Uninterrupted Power Supply (UPS): Ensuring Reliable Power Backup
Power reliability is a major consideration as blackouts, brownouts, or power surges are becoming more prevalent. Even small interruptions may have large revenue impacts due to equipment shutdown, computer restarts, or even potential damages. Having a proper backup plan to prevent any disruptions and continue your operations seamlessly is what makes all the difference. Even with a generator, it takes a few moments to get up to speed and ready to power equipment. When you have important equipment that doesn’t do well with power fluctuations, that’s where an Uninterrupted Power Supply (UPS) comes in. UPS systems provide essential short-term backup power during blackouts or voltage fluctuations, allowing enough time to switch to a secondary power source or to shut down your systems safely. Let’s look into what a UPS can do for you.
What is an Uninterrupted Power Supply (UPS)?
UPS systems function by converting direct current (DC) power from batteries to alternating current (AC) power to be used by internal systems and equipment. There are two types of UPS systems, offline and online. Offline UPS systems are the most common type and are budget-friendly, which rapidly swap to a battery during power disruptions for a limited time. These types of UPS systems tend to be smaller and are commonly used to support individual office computers. An online UPS system is more expensive but is directly integrated into the power feeding into the building. This system acts as an intermediary from the utility to the loads supplied, being charged by the incoming feed while providing power to the facility. During a loss of power, there is no interruption of power as the UPS batteries are always supplying power, with no switching, upon an outage.
The benefit stems from providing seamless power backup for your electronics, workstation, or even an entire building, with little to no fluctuation in voltage and current for short durations. This ensures operations won’t be disrupted, allowing for continued equipment use without the worry of losing data or information. Most UPS systems also provide protection against power surges or other electrical issues that could cause permanent damage to your devices. Higher-end UPS systems can come with software that allows remote monitoring, providing you with detailed insights about power usage, battery backup run time, estimated life, and outage notification.
When selecting a UPS system, there are certain criteria you should consider:
Load type
Determining the sensitivity to voltage fluctuations of the equipment being supplied will dictate the requirement for a more seamless transition of power (online vs. offline UPS).
Priority assessment
Separating vital and non-vital loads to best determine how much load you need to have covered by the UPS system.
Duration calculation
Finding the minimum amount of time needed for the capacity required to place your equipment into a safe state or allow for emergency power to take over.
Contrary to popular belief, UPS systems do need regular maintenance, requiring service at least annually by experienced technicians, and replacement before end-of-life breakdown; depending on the shelf life of the purchased system.
The Perfect Combination
It is important to note that while a UPS system may assist in holding you over for a few critical hours, it is a finite source of power. Utilizing a generator in tandem with the UPS system, you can ensure that even the longest outages won’t impact your business. An installed UPS system reinforced with a backup power generator will create a powerful combination to keep your business up and running at all times. As a trusted provider of standby power generators for businesses of all sizes, Industrial Energy Applications (IEA) will work with you to determine the best UPS, Generator, or combination system to fit your needs. As well as offering asset management for real-time monitoring services and around-the-clock support. Let us help your business become power resilient and provide you with dependable energy when you need it most. Contact IEA today to learn more.