Intelligent Data Centres Issue 05 | Page 63

UNCOVERING THE LAYERS centre reference designs to plan and configure power systems in a way that can serve growth. This will not only enable users to select and test potential configurations but provide them with reassurance that the architecture will work as predicted. Maintenance and battery considerations Marc Garner, Vice President, Secure Power Division, Schneider Electric, UK might consider how to arrange the UPS configuration in order to provide increased capacity, ensuring that resilience, or uptime, is of the highest priority. For high levels of availability, a UPS may need to be deployed in a parallel, N+1 or distributed redundant design, so that the failure of any one can be accommodated without risk of total loss of power. If the need for future expansion is critical, one might also consider the use of data www.intelligentdatacentres.com With the blame for many outages often lying with human error, maintenance is another aspect that has to be considered as part of any business continuity plan. To avoid downtime, it is recommended that a UPS be easily accessible from the front, which will simplify servicing throughout its life-cycle. Dust filters, for example, may need to be replaced frequently, therefore deploying a solution where they are placed on the front will allow them to be easily removed and lower any potential issues with other critical components. Many traditional UPSs will utilise valve- regulated lead-acid (VRLA) battery systems, which can be far less efficient in terms of energy use, than Lithium-Ion (Li- Ion) chemistries. Li-Ion offers a far longer life cycle to the user, nearing 10 years, which is often double that of VRLA. Not only does this reduce maintenance costs and the accompanying challenge of human error, but operating costs are lowered as batteries must be changed less frequently. Finally, use of IoT-enabled sensors within newer UPS models facilitates greater remote management capabilities. Data analytics can deliver detailed insights into the system status, which ensures continuity by providing real-time alerts of potential power loss or failures. A primary example here will mean that batteries can be proactively replaced in a timely fashion, mitigating the potential for downtime and ensuring continuity for the user. Driving efficiency and selecting operating modes Additionally, many new UPS systems will have an energy-saving mode of operation, namely eco-mode, which bypasses the filtering stage and connects the power directly to the load. In situations where Issue 05 63