Power Outages | Are you Prepared for Winter?
Winter is fast approaching and with that comes the increased risk of power outages for your business. The National Grid may have confirmed that there will be no risk of winter blackouts due to fires and recent plant closures, however, this does not eliminate the risk of power outages caused by the worsening weather over the winter months.
In fact, recently, there is fresh doubt surrounding the National Grid’s reassurance of no blackouts this winter. A power plant in Scotland, owned by energy giant SSE, was contracted by National Grid to guarantee they could provide power if needed as part of emergency measures to prevent blackouts. Last week it had emerged that they had failed to generate power during a test.
How long could your data centre operate through Power Outages?
Data centres are often at the heart of a business infrastructure; storing and processing large amounts of critical data that the business requires to operate effectively
For those data centres that are not protected sufficiently against power outages, there is a real risk that if the power goes down the datacentre goes down with it. Every minute in the dark means thousands of pounds in lost revenue, not to mention the downtime incurred. Hence why many companies, from small to large businesses, hospitals, universities and such like have backup generators at the ready to power up and keep their businesses running during power outages.
This is the Jan. 2007 Storm in Southwest Missouri.
From the experts: How to prepare your data centres for the winter
UPS servicing, testing and monitoring
All data centres should have a UPS system to prevent downtime during a power outage. But it is not just about installing a UPS or generator, you need to test and maintain it correctly to ensure it will work properly when needed. With over 25 years experience, DCResponse can supply your business with the right data centre protection, whether it be a UPS and/or generator. During the winter, we can ensure your data centre is protected by load bank testing and UPS remote monitoring. Load bank testing mimics crisis conditions, testing the ‘load’ to ensure that your UPS system can effectively support a critical load without compromising power. Our remote monitoring service detects changes and errors in your system which immediately informs relevant personnel.
Generator servicing and testing
In preparation for the winter months, generator maintenance is essential to make sure your data centre has backup power when required.
In the event of a mains failure, it is crucial that you can depend on your generator to provide you with power. It is highly important to carry out full testing ‘under load’ so you can make sure that the generator is performing correctly and can be relied upon. As part of our service when carrying out load bank testing; we detect issues and carry out repairs if needed.
Maintaining and testing your UPS and generators is vital as proven by the power plant in Scotland. As a spokesman from the National Grid said, ‘The reason to do tests is to ensure that this kind of thing doesn’t happen when you actually need them’.
Take a look at our Premium, Standard and Basic monitoring and servicing contracts for your uninterruptible power supply, or contact us to discuss the maintenance of your generator.
If you would like to get in touch to discuss your data center requirements please call one of our team on 01993 708855 or contact us
