THIS DIGITAL CIRCUIT BREAKER IS THE FUTURE

Three thousand times as fast as the fastest mechanical breaker, this innovation could radically alter how we manage power.

IN MAY 2019, THE WORLD’S FIRST AND ONLY DIGITAL CIRCUIT BREAKER WAS CERTIFIED FOR COMMERCIAL USE.

The technology, invented by Atom Power, is not only 3 000 times as fast as the speediest mechanical breaker, but it could make power management simpler, more accessible, and more efficient on a scale far beyond the fuse box on your distribution board. Picture your circuit-breaker panel. Each switch is assigned to a different electrical component of your home, and when a circuit in any of those components becomes overloaded, the breaker throws the switch to cut off power and prevent overheating. That’s when you traipse to your mechanical room and flick the switch on again. Multiply that system for city high-rises and industrial buildings. These might have 250 circuit breakers on any given floor, each ranging from 15 to 4 000 amps. At this scale, the limitations and dangers of a manual power system become much more evident, and costly.