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Why All Businesses Need to Consider an Uninterrupted Power Supply

Until the last few years, the average homeowner has not really had to give much thought about the constant flow of electrons, which they rely on to power the PCs, outsized flat screen TVs, and the many other modern appliances that serve to make life easier and more fun. Unfortunately, as the demand for electricity has grown, the service providers’ capacity to generate and distribute is being exceeded. In the wake of both planned and unplanned outages, we have all been made far more aware of just how dependent our society has become on an uninterrupted supply of power.

While a planned outage is obviously an inconvenience for the domestic user, a few hours without electricity need-not be the end of the world. Instead, it is being seen by some as a welcome opportunity for the family to gather around a braai and engage with one another, rather than with the digital world. However, should an outage result in the loss of a company’s crucial computer data, or interfere with the operation of some vital piece of hospital equipment, the consequences are likely to be far more serious and could even be life-threatening. To avoid the risk of such disasters, the best solution for any vulnerable establishment will undoubtedly be to install some form of uninterrupted power supply (UPS).

While any business will recognise this as an essential precaution, many will be unaware that there are options, and even less aware of which option is likely to best suit their particular needs. It is commonly believed that there are only two possible alternatives, and that a UPS system will either be a standby or online system. This is, in fact, somewhat of an oversimplification. It is more accurate to further subdivide these two main categories. There are six types of uninterrupted power supply systems that are used most commonly. Each of these has its own performance characteristics, as well as benefits and limitations.

The type of UPS that is most commonly used to protect personal computers, is the standby unit. It is also the most basic. While operating normally, the PCs are powered by a current from an AC source, filtered by means of a surge suppressor. However, if that primary source fails, a transfer switch then selects the output from a back-up battery via an inverter. It offers an inexpensive, compact, and efficient option that provides an uninterrupted power supply, but it is limited by battery life and is also not suitable for use with loads more than 2kVA.

For a small business, with a number of servers to maintain, the basic standby unit will not be suitable. Instead, they should opt for a line interactive UPS. In this type of unit, the components are configured quite differently. Rather than being connected by a switch only when required, the inverter is responsible for converting DC from the battery to AC. It remains permanently connected to the output of the UPS system, so that when backup power is not required, the battery can charge from the mains supply. This limits the risk of it being depleted when you need an uninterrupted supply of power to the company’s servers. Of medium cost, the line interactive UPS is an efficient option that provides good voltage conditioning and offers support for loads up to 5kVA.

Other forms of UPS systems that are used commonly, include the standby on-line hybrid, and the double conversion on-line models. Determining which of these will best suit a given situation, is a task best left to an expert. In this field, the PacB Group is widely recognised as an established leader both for its quality products and expert support services.