The Information Technology (IT) sector deals daily with various important pieces of equipment that need to be continuously connected to a reliable power source, otherwise their operation may be improperly interrupted. In most cases, such equipment operates uninterruptedly 24 hours a day, seven days a week. For this reason, power fluctuations represent a major concern in this area.
Depending on intensity, frequency, or type of electrical oscillationDamage can be caused to IT equipment, resulting in considerable losses. Not only that, but business operations are also compromised due to the downtime of these devices.
Given this context, what can be done to reduce the impact of power fluctuations on IT equipment? Follow this article and find out!
What are electrical oscillations?
An electrical fluctuation is caused by voltage variations in the network. Therefore, these changes can occur due to… problems energy infrastructure, in cases of energy demand overload, load distribution failures, and lightning strikes, among other factors.
It is worth highlighting, in particular, the infrastructure problems. Often, a single transformer is responsible for supplying power to several companies along a line, and voltage drops along the way can generate different voltage levels in the loads being supplied. Furthermore, the operation of high-power equipment can cause oscillations, noise, and transients in the electrical network. Added to this are instances of inadequate conductor sizing and various other factors that reduce the stability and consistency of the power system.
Why do they occur?
In general, several factors can trigger electrical fluctuations. However, some causes are more common in certain environments. Below are some examples!
Voltage spikes
Firstly, voltage spikes can occur in the electrical grid, causing drastic and intense fluctuations. Therefore, it is common for connected components to burn out almost instantly.
Similarly, rapid, yet repetitive, spikes can occur. In these cases, the problems go unnoticed, but In the long term, the equipment can be damaged equally.
Power outages
More abruptly, fluctuations can also occur in the form of power outages. In this case, if there is no alternative system, there will be an interruption in the power supply. However short the interval of the outage, sensitive loads, such as servers and computers, will be shut down. In addition to operational losses, these failures also generate long-term problems in devices.
Undervoltage and Overvoltage
At times, the commercial electrical grid may present a value below (undervoltage) or above the expected (overvoltage). Although regulatory bodies establish standards for these limits, it is very common to witness cases where the voltage of a three-phase network presents values lower or higher in one or more of its phases, thus exceeding the minimum and maximum parameters required by the loads.
Network interference
The network itself can be subject to internal or external interference. The example of high-power appliances that, when switched on or off, generate electrical instabilities, illustrates a problem within the network itself.
However, factors external to the installation site, such as falling trees, lightning strikes, and other problems with utility poles, can also interfere with the electricity grid.
What damage can these fluctuations cause to IT equipment?
Given these problems, it’s important to understand the risks that power fluctuations pose to the IT sector. Learn how these changes in power supply can damage your technological equipment!
Reduction in service life
When the power source is unstable, the equipment’s resources attempt to compensate to maintain operations. This happens mainly with modern and more intelligent hardware. However, it is still detrimental.
In the long term, slight electrical fluctuations can reduce the lifespan of equipment due to wear and tear on its components. Consequently, the return on investment in these devices is diminished, making it necessary to carry out maintenance. new applications to replace machines that have been damaged.
Unexpected failures
The performance of IT equipment can also be compromised by low performance. energy availability. Unexpected failures can bring a series of problems to a company’s routine, such as data loss. In these cases, depending on the situation, it can even generate legal consequences if any rules are violated. General Data Protection Law (LGPD).
Unforeseen failures also disrupt the continuity of operations. Therefore, it is necessary to implement unplanned shutdowns in order to… affect workplace productivity. In this context, ongoing downloads or uploads are paused, the exchange of digital information can be compromised, and even security systems can be unexpectedly paralyzed.
To give a clearer picture, a Tier 1 Data Center, which represents the most basic level of power infrastructure, is expected to have a minimum power availability of 99.671%. Therefore, the level of demand in a professional IT environment is very high.
Circuit burnout
One of the most common damages caused by power surges is the burning out of circuits. In some cases, when the problem is identified as the responsibility of the power distributor, it is possible to seek reimbursement for the lost equipment.
However, if it is found that the power fluctuation occurred due to a problem in the company’s internal infrastructure, the situation must be dealt with without external support.
When an element of an electrical circuit burns out, it is necessary to replace the parts or purchase new devices. In both cases, there are additional costs involved, which can compromise the organizational budget.
How do uninterruptible power supplies (UPS) protect IT equipment?
The good news is that there is a solution to protect IT equipment from power fluctuations.
Having alternative energy sources is always an excellent choice to keep devices running. Such an investment should be associated with a good management plan and… preventive maintenance, in order to guarantee maximum energy availability.
THEUninterruptible power supplies (UPS) are proving to be the ideal solution for protecting equipment from power fluctuations. These devices are uninterruptible power supplies, which continuously power IT equipment, even in situations where the commercial power grid is unavailable.
In addition to ensuring power availability in case of outages, UPS systems are also excellent for guaranteeing network stability when there are many fluctuations, even the slightest ones, preventing damage to IT equipment.
To take advantage of the benefits of uninterruptible power supplies (UPS) in protection against electrical oscillations When it comes to IT equipment, it’s important to choose the right models for your organization’s infrastructure. This choice involves analyzing the power demands of the IT devices and evaluating the products and after-sales support offered by the suppliers.
Want to learn more about the different types of uninterruptible power supplies (UPS) to protect your IT equipment? Check it out! What to do to ensure redundancy in IT? And have more security in situations of power fluctuations!
