How to Select the Best Uninterruptible Power Supply(UPS) System?

UPS or Uninterruptible Power Supply systems have become an integral part of any organization or office. They perform very crucial tasks like absorbing relatively small power outages, smoothing out noisy power sources, providing power continuously or uninterruptedly during line sage, shutting down power equipment to avoid losses, providing short-circuit protection, displaying voltage/ current draw of equipment, and giving alarms in case certain error conditions. Given these vital tasks, picking up the correct UPS system for IT and industrial applications is highly significant as it is crucially required for business continuity, efficient disaster recovery, and the safety of employees of any organization.The blog underhand is going to discuss some important features that should be part of any UPS system you are going to install and deploy.

What to Look for in A Good Quality UPS System?

  • Energy Efficiency:
    The energy-efficient UPS systems may cost slightly more but in the long, they contribute significantly to the overall cost saving. Particularly, if you are going to install UPS systems for industrial setup, the deployment of a power-efficient UPS system can help a lot in saving costs due to less power consumption.
  • Communication Ports:
    Though UPS systems have built-in various communication ports, you should confirm that your intended UPS system possesses USB, Serial, and Contact Closure Ports. These ports are essential for power management, and protection of connected devices against power surges and unattended shutdowns. The unattended shutdown happens when the system is not in use for a certain period of time which is an important feature, making your UPS system cost-effective.
  • Tower vs Rack Mounted:
    UPS systems come in two form factors: Tower and Rack Mounted. Tower UPS systems are generally less expensive and they can be fit into larger batteries. On the other hand, Rack Mounted UPS systems are relatively expensive and have shorter run times. So, if you have an alternative source of power like generators, you can choose rack-mounted, but if UPS is the only source of power, don’t go for rack-mounted.
  • The Number of Outlets:
    UPS units have many outlets which implies that you should first determine how many devices must be plugged in for providing power surge protection and an alternative source of power. For instance, if you are going to install a UPS system for small or home office objectives, outlets for a router, a modem, or a mini server would be enough. But if you are looking for a UPS system for larger businesses, you should look for a more number of outlets. It is generally advised that whatever you need, you should buy UPS with two additional outlets than your requirement.Secondly, not all outlets on UPS units are powered by batteries. Many manufacturers cut down the costs of their inexpensive UPS systems by providing battery backup to four or six outlets and leaving the remaining outlets unpowered. So you should be aware of how many powered outlets are possessed by your UPS system so that you can plug sensitive devices into the outlets having battery backup.
  • Capacity of a UPS Unit:
    The capacity of a UPS system is another major feature you must look into before final selection. The power consumption of IT servers, computers, workstations, and networking equipment should obviously be calculated. In addition, other equipment vital for day-to-day matters, e.g., point of sale, and security or surveillance system, among others, should also be considered. You must add up the total electrical load of all equipment and make sure that you should buy a UPS unit with 25% more power capacity than your requirement. This will give you the flexibility to scale up your IT infrastructure to meet future needs. As a thumb rule, you simply add the total wattage of devices you plan to provide with backup power and then multiply it by 1.25. One thing should be kept in mind the load should never exceed 80% of the total capacity of the UPS system. In other words, the UPS system should provide 20% more power than your total load. For example, if your total load is 200W, you should buy a UPS system that has at least 250W capacity. All major manufacturers of UPS like APC and CyberPower have calculators on their websites where you can select the total connected devices and these calculators can suggest a suitable UPS system with enough power to meet your requirements.
  • UPS Runtime:
    UPS runtime should also be given serious consideration. You need to calculate how much backup runtime you need for the UPS system for critical devices and applications. Generally, if you have generators for extended power backup, you need a few minutes, say 5 minutes, to properly save the files and shut down the equipment. Because that time would be enough for backup generators to start and a safe transition to generator-based power backup. If you are looking for having a UPS unit with enough time for shutting down servers and workstations to avoid data loss or corruption, your desired runtime should be around 5 to 10 minutes. Here one point should be clear: the more devices you connect to single UPS, the shorter runtime. Therefore, it is a good idea if you deploy separate UPS for certain devices and applications to further increase protection against power outages and failure.
  • UPS Technology:
    There are three UPS technologies that should be selected based on your power requirements:
    • Standby or Offline UPS System: This is the most commonly-deployed UPS solution and is generally cheap in comparison with other technologies. Their batteries are small so they can provide backup power for a shorter period of time: 5 to 10 minutes. But they are powerful enough to meet the backup power needs of desktop computers and point of sales.
    • Line-Interactive UPS System: These are business-grade UPS systems and have the flexibility to add further batteries. They provide a balance between functionality and costs.
    • The Online UPS or Double Conversion UPS Systems: Their double conversion technology makes sure that you will get the cleanest possible output best free of any noise, frequency, or surge-related power problem. They are expensive and are generally deployed for industrial-level business applications.
    If you are interested in the detailed description of UPS technologies, click this article for further details (Types of UPS System).
  • Battery Type:
    Lithium Ion and Lead Acid batteries are used in the UPS system. It has been reported that Lithium-ion batteries are superior to lead acid ones because they are more reliable and efficient. But Lithium-ion batteries are expensive, so, as far as home offices or small off-grid storage systems are concerned, relatively inexpensive lead acid should be preferred.
  • Remote Power Management
    UPS should also support the Network Management Cards and be equipped with built-in networking ports. These features able remote management and monitoring of UPS systems in branch offices or edge locations where it is hard to deploy IT, staff. Plus, the sensors can help monitor environmental conditions like temperature and humidity for precautionary measurements.

Some Facts about Morgan Ingland LLC:

Morgan Ingland LLC has long served its valued customers and supplied them with cost-effective IT hardware. We deal in a full portfolio of ICT hardware, and IT services including but not limited to all kinds of APS UPS like Standby, Line-Interactive, and Double Conversion. Additionally, our tech experts provide IT services including solution designs for helping you access the most suitable UPS hardware customized to your needs and budget. Feel free to contact our solution designers and product experts at 415-704-8713 or email us at info@miatlantic.us 24/7 for further detail and information.