Switchgear · Busbar · MCC · Substation
Switchgear & Busbar Condition Monitoring
Catch a hot connection before it takes the line down.
In switchgear, MCCs, busway, and substations, heat is the first warning of a failing joint. A loose or corroded connection raises resistance, resistance makes heat, and heat ends in an arc flash or an unplanned outage. Continuous non-contact and contact temperature monitoring turns that failure into a scheduled maintenance ticket.
The stakes
Three ways an unmonitored connection bites
Loose joints quietly cook
Vibration, thermal cycling, and torque relaxation loosen bolted busbar joints over time. Resistance climbs, the connection heats, and oxidation accelerates the decline, all behind a closed, energized panel you can't safely open.
Heat becomes a hazard
A connection running hundreds of degrees over ambient is on a path to insulation breakdown and arc flash: a life-safety event and a destroyed lineup. The temperature rise is measurable long before the failure.
Annual thermography misses it
A once-a-year IR survey is only a snapshot. Loads, ambient, and duty cycles change daily. Continuous switchgear temperature monitoring sees the trend and alerts you while there's still time to schedule the repair.
Where to start
Match the method to the points you need to watch
There's no single right sensor for every panel. The decision comes down to how many points you're watching, whether you can get line-of-sight, and whether you want a non-contact or a directly-mounted reading. We stock all three approaches.
A few known points of concern
One breaker, one cable termination, a specific bolted joint you already worry about. You want an affordable, fixed non-contact reading on that exact spot.
→ PyroCouple Infrared SensorA whole zone, hot spot unknown
You want to watch an entire lineup or compartment and have the system find the hottest point for you: non-contact, over a large area, in real time.
→ Xi 80 Thermal CameraMany connections, all the time
Multiple busbar joints across switchgear, MCCs, or a substation that need continuous contact monitoring, including points no camera can see line-of-sight.
→ TG Continuous Busbar System
Solution 01 · Non-contact, single point
PyroCouple Infrared Temperature Sensor
The most affordable way to keep a non-contact eye on a specific point of concern. The PyroCouple is a compact, fixed-mount infrared sensor that reads the surface temperature of a breaker, lug, or bolted connection from a safe distance, with no contact with energized parts. Aim it once at the joint you're worried about and it streams a continuous reading with a 240 ms response time.
It's the right tool when you have one or a few known points to watch rather than a whole zone. Industry-standard 4–20 mA or thermocouple output drops straight into a panel meter, PLC, BAS, or an IoT gateway, and the stainless-steel IP65 body holds up inside electrical enclosures.
Solution 02 · Non-contact, wide area
Xi 80 Compact Thermal Imaging Camera
When you don't yet know where the hot spot is, let the camera find it. The Xi 80 is a fixed-mount infrared camera that watches an entire switchgear compartment or lineup and automatically tracks the hottest point in the scene, at 50 Hz, with no PC required once configured. An 80×80 thermal detector and a measurement range to 900°C mean it catches a developing hot connection anywhere in its field of view, not just where you happened to aim a single sensor.
It runs autonomously and outputs over 0/4–20 mA, plus optional EtherNet/IP, PROFINET, or Modbus TCP for direct PLC and SCADA integration. The rugged IP67 stainless body and remote motorized focus make it a permanent fixture behind guarding or at height. Thermal monitoring of electrical cabinets, switchgear, and busbars is a named application.
Solution 03 · Direct contact, many points
TG Continuous Busbar Temperature Monitoring System
For switchgear, MCCs, busway, and medium-voltage substations with many connections to watch, including points no camera can see line-of-sight, the TG system mounts passive wireless sensors directly on the busbar joints themselves. The sensors are battery-free, so there's nothing to replace inside an energized panel, and they install in minutes without modifying existing infrastructure. A single DIN-rail reader handles up to 48 sensors across 4 antennas.
Because each sensor sits on the connection, you get a true contact temperature for every monitored joint, continuously. It's the foundation of a real predictive-maintenance program for power distribution.
Remote monitoring & alerting
Your readings, wherever your team watches
Every solution on this page is built to get the reading off the panel and in front of someone who can act on it. Each one connects to a PLC, BMS, or SCADA system over standard industrial signals. Add an IoT gateway and any of them can stream to Dasberry Cloud, IOThrifty's own platform, free of charge, for live dashboards, data logging, and email and text alerts.
| PyroCouple IR Sensor | Xi 80 Thermal Camera | TG Busbar System | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Method | Non-contact, fixed point | Non-contact, wide area | Direct-contact, wireless |
| Best for | A few known points of concern | Hot-spot detection over a zone | Many connections, continuously |
| Points covered | 1 per sensor | Whole field of view | Up to 48 per reader |
| Native outputs | 4–20 mA, J/K T/C | 4–20 mA, EtherNet/IP, PROFINET, Modbus TCP | Modbus RTU (RS485), USB |
| Connects to | PLC, BMS, SCADA, or Dasberry Cloud | PLC, BMS, SCADA, or Dasberry Cloud | PLC, BMS, SCADA, or Dasberry Cloud |
Dasberry Cloud is built by IOThrifty and included free of charge, with a perpetual license and no monthly fee.
Why IOThrifty
Built for power infrastructure that can't go dark
Contact & non-contact under one roof
We stock all three approaches and will tell you honestly which one, or which combination, fits your panels.
Free, no-fee cloud
Dasberry Cloud is built by IOThrifty: dashboards, logging, and text alerts with a perpetual license and no monthly fee.
Fits your existing system
4–20 mA, Modbus RTU/TCP, EtherNet/IP, PROFINET: pick the signal your SCADA, BMS, or PLC already speaks.
A US engineer, by name
The same US-based engineer answers your call every time. No menus, no scripts, so you can spec it right the first time.
Not sure which approach fits your switchgear?
Tell us how many points you need to watch and what you're running for controls. We'll map out a solution, and a configuration, that works.
Get started
Let's keep your switchgear cool, connected, and online.
Whether you have one breaker on your mind or a whole substation to instrument, a US-based engineer will help you pick the right sensors, size the system, and get readings flowing to text alerts, SCADA, or BMS.
See switchgear monitoring in action
Tell us a little about your setup and a US-based engineer will reach out to schedule a walkthrough.
Thanks, your request is in.
A US-based engineer will be in touch shortly to set up your switchgear monitoring demo.