The uninterruptible power supply (UPS) is arguably one of the most important components in IT infrastructure. Without a source of reliable backup power, critical IT systems are subject to outages, voltage sags, and other problems that can cause downtime or even damage the equipment. By conditioning power and providing automatic failover to battery backup, the UPS minimizes these risks.
There are many types of UPS units and a slew of benefits and drawbacks to match. This comprehensive guide to uninterruptible power supplies aims to outfit the reader with all the information necessary to make informed decisions on UPS units for their IT needs.
Lead-acid vs Lithium-ion
There are 2 common types of UPS units on the market. Traditional UPS units powered by lead-acid batteries and new lithium-ion battery-powered UPS units.
Traditional UPS units use valve-regulated lead-acid (VRLA) batteries, but they aren’t very efficient. A 1kg VRLA battery can only store about 25 watt-hours of electricity, and can only be discharged to about 50 percent before impacting performance.
Lithium-ion batteries cost more but they are far more efficient and better suited to the demands placed on UPS units in mission-critical and high-performance scenarios . Read more about Lead-Acid vs Lithium-ion UPS units in our blog.
The Best UPS for a specific application:
UPS Units for Data Centers
Every data center needs uninterruptible power supplies (UPSs) to give administrators time to bring down systems gracefully in the event of a power outage. As data centers have become increasingly dense, UPS units are being called on to supply greater amounts of backup power. At the same time, organizations have less physical space in the data center to accommodate bulky units.
According to a 2018 report from S & C Electric and Frost & Sullivan, 24 percent of businesses experienced a power outage once a month or more. Almost half (41 percent) of the outages lasted five to 59 minutes, while 26 percent lasted an hour or more.
And, detectible power outages account for only a small percentage of power disturbances. Utility power is also plagued with surges, sags, electrical noise, harmonics, load fluctuations, and other interference. Even under normal utility operations — with no storm or lightning in sight — enterprise IT systems can be bombarded daily by conditions that damage critical components.
That’s why it’s important to select an uninterruptible power supply (UPS) that offers more than just standby power. Line-interactive UPS units provide more features than offline units to protect sensitive IT equipment from power disturbances. Read more about UPS units for data centers in our blog.
UPS Units for Edge Data Centers
Edge computing is one of the hottest trends in the IT industry. Organizations are finding that transferring data between centralized data centers and remote users creates latency that can impact the user experience. This latency also reduces the value of data collected by the Internet of Things (IoT) devices at the network edge. Learn more about edge computing here.
Space is often limited in edge data centers, and the conditions are less than ideal for IT equipment. There’s typically no onsite IT staff, so the equipment needs to be monitored and managed remotely.
When architecting the edge data center infrastructure, organizations must focus on efficiency. That’s why a lithium-ion UPS is the best backup power choice for the edge.
Manufacturing and Industrial Applications
Manufacturing and industrial facilities need reliable power because a power disruption can bring production downtime that results in increased labor costs, wasted raw materials, and delayed delivery of finished goods. This can cause a ripple effect throughout the supply chains that impacts business relationships and customer service.
Uninterruptible power supply (UPS) units provide an important source of backup power that minimizes the risk of outages. However, industrial facilities have different UPS needs than data centers. Wide variations in temperature, high levels of humidity, and other environmental factors can impact the UPS unit’s performance.
While specialized solutions will be required for the harshest environments, lithium-ion UPS units are an excellent choice for many manufacturing and industrial facilities.
Costs of UPS Units
Total Cost of Ownership (TCO)
You might not think there’s much difference in total cost of ownership (TCO) among the various types of UPS units. However, lithium-ion UPS units can deliver significant savings over traditional UPS units that use valve-regulated lead-acid (VRLA) batteries. Although lithium-ion UPS units have a higher initial purchase price, that only accounts for about one-third of the TCO. There are many things to consider when comparing the TCO of UPS units such as:
- Battery Life
- Operating Temperature
- Energy Usage
- Size
- Maintenance
- Initial Cost
Read our blog for an in-depth understanding of the total cost of ownership and a breakdown of the cost-saving benefits of lithium-ion UPS units.
One more cost-saving feature of some UPS units is peak-shaving technology.
Peak Shaving Technology
Peak shaving technology leverages utility pricing models to the data center’s advantage. The basic concept is simple:
- Charge your lithium-ion batteries during off-peak times when utility rates are lowest.
- Discharge those batteries to power IT equipment when peak prices are in effect.
This strategy allows you to save money by leveling out the peaks and valleys in energy costs. You pay the cheapest rates possible for your energy usage.
It’s important to note that time-of-use rates don’t vary at fixed times of the day. Utility companies constantly adjust pricing based on energy consumption. Peak shaving solutions help reduce energy spending by monitoring utility source power and intelligently regulate charging and discharging cycles to achieve the highest levels of efficiency.
Download a Peak Shaving Application Note for the AC6000 lithium-ion UPS here!
Environmental Implications and A Move to Green Technology
A big driver in the tech industry today is environmental implications and green technology. For many organizations, efforts to reduce energy consumption in the data center have a dual purpose: optimize costs and support corporate social responsibility efforts toward “green” practices.
Lithium-ion batteries are far more environmentally friendly than VRLA batteries. They require less raw materials to achieve the same energy storage, and processing of the materials is less energy-intensive. Although lithium-ion battery recycling is currently limited compared to lead-acid battery recycling, the materials used can be recovered and recycling rates should soon take off.
Another large environment-friendly push is the LEED Certification program.
Leed Certification
The LEED program operates under the auspices of the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), a nonprofit association that promotes sustainability in building design, construction, and operation. The four-tier certification system is based upon points that are awarded for six categories of sustainability efforts:
- Site location and transportation
- Site sustainability
- Indoor environmental quality
- Materials and resources
- Water efficiency
- Energy and atmosphere
In the data center, smart choices in infrastructure design and implementation can help organizations earn LEED credits. Even the use of high-efficiency uninterruptible power supply (UPS) units can help obtain LEED certifications by earning points in the energy and atmosphere category.
UPS Remote Monitoring Capabilities
UPS units are fairly simple in design but that doesn’t mean they’re trouble-free. In fact, UPS battery failure is a leading cause of data center downtime. Data center managers need to ensure that UPS units are monitored for problems and properly maintained.
Faced with more pressing issues, IT staff don’t always invest time in managing UPS units. The problem has become more acute with the COVID-19 pandemic. Many IT staff are working from home and unable to travel to the data center to inspect and manage equipment.
That’s why remote monitoring and management are critical. IT teams need the ability to check the status of UPS units and troubleshoot faults from any location. Must-have features of remote monitoring capabilities:
- Alerts
- Data and Event Logging
- Control of Equipment
- Battery Management
- Remote Upgrades
Learn more about remote monitoring of UPS units in our blog.
The Future of UPS Technology: Introducing the AC6000 UPS
The AC6000 is a lithium-ion UPS that delivers 6kW of configurable power. It’s highly efficient with a near unity power factor — power-in equals power-out. It provides seven years of battery life, compared to three to five years for traditional lead-acid batteries. All of that capacity is packed into a 2U unit, making it ideal for edge data center applications where space is at a premium.
With substantial energy savings and a low total cost of ownership, the AC6000 lithium-ion UPS delivers ROI in as little as two years. It’s a robust yet eco-friendly UPS that offers the advanced features needed to support today’s data center demands.
Download AC6000 UPS FAQ for more information!
