MV vs LV Switchgear: Which One Does Your Facility Need?

MV vs LV Switchgear: Which One Does Your Facility Need? One of the most common questions facilities face when planning a new electrical installation or upgrading an existing one is whether they need medium voltage (MV) or low voltage (LV) switchgear or both. The answer depends on where in your power distribution chain the equipment sits, not which one is better. This guide breaks down the difference so you can specify the right equipment the first time.

The Core Difference Between MV vs LV Switchgear

(MV) Medium Voltage switchgear works in the range of about 1 kV to 36 kV. It sits closer to the incoming power source where electricity comes from the grid, a generator or a step down transformer. It handles the higher voltage side of distribution before it is stepped down more for end use equipment.

(LV) Low Voltage switchgear works below 1 kV, usually at 400V or 415V in Pakistan’s standard distribution systems. It sits after the transformer and sends power straight to motors, lighting circuits, machinery and other end use loads.

In short MV switchgear protects the incoming bulk power supply. LV switchgear protects the equipment that actually uses it.

Where Each One Sits in Your Facility

A typical industrial facility’s power distribution chain looks like this:

Grid/Generator → MV Switchgear → Step-Down Transformer → LV Switchgear → End-use loads (motors, lighting, machinery)

This means most industrial facilities in Pakistan like textile mills, cement plants and sugar mills need both not one or the other. MV switchgear protects the incoming supply and the transformer. LV switchgear protects everything after it.

MV Switchgear | When It’s the Priority

Your facility receives power directly from the grid at medium voltage (common for larger industrial and commercial sites)
You operate an on-site generator or captive power plant feeding into your distribution network
You have your own step-down transformer(s) on-site that need upstream protection
You’re designing a new substation or ring main connection

LV Switchgear | When It’s the Priority

You’re distributing power to motors, production lines, HVAC, and lighting after the transformer
You need panel boards or motor control centres (MCCs) for individual equipment protection
Your facility already has MV infrastructure in place and you’re upgrading only the downstream distribution

Comparison at a Glance

	MV Switchgear	LV Switchgear
Voltage range	1 kV – 36 kV	Below 1 kV (typically 400/415V)
Position in system	Upstream (near grid/transformer)	Downstream (near end-use loads)
Typical use	Incoming supply, transformer protection, ring main connections	Motors, lighting, machinery, panel boards
Common in	Substations, large industrial plants	Every facility with electrical distribution

Do You Need Both?

If your facility operates its own transformer like which most textile mills, cement plants, and sugar mills in Pakistan do then you need MV switchgear to protect the incoming/transformer side and LV switchgear to protect everything downstream. They’re not competing choices; they’re two stages of the same protection chain, and getting either one wrong leaves a gap in your fault protection.

If you’re unsure which stage of your distribution system needs attention, the safest starting point is a site assessment like reviewing your single line diagram (SLD) against your actual load profile will show exactly where MV and LV equipment is needed and whether your existing setup has any gaps.

Talk to FICO Engineering

FICO Engineering manufactures both MV and LV switchgear panels from its Gujranwala facility, backed by in-house engineering services like system design, SLDs, BOQs, and protection scheme design, so your MV and LV equipment is specified to work together as one system, not as separate purchases.