For many businesses the thought of losing power is unthinkable. It can be financially crippling to a wide range of businesses and organisations as downtime can cost big money. And that’s before even considering having to let down customers who are relying on their requirements being met.
Problems Caused By a Power Failure
The problems are often caused by a power failure, which can wipe out the electricity of a whole community in one go.
Weather is the usual issue, and Australia has its fair share of extreme conditions to deal with.
Lightning storms, and high winds, as well as torrential rain can be a real hazard to power supplies, as can accidents that sometimes bring the lines down.
Importance of a Reliable Power Supply
Some businesses rely upon the reliability of their computer network, so imagine the issues that they will face if they lose data, aside from the possibility of criminality taking advantage of a power outage.
Voltage fluctuations or blackouts are certainly not welcome for those with security systems, again offering opportunities for wrongdoing.
The routers and modems forming wireless networking equipment need to be running all the time for many organisations to function properly.
What is The Solution?
Fortunately, a solution is at hand, for those who decide to invest in an APC UPS which ensures that televisions or mobile devices are not left without power.
A UPS system, with APS being a leading brand with a wide range of models to suit all requirements when purchased from a leading provider, guarantees an uninterruptible power supply.
They protect electronics and kick into action whenever the power fluctuates outside safe levels or fails completely.
Data centres can be protected reliably along with networks and servers providing peace of mind to managers investing in such an asset which can save them immeasurable time and money.
Factors to Consider When Purchasing a UPS
Before deciding to make a purchase, there are many factors to consider, which will include the financial ramifications to the business suffering any downtime, and whether a generator is also available as an alternative means of providing safe backup power.
Backup Protection Requirements
The first consideration is which devices or networks require backup protection. That will enable a calculation to be made to the size of the UPS that is needed, with experts recommending something over 25% of capacity offering a sensible safeguard.
Of course, if not sure which to choose, speaking to dedicated professionals in the industry makes sense so that they can offer their best advice learned through experience. They may even be able to offer guidance on how to install an electric vehicle charger.
Power Consumption
The power consumption of each device can be found by checking documentation or the equipment nameplate. The required UPS capacity is the sum of the devices requiring the backup power plus 25%.
Runtime
Another huge factor is coming up with the runtime that the UPS will be required to step into action for.
Those with a generator might only require a UPS to run for 5 minutes, whereas those who primarily want to be able to shut down servers and workstations, may require their system to provide safe power for 10 minutes.
Alternatively, up to 2 hours might be required when relying on power for applications, like networks and Internet access.
That should be enough time for the emergency engineers to have fixed the larger problem affecting the normal electrical source.
If multiple pieces of equipment will be reliant on the UPS, the shorter the runtime will be. Therefore, the addition of an extra UPS might be necessary for extra applications.
Number of Outlets
Ensuring that the UPS that is chosen has enough outlets to meet the requirements of the equipment that it will serve is important.
While a power distribution unit (PDU) can use one of the outlets to then serve extra equipment, there is the danger of overloading the UPS which will then restrict its effectiveness, or even worse create dangerous issues.
Ensuring that the system being purchased contains the features that are required is prudent business, such as ensuring that the outlets provide battery backup and not just support surge protection. Perhaps, once the right UPS has been bought and is in place, a team bonding exercise going paintballing might boost employee morale.
Space and Environment
The space and environment where the UPS will be placed also play a part in the decision-making process.
A UPS that will serve an office desktop computer, server, or router in an office environment should be fine with a tower model. These are stand-alone units and can be placed on the floor, on shelves, or on a desk.
The other generally found type of UPS, the rack mount version, varies in size, with the several vertical slots it uses in the rack determining its height. They are usually designed to fit the standard IT rack provided by most suppliers.
A UPS that is designed to use a traditional lead-acid battery is larger and heavier than one for the intention of utilising a lithium-ion battery. This should be taken into consideration before choosing which will offer the best option in the available space.
Extra Features
Extra features can also determine which is the best UPS for each required scenario. Sometimes a UPS will be located where there are no IT staff on site.
However, by installing a system with remote management and monitoring as part of its makeup will allow a constant watch of it, which can include being notified when a new battery is required.
Those with remote functionality enable monitoring, off-site of the UPS including being informed of its energy usage.
An LCD panel might be deemed as worthwhile, which is offered with some UPS models while being able to replace and source replacement batteries without hassle must also be considered.
Those with a removable panel make the process easier rather than requiring expert assistance.
Last Words
Energy savings can be made if buying a UPS with an ECO-mode, providing value for money as well as backup security.
A UPS will save any business time and money when normal power is unavailable, but it is important to carefully consider which one suits all its requirements.
Farhan Iqbal, a professional freelance writer specializing in technology and informational articles.
Farhan has a Bachelor’s in English Literature and a Master’s in Communications. His expertise includes Writing and Research Skills.
He loves to research & write blogs for people. He’s got a knack for making every topic easy to understand and enjoyable to learn about through his articles on infozone24.com.
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