In recent years installing switchboards outdoors has become popular, as space within electrical rooms increasingly becomes more limited, leaving your valuable assets vulnerable to nature’s elements. Some switchboards are not designed to withstand these elements, putting the switchboard at risk of water damage, erosion, and overheating. This can lead to damage of your electrical assets, or in some (extreme) cases a potential failure of your electrical system.

When installing an outdoor switchboard, the minimum IP rating allowed in accordance with AS/NZS 61439 is IP23 if no supplementary protection is provided, and no agreement is made between the manufacturer and the user. However, the Australian market expectation is a rating of IP56 for outdoor assemblies which may have factored in the local weather conditions.

It is highly recommended to look at all environmental factors when selecting what IP rated enclosure you will require for your switchboard, including:

• Is there a high presence of dust in the location?
• Is the enclosure sitting in direct sunlight, for example, in the desert?
• Are you installing a switchboard in areas with high humidity and temperature?
• Is the enclosure in a coastal sitting, or in an area where there is high volume of salt in the air?
• Is water damage from flooding likely?

Each of these factors will play a critical role in selecting the correct IP rated enclosure for your switchboard to ensure it provides you with the right level of protection, and the IP rating will reflect the conditions the switchboard will be most suited to. It is important to note that a higher rated switchboard will be able to resist more environmental conditions, but it will most likely be necessary to adjust the current rating of the switchboard along with copper busbar sizes to compensate for the higher IP rating.

Another aspect to consider when selecting the right switchboard system for your environment is the type of material used to build the enclosure. Some of the available options to choose from include mild steel, aluminum, and stainless steel. For example, mild steel may not be the best option, if the outdoor switchboard is being installed in a coastal environment as the salt in the air will put the enclosure at a higher risk of being corroded quickly.

At IPD, we take all environmental factors into consideration in the design stage to find the right combination that can cater to all environmental factors when installing an outdoor weatherproof switchboard.

Introducing IPD’s EXT56 outdoor switchboard solution.

This solution has been tested and certified for use in outdoor applications and complies with AS/NZS 61439-1&2:2016 Design Verification Standards. The EXT56 is built from marine-grade aluminum, to assist in the protection from nature’s natural elements and has an IP rating of IP56. The enclosure has been adapted to suit the highly popular Techno modular system (available exclusively from IPD) and is supplied flat pack for quick and easy assembly

EXT56 has been supplied to several installations around the country, highlighting the design features of this solution to cater to a wide range of outdoor applications and environmental conditions. The sealing gaskets are temperature rated for -40 degrees Celsius up to105 degrees Celsius continuous, while the water tightness is achieved at 10% compression. The EXT56 switchboard solution is also rated for operational voltages of 1000V. The solution is available in stainless steel as an option.

Want more information on the EXT56 switchboard solution? Contact your local IPD representative on 1300 556 601 or customerservice@ipd.com.au