By: Suvern Moodley - EcoConsult Business Development Manager, Field Services Anglophone Africa at Schneider Electric

Innovative electrical design software is no longer a luxury but a strategic imperative. These platforms empower engineers and project leaders to model, simulate, and analyse complex electrical systems with precision, enabling risk mitigation and informed decision-making.

By identifying potential hazards such as electric shocks, fire risks and equipment failures before they occur, it safeguards personnel, protects critical assets and ensures uninterrupted operations. The result is not just enhanced safety and reliability, but also improved compliance, reduced downtime, and stronger long-term planning, which form the key pillars of sustainable infrastructure delivery.

Through advanced modelling, calculation and simulation, Schneider Electric’s Electrical Transient Analyser Programme ETAP enables us to proactively identify and mitigate electrical risks before they occur. It supports reliability studies by analysing scenarios like Mean Time to Failure (MTTF) and Mean Time to Repair (MTTR), helping us anticipate equipment breakdowns and plan for contingencies such as power outages and production downtime.

Providing a safe working environment 

In addition to reliability assessments, ETAP also facilitates critical safety evaluations, including arc flash studies. These are essential for compliance with the Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) Act, ensuring that employers provide a safe working environment free from life-threatening hazards and unnecessary exposure to risk.

What sets ETAP apart is its proactive approach. By generating insights ahead of time, before teams are even on site, it empowers us with situational awareness and informed decision-making. This foresight enhances both operational safety and continuity, aligning with our commitment to excellence and stakeholder assurance.

Traditionally, electrical design tools are used at the conceptual stage, where engineers model and plan system architecture. Once a facility is operational, Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) systems take over, allowing operators to monitor and control real-time performance. However, this handover often creates a disconnect as SCADA tools are limited in their ability to address compliance, energy efficiency, predictive maintenance and downtime planning.

The bridge between design and operation

This is where ETAP comes in, strategically bridging the gap between design and operation. By integrating real-time data with simulation capabilities, ETAP enables teams to run offline studies using actual facility parameters.

This forms the basis of a digital twin: a virtual replica of the physical system that mirrors its behaviour, performance, and risks. Digital twin technology offers a powerful advantage in modern infrastructure planning as it mirrors the exact electrical and operational parameters of a physical facility, enabling simulation without direct exposure to the site.

This virtual replica allows engineers and operators to run scenario analyses and stress tests on the system design, using real-world data to evaluate performance under extreme conditions. By leveraging digital twin technology, we move from reactive troubleshooting to proactive engineering, delivering smarter, safer and more resilient infrastructure outcomes.

Aligned with global electrical standards

Additionally, ETAP is purpose-built to align with evolving global electrical standards, including SANS, IEC, ANSI, and NZS. These standards are governed by rigorously defined principles and formulas, which are embedded directly into ETAP’s simulation algorithms. This ensures that every design calculation, whether for single-phase or three-phase systems, adheres to internationally recognised compliance frameworks.

Schneider Electric’s recently launched Innovation Hub now provides a dedicated space where customers can experience ETAP firsthand through practical demonstrations. Visitors are encouraged to interact with the Field Services team, explore the functionalities of ETAP, and learn how this innovative software enhances electrical system design and management.

As we shift into the digital era, tools like ETAP are transforming how we think about electrical documentation and system intelligence. Instead of relying on static paper drawings, ETAP enables dynamic, data-driven modelling that reflects real-time conditions and future scenarios. It is not just a drawing but a living, breathing simulation of the facility.