FACILITIES power+cooling
#dcsarticle
http://dcseurope.info/n/ahia
Power protection for mission critical applications: today and tomorrow
Robin Koffler, general manager, Riello UPS highlights some of the pointers that need to be considered when choosing a uninterruptible power supply system that will go the distance for mission critical applications.
F
or most data centres, deciding on power protection requirements for today is fairly straightforward, but factoring in what you may need in the future can be hit and miss.
Over-sizing a UPS has been the traditional route but it carries with it a higher capital outlay and delivers poor efficiency. Right-sizing for today – without considering future requirements – may result in the disruption and cost associated with ripping out and replacing the system before the end of its design life.
Neither scenario is acceptable for today’s DCMs (data centre managers) who are facing increasing pressure to cram in more capacity while cutting costs. Their problems are compounded by having to meet ‘green’ initiatives from the European Union, Energy Star, The Green Grid and others; designed to increase efficiency and decrease the environmental impact of electrical equipment.
In October 2011, international standards agency Energy Star issued a new version of its UPS Specifications and Test Method standard, which will become effective by April 2012. The specification defines new requirements for UPS including minimum efficiency and input Power Factor.
Deciding what’s important – energy efficiency or business resilience, cost or reliability – is the first step in the decision process. This is not to say that DCMs cannot enjoy all four elements but a hierarchy of priorities will determine which is prime concern and how much it will cost.
The criteria that will determine a data centre’s power protection requirements are: criticality, availability, load rating, autonomy, maintenance and installation.
36
www.dcseurope.info I March 2012
What about tomorrow?
Who knows, beyond a best guess, how much their load rating will have increased in five years time? Criticality and availability may not change but at what pace will load rating rise as the business grows and more equipment is installed? How about battery autonomy? Will the need for longer back up time increase? All of these questions add to the challenge of specifying a UPS.
Criticality
Data centres almost always run mission critical applications. Any downtime caused by cuts or glitches in mains electricity are intolerable and a continuous source has to be assured. This is done by installing UPS and an alternative energy source such as a diesel
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48