UPS & Power Protection: What You Need to Know
A UPS is one of those pieces of infrastructure you hope you never have to rely on. But when there's a problem with the power, having the right protection in place can make the difference between business as usual and unexpected downtime.
Why Power Protection Matters
Power problems aren't limited to complete outages. Voltage fluctuations, surges and other disturbances can all affect sensitive IT and network equipment.
An uninterruptible power supply (UPS) provides battery backup when the mains supply fails and, depending on the technology used, can also help protect connected equipment from other power quality issues.
Where downtime has an operational or financial impact, choosing the right power protection should be considered as part of the wider infrastructure design.
Understanding the Different UPS Types
There are three main UPS topologies commonly used across IT environments.
Offline / Standby UPS
The simplest option. Under normal conditions, connected equipment is supplied from the mains. If the incoming supply fails or moves outside acceptable limits, the UPS transfers the load to battery power.
Standby systems can provide cost-effective protection for less critical equipment and smaller applications.
Line-Interactive UPS
Line-interactive systems add voltage regulation, allowing them to compensate for certain fluctuations in the incoming supply without continually using the battery.
They can provide a good balance between cost, efficiency and protection for offices, network cabinets and smaller comms-room environments.
Online Double-Conversion UPS
With an online UPS, incoming AC power is continuously converted to DC and then back to AC before reaching the connected equipment.
Because the load is already being supplied through the inverter, there is no transfer time to battery operation when the mains supply fails. This makes double-conversion UPS systems particularly suitable for critical IT, data centre and infrastructure applications.
Getting the Size Right
Choosing a UPS isn't simply a case of adding up the wattage of everything connected to it.
Both VA and watt ratings need to be considered, alongside the actual equipment load, potential future expansion and the amount of battery runtime required.
It's also worth thinking about what you're trying to achieve during an outage. Does the UPS only need to support equipment long enough for an orderly shutdown? Does the infrastructure need to continue running for a longer period? Or does the UPS need to bridge the gap until standby generation becomes available?
Those answers can have a significant impact on the final specification.
Batteries & Maintenance
The batteries are one of the most important parts of any UPS system — and they're also a consumable item.
Many commonly used VRLA UPS batteries have an expected service life of around three to five years under suitable operating conditions, although actual life varies considerably according to battery design, operating temperature, usage and the number of discharge cycles.
Regular inspection, testing and proactive replacement can help identify deteriorating batteries before they become a problem.
Modern UPS systems can also provide remote monitoring and alerts, giving infrastructure teams greater visibility of UPS condition, battery status and potential faults.
Intelligent Power & Environmental Monitoring
Power management doesn't have to stop at the UPS.
Intelligent PDUs can provide detailed information about how power is being used within a rack or comms environment. Depending on the system, this can include power and energy monitoring down to individual outlets, as well as the ability to remotely control individual sockets.
That visibility can help identify capacity issues, understand equipment power consumption and support more informed infrastructure planning.
Environmental monitoring can add another layer of information. Temperature and humidity sensors, for example, can provide early warning when conditions within a cabinet, comms room or data centre begin moving outside acceptable levels.
Bringing power and environmental information together gives infrastructure teams a much clearer picture of what's happening within their environment.
Looking Beyond the UPS
A UPS is only one part of the overall power strategy.
Depending on the environment, other considerations may include surge protection, intelligent power distribution, standby generation, earthing and bonding, environmental monitoring and ongoing preventative maintenance.
The important thing is to look at the requirement as a whole.
Good power protection isn't just about keeping equipment running when the lights go out. It's about understanding the risks, monitoring the infrastructure and making sure the systems designed to protect you are ready when they're actually needed.
Related capability
Power Protection
