In the past, the popular assumption was that for mission-critical data center applications, UPSs had to operate only in double-conversion mode. A system operating in double-conversion mode completely isolates IT equipment from the irregularities of input power, without undue stress on internal batteries. And it provides seamless operation from battery mode to generator operation and back again, so as not to even slightly interrupt power to the connected IT equipment.

However, data center managers now have viable and remarkably cost-effective new choices with high efficiency, double-conversion, multi-mode UPSs that combine the best of single- and double-conversion topologies: exceptional efficiency plus the high protective level of double-conversion operation.

With best practices and the right choices in equipment, data center managers can reduce energy consumption by nearly 50 percent. That means that almost three-quarters of the power utility bill will fuel actual IT processing, compared to less than 50 percent of the power supplied to a normal data center today.

With a more efficient allocation of power, you not only reduce utility bills and total operating cost, but also achieve more with available backup power and cooling systems—delaying the point where those systems would have to be upgraded to support data center expansion.

So, which UPS topology is right for your data center? Where there once was only one “right” answer, new technologies offer effective new choices specifically designed for high-efficiency, high-density data centers.

For more information on UPSs, contact Chuck Clarke at 404.681.3270 x301 or email to cclarke@empoweret.com.