Uninterruptible Power Supplies, What’s The Bare Minimum Required
Feb 22, 2010 Tech News
Posted by
Charles
If this is your first time buying a UPS system, you may find that you are completely lost, and that are wondering what you need. Here we provide a broad outline of the various types of uninterruptible power supplies on the market. From the home user to the industrial client, every user will need a different degree of power protection. The following should, hopefully, make the process a little easier for the new uninterruptible power supply buyer.
So let us say that you want to provide yourself with a UPS system in order to protect against power outages, spikes and so on. Thst is an excellent decision on your part, but what type of uninterruptible power supply do you need?
Essentially, there are three levels of need for UPS systems.
Home
A home uninterruptible power supply user’s needs are typically the least demanding. Generally, all you need is something to make sure your computer stays on for a few extra minutes in the event of inconsistencies with your primary power supply. Just long enough to save whatever you were doing on your PC and shut it down safely without worrying about losing any data or frying the motherboard.
As a home uninterruptible power supply user, you also have more options than anyone else when it comes to buying backup power, as there are literally thousands of products available for this purpose. Some are better than others, of course. For example, Riello is typically seen as one of the leaders in this market, but there are also dozens of companies who have a, well, shall we say not so sterling reputation.
Business
A typical business owner or manager’s needs from their UPS systems unit are similar to that of a home user, although a bit more demanding. You are going to need to supply uninterruptible power to several computers, or else to a wireless network. In any event, you’ll need something just a bit more heavy duty than the UPS systems marketed at the home computer user.
You should expect to pay a little bit more than the home user, but you should realise the fact that a UPS system for your business is actually much more of an investment than a simple convenience.
Industrial
Industrial UPS is the most specialised market and the most demanding. Rather than simply keeping a computer or a series of work stations up and running, an industrial UPS is usually tasked with the job of maintaining power for an entire building. To put this into perspective, most of the support for the industrial uninterruptible power supply market comes from hospitals, where there is a need for power to constantly be on in order to curb any safety and health risks.
Typically, an industrial UPS systems system will be based on a pre-existing unit, but will have to be customized to an extent when it comes to installation and integration. Every single building and business will need a different level of backup, so industrial UPS is a difficult thing to mass produce.
Tags: power protection systems