TechCapsules

AI-summarised brief · reviewed before publication

A maintenance manager in India repeatedly replaced a programmable logic controller (PLC) that kept failing, only to discover weeks later that a sub‑millisecond transient voltage surge—too brief for standard meters—was the cause. Schneider Electric’s Vice President Amit Sharma says the incident illustrates a growing, underestimated risk: power‑quality disturbances that can instantly cripple AI‑driven systems such as hyperscale data centres, semiconductor fabs, automated factories, EV‑charging networks and renewable installations. As the nation expands its digital and manufacturing infrastructure, the legacy grid, designed for steady loads, struggles to meet the demand for clean, stable electricity. Sharma warns that power‑quality issues have shifted from a purely technical concern to a business‑continuity and competitive‑advantage factor, with compliance now tied to financial metrics like kVAh billing and IEEE 519 harmonics standards.