Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS): protecting the future with the benefits of battery storage

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With modern technological advances, more and more sensitive information is being stored offsite and online. It is essential, therefore, to ensure software and data is protected, not only from security breaches but also from electricity supply issues that cause critical systems to fail.

Unfortunately, these supply issues have become an increasingly common issue with the constraints of the UK electricity network growing and as a result, manifests frequently as blackouts, brownouts, voltage spikes and dips – all of which can cause severe damage to highly sensitive areas that rely on critical electrical equipment.

These issues are reinforced by the recent power supply issues experienced by a major airline at two of the UK’s largest airports in late May, 2017. The popular airline ‘was hit by a worldwide system power failure on Saturday, causing cancellations and delays for thousands of passengers,’ causing frustration across the board for the familiar holiday travel brand and its passengers.[1]

Power failures of this scale not only cause frustration, but can also lead to security issues and have devastating consequences to a business’ reputation and operational costs. In some cases the company may be expected to compensate its customers, and materials could be wasted if manufacturing or automated processes are interrupted and require manually resetting, all of which could lead to significant cost ramifications for the organisation.

When it comes to protecting such facilities, a popular and effective solution can be found in Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS), as it provides a constant electrical supply to a site during periods of power supply quality issues from the network. Currently, many facilities use diesel generators and/or combined heat and power (CHP) systems to provide UPS, but whilst both can provide off-grid power support, these are ageing technologies struggling to keep up in a technologically advancing world, where security, connectivity and interactivity are key.

A modern solution for providing UPS functionality, with astounding success, is battery-based energy storage technology. As the name suggests, this technology stores power provided by the National Grid at times of low demand, or directly from renewable sources, to be utilised at peak times or when required.

Battery-based energy storage technology provides facilities with a host of benefits, especially when utilised for UPS purposes. By monitoring and measuring the electricity supply to the load, the solution will instantaneously recognise, within a three-millisecond timeframe, when the National Grid fails to supply energy and will seamlessly continue to provide power for a period of up to two hours.

VIRTUE, Powerstar’s innovative energy storage solution, is one such solution that can provide full UPS capabilities, alongside greater control and flexibility of a site’s electricity usage, and offers potential to access grid incentives.

VIRTUE can be easily scaled to manage demand, making it a ‘future proof’ solution, as capacity can be added by simply installing additional batteries, which can be accounted for during the specification process or once growing demand is recognised.

As UPS continues to grow in importance and demand for facilities that operate in critical environments, it is crucial for such industries to seek a reputable provider that can deliver a fully bespoke engineered solution, tailored specifically to the business and their needs. This way, organisations can be sure they are installing a technology that guarantees the power supply to a site and improves the supply efficiency and quality, as well as equipment efficiency.

For more information on VIRTUE and the benefits it can deliver your business visit the Powerstar website.

E: info@powerstar.com | T: 0114 2576 200 | W: www.powerstar.com/virtue

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Virtue: a future-proof energy storage solution

Virtue: An internet of energy

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