and I wanna see that 24/7! Got that?! No playing around! PS: Anywaaaaays! There's a cute little cafe that's super nice? Wanna go? ( ⸝⸝´꒳`⸝⸝) I'll totally send you an invite after matches! Bye bye~! ( ˶ˆᗜˆ˵ ) ]

--

MUSASHI closed the message, before opening the next one.

-- -{FATHER} -- [ Hello. This is Father Kotomine, one of the War Monitors. I will have the privilege of being the Overseer and referee for this event. How exciting. I will explain match rules when they begin, however there are three simple rules for your conduct when not engaged in fighting. 1. Remember your curfew, and do not leave arena premises after dark. 2. Be on time for your matches. Excessive lateness will count as a loss for the tardy individual. 3. Do not attempt to kill each other between matches. For number three, I would add the addendum 'at least where people can see'. Hahaha. That was a joke. If you are caught breaking those rules and reported to myself or Miss 'Jaguar Man' with proper proof, you will be punished for your infractions. Feel free to message me with any questions or concerns. Thank you. Best of luck in this Flaming Bout. ]

-

MUSASHI closed the Flame Pad, and returned it to the shared Inventory.

MUSASHI: "Hm. I'd assume 'Chajin' would be the tea master, Rikyu. Assassin would be 'Man-Slayer', Pretender is 'Jeran', Duryodhana is 'Jishnu'… Orion is 'Tri-Star'? The rest… I don't have a clue. I guess they're Solar Cell natives? That'd be my best bet."

MUSASHI: "Oh, and Moby Dick seems self-explanatory, I guess."

MUSASHI: "Anyways, this is my personal device, so if you're going to message people on it… be clear that it's you- my 'Manager'- speaking. So that if you say something weird and dumb, nobody thinks it's actually me being weird and dumb."

[ofsunnydays-and-moonlitnights]

The scene was nothing short of horrifying... Especially when she realized that with the placement of the net... The boyus and the way it was attached to the rocks... It was delebrate... She shook her head and started swimmimg over with her knife out. First things first was to rescue the Mers, they could deal with the sicko's who set this later.

Coming closer it looks like a 3 layerd gillnet, the weave smaller in the center net.

The first Mer you come to has it's head stuck in the net it could just be your imagination but it looks... it could have just torn but you swear the holes in the net could have been cut right to the perfect size to fit a mer head in. You see hints of bait in the middle net. If their weren't trackers and monitoring devices on these mers... you don't even want to think about it.

This Solar mer looks like he'll need medical treatment. You prepare to flip it over as you cut the last string but he dashes passed you, knocking your knife out of your hand.

"Woah." A voice behind. Yun carefully handles the mer, turning it over sending it into a state of tonic immobility. They send you a quick thumbs up before continuing to free more mers.