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energy in the process . These sizeable , usually transformerbased units also produced lots of heat , so the air conditioning requirements were substantial .
Moving to modular UPS technology has come a long way though , most recently with the development of modular models which deliver efficiency , scalability , and ‘ smart ’ interconnectivity far beyond the capabilities of their predecessors . Instead of a sizeable , inefficient standalone tower as previously described , modular UPS systems incorporate a number of smaller rack-mount style units .
These compact , power-packed individual modules are paralleled together to deliver the required capacity and redundancy . This ensures capacity is closely matched to a server room ’ s actual needs , eliminating the risk of wasteful oversizing while also reducing day-to-day energy consumption . And when demand – and load requirements – change , the system is easy to scale up by simply adding in extra power modules ; in other words , the ability to pay as you grow .
But that ’ s just scratching the surface of the efficiency improvements modular UPS can bring . They ’ re based on transformerless technology , which in itself gives up to a 5 % boost in operational efficiency compared to older units . But the biggest benefit of a modular system is that it can run at around 96 % efficiency , even when carrying load profiles as low as 25 %.
Modular units are significantly smaller and lighter than previous versions , and as they generate less far less heat , don ’ t need anywhere near as much energy-intensive cooling . And in terms of UPS maintenance , because each separate module is hot-swappable they can be serviced or even replaced as and when required without the data centre ’ s entire critical power protection system ever needing to go offline , which is a huge benefit .
One final benefit of modular UPS is that the units are also compatible with the various Energy Management Systems ( EMS ) or Data Centre Infrastructure Management ( DCIM ) software commonly being used to automate operations throughout the industry . In reality , these new units act as ‘ smart ’ UPS collecting and exchanging data that is analysed in real-time to help optimise IT system performance and identify areas where efficiency improvements can be obtained .
Efficiency and cost savings If you need tangible proof of the sort of impact upgrading to modular UPS deliver , take this example . A major consumer goods supplier reliant on two huge data centres had old , inefficient UPS units that were installed nearly a decade ago . Overall UPS efficiency across both sites averaged just 92 % – it was even as low as 89 % in the main switchroom – and the power protection system required 414 kW of energy a year for air conditioning alone . After upgrading the dated equipment with modern modular UPS , the results speak for themselves . Overall UPS efficiency increased to 96 %, drastically reducing energy use . Air conditioning was cut by nearly 3 / 4 , and annual carbon emissions slashed by 72 % from 2,147kg to 603.5kg .
The project resulted in 1.25 million kWh of annual energy savings – that ’ s enough to power 316 homes for a year – and cut the overall electricity bill by more than £ 335,000 a year . All these savings were achieved with a 59 % per m 2 reduction in footprint too . Of course , this particular project centred on a hyper-scale facility where any inefficiency will undoubtedly be magnified . But the lessons are clear for sites of all different sizes and configurations , whether on-site , colocation or cloud-based .
Time for change The major boom in data centre growth took place around 7-10 years ago . In all likelihood , most of these facilities would have had the old-style , inefficient standalone UPS units installed . Fortunately , every UPS has a lifespan and industry best practice advises a system should be replaced every 7-10 years . This means many of the units installed during the boom years are now ready for replacement , giving data centre operators the perfect opportunity to reap the rewards from the move to modular .
Modular UPS deliver more power , using less energy , in a far smaller footprint – the very definition of doing more with less , successfully tackling the taxing challenge highlighted earlier . The initial expense of upgrading a power protection system to a modular UPS will be paid back handsomely through tangible improvements in energy efficiency , reliability , and performance . Not only will this help a data centre meet its growing corporate social responsibility and regulatory obligations , it ’ ll also have a positive impact on their day-to-day running costs and overall energy management . n
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