Many of us who deal with emergency back-up power are often asked to manage a number of complicated systems that require specific attention to parts, efficiency and power quality. It’s a lot to deal with, and it always helps to have some guidance for understanding the basics of these systems. Here are four main things that you need to understand about UPS systems as an overview.
When a company is deciding on ideal back-up power equipment for their space, they consider many factors, such as the capabilities of the system, how much the system can grow and expand, and what equipment the system will be supporting. One of the more important aspects of this decision is also the system’s overall efficiency. If your UPS is inefficient, it can end up costing your company time and money if it is not properly designed and utilized. Let’s review the concept of efficiency for UPS equipment, ways that efficiency is measured, and how the resultant data can then be applied to make improvements and realize savings to your UPS system. Read more
Managers responsible for critical IT loads or other high demand applications want to make sure that their equipment is protected by the most reliable, efficient technology possible. This is especially true when it comes to UPS battery back-up technology. There has been great interest recently in Lithium-Ion battery technology and the UPS Lithium-Ion Battery market is rapidly expanding. Toshiba launched their own battery technology called SCiB (Super Charge Ion Battery) back in 2008. While this technology has been available for many years, it’s introduction into the UPS system has been fairly recent. The newest iteration of this battery is showcased in the Toshiba G9000 series UPS unit. We will discuss the make-up of the SCiB and also some of it’s main advantages compared to similar battery technologies. Read more
In our connected, high-tech and high-paced world, tolerance for downtime is simply not acceptable. DC Power Plants are often used in many industries, especially telecom and network applications to ensure clean, reliable DC power is supplied to critical equipment. In our previous two articles regarding DC power plants, we discussed typical applications where they are used the most, some of the advantages they provide, and how to best maintain these systems. In this article, we’ll take a closer look at these components to better familiarize ourselves with what is going on inside this system, and their benefits.
For years, data centers have used multiple high capacity UPS systems to obtain “N+1” redundancy and ensure high availability of power for their critical systems. More recently, the trend has been to use smaller modular systems that can scale with load demand. In fact, modular UPS systems are one of the fastest growing product in the 3 phase UPS industry, expecting to reach an estimated $2.5B in sales by 2020.
Using a modular UPS design can also allow for different types of scalability that you may not get from a more conventional UPS. We will explore how this set-up typically works, advantages and key considerations for a modular UPS, and show examples of some of the more common modular UPS systems in the market today. Read more
Scalability is a word that often gets highlighted in conversations about growth and expansion. But what does scalability actually mean when talking about UPS systems? As organizations grow, merge or gain efficiencies, UPS scalability becomes a critical discussion point. There are several ways scalability can apply to a UPS. It can apply to scalability within a single unit or multiple systems. For this discussion, we will examine both why scaling your UPS system may become necessary for certain businesses, and the three main ways to scale a UPS. Read more
For most organizations, spring means new fiscal budgets and capital projects on the calendar. The beginning of a new year is always a great time to take a step back and look at the overall big picture of your emergency power infrastructure. Understanding where your critical power equipment stands in its lifecycle can prevent downtime and headache from catastrophes that may have been easily avoidable. For many organizations, a facility assessment is crucial when you are evaluating your critical power infrastructure. Through an assessment, you can be armed with enough information to determine upcoming goals and requirements for your facility and specific company needs. A comprehensive facility assessment will allow you to review challenges that your building, location, or infrastructure may have. In this article we will discuss some of the items you may be investigating during your review of the critical power infrastructure in your facility.
The Internet of Things (IoT) is the confluence of everyday objects and the internet in which these devices have network connectivity and can send and receive data. Of all the various business units, facility management has the potential to be transformed more than any other by the rise of the Internet of Things. It is such a complex field involving numerous systems (both technological and human-powered) working in concert to control a wide range of variables that adding elements of automation and inter-connectivity can have a dramatic effect on the efficiency and performance of critical facility infrastructure. As the IoT continues to proliferate, there will be even more solutions coming to the market for facility managers who are looking to streamline operations and control costs, especially around their critical infrastructure.