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Utilities have used oil-insulated switchgear for decades. However, this switchgear requires hefty and frequent maintenance cycles, which leads to high operational costs and opens the risk of operational error for crews.

Utilities are also facing greater pressure to transition to eco-friendly insulation technologies to meet their own sustainability goals and a changing regulatory landscape. Usually, these regulations call for hermetically-sealed gear or the elimination of greenhouse gases.

S&C’s underground distribution switchgear products are designed for the ease and safety of crews and to minimize overall maintenance. With a variety of insulation options, these products also address environmental challenges that are arising with the evolution of the modern grid.

Product Overview

green pad-mounted underground distribution switchgear

Vista Underground Distribution Switchgear

Vista switchgear solves difficult switching and protection challenges and improves reliability using SF6 insulating gas. Built with the user in mind, it only takes one person to operate, and includes other features designed for operator safety, such as highly visible gaps.

Vista Green Unit

Vista Green Underground Distribution Switchgear

Vista Green switchgear provides the same features and design and reliability benefits of Vista switchgear without the SF6 gas. This eco-friendly alternative is instead hermetically sealed with a mixture of 3M™ Novec™ 4710 Insulating Gas* and CO2, reducing its total carbon footprint by 97% compared to SF6 switchgear.

 Zero emissions solid dielectric pad, live front switchgear, zero emissions, solid dielectric, vault mounted

Vista SD Underground Distribution Switchgear

Vista SD switchgear is another eco-friendly option that uses solid-dielectric material instead of an insulating gas. With its highly visible breaks, flexible design, and front-facing terminations, this switchgear is particularly advantageous in vault applications and at higher altitudes.

Construction & Design

Explore the construction and key features of this product using the 3D product viewer below. For instructions on how to use the viewer, click the Help button next to the black question mark icon.

Why Go Green?

Vista Green switchgear helps utilities reach their sustainability goals while including all the operational and design benefits of Vista switchgear. Vista Green switchgear uses a hermetically sealed CO2 mix instead of SF6 gas, along with vacuum interrupters. When factoring in the total greenhouse gas emissions produced over the lifecycle of the product, Vista Green switchgear has a 97% lower global warming potential than SF6 switchgear.

Advantages

Vista, Vista Green, and Vista SD switchgear are built to minimize reliability risks and deliver significant cost savings.

Withstands harsh environments

Withstands harsh environments

Fully submersible, sealed, and protected

Fully submersible, sealed, and protected

Reduces maintenance costs

Reduces maintenance costs

Improves reliability over live-front switchgear

Improves reliability over oil-insulated switchgear

Arc Resistant

Certified arc-resistant*

One-hand operation

Simple operation

No fuse handling

No fuse handling

Leaf Icon

Green insulation technology**

*Applies to Vista and Vista Green switchgear only.
**Applies to Vista Green and Vista SD switchgear only.

Guidebooks

Are you considering alternatives to oil-insulated switchgear? The guidebook summarizes how making the switch from oil-insulated switchgear to Vista, Vista Green, or Vista SD switchgear can be advantageous from an operational and maintenance standpoint.

View or Download PDF

Features

Zero Emissions

Green Insulation Technology

Insulation has drastically reduced or zero global-warming potential.*

Manual or Automatic

Manual or Automatic

Choose automatic, manual, or remote operational capabilities with a motor operator.

Dust, Corrosion and Leak-Proof

Dust, Corrosion & Leak-Proof

Prevent leaking, rusting, or contamination to switchgear with a sealed design.

Foot print icon

Smaller Footprint

The switchgear's compact, low-profile design minimizes footprint.

Visible Open Gap

Visible Open Gap

Easily confirm closed, open, and grounded** positions through large viewing windows.

Multiple Installation Styles

Multiple Installation Styles

Choose from pad-mounted, vault-mounted, single-way wind-turbine**, or UnderCoverTM style** units.

Cable-Free Grounding

No External Grounds

Ground medium-voltage cables using a standard internal ground switch. External grounds are not required.**

Low Maintenance

Low Maintenance

Minimal mechanical maintenance is required once a unit is installed; only an annual visual inspection is recommended.

Overcurrent Control

Overcurrent Control

Superior coordination, flexibility, and reliability are made possible with a self-powered and user-friendly control.

*Applies to Vista Green and Vista SD switchgear only.
**Applies to Vista switchgear only.

Case Studies

Customer successes achieved using Vista, Vista Green, or Vista SD switchgear.

West Coast Utility

Improved reliability and perfect coordination, while use of UnderCover Style units makes switchgear virtually invisible in the community.

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Midwest Utility

Improved reliability, while sectionalizing and coordination are provided with the existing scheme.

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Arizona Utility

Utility standardizes Vista switchgear on its system after this project’s success.

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Product Details

Vista OCC

Vista, Vista Green, and Vista SD switchgear are furnished with fault-interrupter ways includes a unique microprocessor-based overcurrent control that detects faults and initiates operation of the resettable fault interrupters. Program the control in the shop or in the field using your personal computer via an easily connected USB port. The control offers exceptional flexibility and reliability, and it includes features unavailable in other manufacturers’ devices—or only available at substantial extra cost:

  • Five families of curves: Standard “E,” “K,” and “T” speed curves are supported plus special customizable “coordinating-speed” tap and main curves.
  • Superior coordination with upstream protective devices and downstream power fuses: Coordinating-speed curves provide optimal coordination on underground distribution systems.
  • Custom curve attributes: Coordinating-speed curves can be easily modified to include two separate definite-time delays.
  • Separate phase and ground curves are standard: This enables better coordination with source-side breaker trip settings. Negative sequence and sensitive earth fault protection settings are also provided.
  • No extra “wake-up” time: If a fault-interrupter way is closed into a fault, the fault interrupter will trip and clear the fault per the selected TCC, with no additional delay.
  • Self-powered: Current transformers on fault-interrupter ways provide sensing and power. No batteries or battery maintenance is needed.
  • Simple and straightforward programming and access to status information: All programming software is stored in the control. Programming is completed via a browser-based user interface.
  • Event log: The log captures information on the last 64 events captured by the control.
  • Diagnostic information: Data is available to assess the status of the control.
  • Optional external trip provisions for additional functionality: Input from external sources such as transformer sudden-pressure relays can also trip the fault interrupters.

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