A Generator Can Provide Vital Backup Power During Critical Business Operations
The loss of vital data due to a power failure can be costly, so effective countermeasures are vital. A backup generator ensures an uninterrupted power supply. It was in late 2007 when the national service provider first introduced its temporary programme of planned service interruptions. Almost 16 years later, South Africans are experiencing an exceptionally cold winter, with snowfalls in Johannesburg and the possibility of stage 8 load shedding, or in less subtle language, twelve hours a day with no electricity.
Many shops now rely on these emergency backup units to continue trading during outages. At the same time, families have become equally dependent on them to power TVs, computers, alarm systems, and security gates, and to charge mobile phones, whilst braaing by candlelight or eating out. However, for some businesses, even an outage lasting a second or two could result in the loss or corruption of data worth millions of rands. Therefore, a more effective backup power solution is necessary in their case.
A Generator Alone Might not Guarantee an Uninterrupted Power Supply
Even before load shedding, many industries relied on backup power to continue operating when a lightning strike or flood caused damage to a substation. When a brief interruption has little consequence, the switch to backup power can be performed manually. However, where continuity is essential, programmable logic controls (PLC) can balance the mains and backup voltages before switching seamlessly between the two.
Of course, the same technology could be used to ensure a continuous supply of electricity in a corporate data centre. However, there are more affordable and equally effective alternatives to ensure a smooth, timely, and fully automatic transition between the municipal supply and a backup generator. One option is to install an automatic mains failure (AMF) panel.
The panel circuitry is designed to monitor the incoming mains supply and detect any significant loss of power. When a power drop occurs, the panel will start the backup generator and transfer the load drawn by all the currently connected devices to it after a brief warmup period. An AMF panel might also include start, stop, and speed controls, oil pressure, temperature, and fuel-level alarms.
The Uninterruptible Power Supply
More often abbreviated to UPS, this type of device offers both companies and home users the alternative of sourcing their backup power from a battery. The main objective of these units is to provide power for a sufficiently long period to allow computer systems to be shut down safely, thus avoiding the risk of data loss. The size and design (topology) of these units determine how long they can continue to supply backup power. There are three types, as follows:
- Standby: This is the most basic of the three and will resort to backup mode whenever a voltage drop, surge, or blackout occurs. If the incoming utility power is seen to be higher or lower than is safe, the unit switches to battery power. Because batteries produce direct current, UPS units utilise an inverter to convert it to alternating current.
- Line Interactive: This is a more sophisticated unit fitted with an autotransformer that enables it to compensate for minor incoming power fluctuations like brownouts and surges without switching to battery power.
- Double Conversion (Online): Standby systems are adequate for home users, and the line-interactive models can work with entry-level to mid-range servers. However, corporate data centres require something more effective when not using a generator. These units are designed to ensure an unlimited, consistent flow of clean power regardless of the state of the incoming source. The device converts incoming AC to DC to charge the batteries, reversing the process when backup power is needed.
CCI Technologies Has the Perfect Solution for You
We can supply and install a backup generator, AMF panel, or UPS. Contact us to see how we can help you protect your data against outages.
