Evaluating the Economic Impact of UPS Technology

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Summary

The sensitivity of electronic systems to power disturbances and the likelihood of interruptions in utility power make it easy to justify the purchase of an uninterruptible power supply (UPS) to protect business-critical systems. As a result, UPS systems have become standard in just about every data center and server room.

However, organizations that routinely go through an extensive review process for new technology systems may pay little attention to the type of UPS being installed to protect that system. That inattention can be costly because different types of UPS provide different levels of protection.

There are three types of UPS "topology" in use today: passive standby (offline), line interactive, and double conversion (online). As the topologies progress from passive standby to double conversion, the protection provided becomes more inclusive and more effective. Likewise, the acquisition cost of each topology increases. Making sound power protection decisions requires balancing the value of increased protection against the cost of that protection.

In cases where the systems being protected are important to the operation of the business, the cost of downtime and equipment damage that may result from inadequate power protection will almost always dwarf any differences in UPS cost. In this case, the most economical UPS system is the one that provides the highest level of protection.

The Value of UPS Protection

[Note: According to a study by IBM, unprotected computer systems are subjected to more than 125 power disturbances in any given month.]

Any power interruption can shut down computer systems and have devastating consequences in terms of lost data, equipment damage, lost productivity and reduced customer service.

UPS systems deal with power interruptions in essentially the same way: they switch connected equipment to battery power. Uninterrupted operation of connected equipment is provided by the UPS battery system until utility power resumes or a backup power source is started and stabilized, at which point connected equipment is transferred to the backup power source. If a backup power source is not available, the UPS powers connected equipment as long as it safely can and then, using power management software in the UPS or connected system, executes a controlled shutdown to prevent data loss and equipment damage.

Some UPS systems can also protect connected equipment against power disturbances. According to a study by IBM, unprotected computer systems are subjected to more than 125 power disturbances in any given month. These disturbances include everything from low voltage conditions to spikes to waveform distortions.

By protecting critical systems from problems caused by power outages and power disturbances, UPS systems:

• Reduce or eliminate downtime;
• Eliminate data loss resulting from unexpected shutdown of computer or communication systems;
• Reduce downtime from equipment operating problems;
• Extend equipment life by filtering out disturbances that damage or degrade electronics; and
• Reduce power-related troubleshooting and support costs (i.e. restarting servers, re-installing applications, etc.).