Frequently Asked Questions
Why should I worry about power problems?
Even small disturbances in the main electricity supply can cause damage to electronic equipment. Power problems can cause unplanned shutdowns and data loss. All these problems can cost your company a considerable amount of money.
How common are power problems?
A recent Power Quality Study revealed that the average computer system is subjected to 289 potentially damaging power disturbances per year.
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How can power problems be avoided?
All essential electronic equipment should be connected to a voltage regulator, power conditioner or, best of all, a UPS. A UPS will maintain a steady supply of power irrespective of the mains supply quality.
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We already have a generator…
Generators can not start instantaneously. It takes less than 1 second without power for a computer system to fail. A UPS unit is a "no - break" power supply, giving continuous power irrespective of the disturbances at the input.
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Power Line Problems: the Facts
In the present day we all rely on the availability of electricity, whether as an industrial consumer, a public service industry, a Government Department, telecommunications or security establishments or simply a domestic user.
Power system reliability is considered adequate for many applications - after all, it may be inconvenient to a great many consumers to lose the use of some equipment for a short period,but rarely insurmountable. However, if you consider the loss of power in a hospital or a major Defence installation, things look rather different.
Now that technology has advanced to a stage where most applications are virtually reliant on computer or microprocessor based control or data storage it has become essential to maintain the integrity of the power supply. With high sophistication of most computer installation is the reality that many of the world’s power supply authorities cannot guarantee the quality or availability of electricity. Therefore an insurance is necessary to maintain clean power under all circumstances irrespective of the local power network.
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Why problems occur: the reasons
There are numerous reasons for power disturbances, many of which are completely outside the control of the supply authorities,
Some areas are prone to load shedding at peak times due to undersized power installations. Others may suffer from spurious tripping of protection devices during lightning or violent storms.
Close proximity to heavy current devices ie elevators, welding equipment, high power amplifiers, or industrial machinery can cause voltage fluctuation. Seemingly insignificant loads such as fluorescent lighting, air conditioners, high technology telecomms and switched mode power supplies can all cause serious spikes and subsequent interference to power supplies.
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What are the effects to my critical load?
Apart from inconvenience and the hidden cost of re-programming, there are often the real costs of physical damage to be considered. Computers all react adversely to voltage reductions, some also respond badly if subjected to power surge or overvoltages and the majority of electronic equipment is affected by frequency drift or instability.
Usually the loads react differently to erratic power; however, you can be sure that all computer based equipment, whether used for monitoring control, or simply data storage, is going to be affected in some way.
This inconvenient aspect usually appears during important programming exercises or on-line data transfer and, at a time when you can ill afford problems, a disturbance occurs which corrupts the process. This leads to the hidden costs of the programme being re-run to a convenient point to re-start or in the case of an unmanned automatic data transfer, it may result in the error not being located for several hours or even days, culminating in many days of in correct processing.
Although easier to access, permanent equipment damage can be just as inconvenient due to down-time and the cost involved to replace computer sub-assemblies can be alarming. The high energy spikes or current surges which usually cause damage can also weaken components or circuit boards which may already be running near their capacity - this will result in doubts as to future reliability of the system.
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Where the problems occur: the applications
Industry and Commerce
- Banks, money-brokers, stock market and finance houses
- Shipping, airline handling and warehousing
- Stock and inventory control
- Process control and materials handling
Hospitals
- Life support systems
- Hospital logistics and management
- Body and Brain Scanning Machines
- Blood analysis equipment and data storage
Essential Public Services
- Local Council/Government Offices
- Telecommunications and satellite links
- Defence installations
- Police, Fire and Emergency services
- Essential services – electricity, gas, water, etc
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What can be done: the solutions
With all these potential problems and the vast volume of people and industries that suffer, there is invariably more than one solution.
Diesel generators provide a long term answer, enabling power to be drawn for as long as the engine has fuel. However, the major disadvantage is the lack of continuity of power whilst the machine starts and the inability to combat short-term fluctuations or disturbances.
To cover both short-term disturbances and general power failures, the most sensible and practical solution is the Uninterruptible Power Supply or UPS. This type of equipment produces its own output power by using either the incoming mains or storage batteries; the transition between the two is made without disturbance to the load. The UPS also acts as a permanently connected, high grade power conditioner between the load and the raw incoming mains to prevent any form of fluctuations, transients or other disturbance from affecting the critical load.
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Justifying the investment: the costs
It follows that a device that can cope with any power problem, including complete power failure is going to represent a significant initial investment. However, when considering any expenditure it is essential to assess several factors and the associated costs involved.
Typically computer malfunctions can result in huge costs which will more than justify the investment in a UPS and some of these costs are given below:
- Equipment down-time
- Replacement/maintenance
- Re-programming
- Supplementary or additional processing
- Unused manpower
These items are easily seen, but the problems which also occur as a result may be even more costly, such as business, processing backlogs, invoicing delays, incorrect stock control, process malfunctions. The list is endless and to think that peace of mind,reliability and reduced maintenance can all be achieved by the installation of a static UPS from Energy Systems, it follows that your investment is justified by the insurance it provides.
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Considerations when buying a UPS
As with the computer and telecommunication industry, the choice of power protection equipment seems endless but it should always be remembered that the level of power protection remains directly related to the investment made, as is usual with capital equipment.
There are many considerations which can dictate the ideal level of power protection for a given installation. The following aspects should be given careful thought before purchasing equipment
New installations
If the installation is new it may be possible to consider a central back-up system which will eliminate the need for expensive recabling at a later date. With new installations it is often wise at an early stage in a new project to involve a company specialising in power conditioning in order that the most cost efficient and effective power protection systems can be co-ordinated between the consultant, the premises manager and the electrical contractor, if one is appointed.
Existing installations
For existing installations involving processing and telecoms equipment, it would be relevant to assess the level of power protection required. As an example, some installations may demand that every item be supported by an uninterruptible power supply (UPS) which will provide protection against any form of power disturbance including computer power failure, whereas another application may only require a UPS for the central processor and one or two workstations.
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Type of client
The level of automation will often dictate whether a system requires a UPS or whether a line conditioner or power filter will be acceptable. The final selection of power protection device is also governed by the type of application - Emergency services or financial institutions cannot tolerate power failure due to the nature of their business. Whereas many industrial companies are prepared to accept occasional power deficiencies as an inconvenience not a disaster.
Site
The location of the site may also have considerable bearing on the products required, since an inner city may be more susceptible to power fluctuations due to load shedding or power irregularities in heavily loaded areas. In rural areas the power may be regularly interrupted due to the effect of prevailing weather conditions on overhead power lines and some of the more remote areas may be located at the very end of a power line and suffer from poor mains voltage regulation.Energy Systems can provide you with the knowledge and support needed to ensure your critical applications are protected. We have expertise and experience gained from over 30 years supplying quality power management technology.
World leaders in power management technology
Continous investment in R&D is a natural consequence of Energy Systemss corporate philosophy. A culture of excellence pervades the company from the boardroom to the factory floor. At every level, Energy Systemss staff works incessantly to improve and enhance products and services. This has resulted in some of the most advanced power protection and management products available, with new designs in the process of development all the time. After completing rigorous testing and trial procedures, products are released to market with confidence, backed up by a vast international support network.
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Product Portfolio
From household name to family firm, businesses large and small have come to rely on Energy Systems products. The T2000 three phase on-line UPS is the current flagship uninterruptible power supply product, supported by the S2000 three/single phase and NS2000 single phase on-line UPS. The popular S1000 single phase on-line UPS continues to do sterling work protecting individual servers and workstations in a multitude of environments. For less demanding applications, the SS line-interactive UPS and Compact-Fit off-line UPS are high quality and efficient power protection solutions.