The system, which has an energy rating of 4-20 kVA and between 208-240V in voltage, is said to provide ‘plug-and-play’ power and user-replaceable battery modules for data centre, commercial and industrial applications.

Batteries can be replaced while the system is still running, and it has been awarded a 94% efficiency rating.

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Graciano Beyhaut, senior product line manager at Eaton, said: “From edge data centers and colocation facilities to commercial and industrial facilities, IT managers need versatile backup power that meets their businesses’ unique requirements.

“We’ve engineered the 9PXM UPS with a modular and versatile design that allows these users to start small and expand as their business needs grow, all while maintaining a compact footprint.”

They are not alone…

Also taking into account the recent installations of UPS’s at Dubrovnik Airport in Croatia and Chennai, India, it seems that 24-hour power systems may be becoming a worldwide trend in many industries.

For Riello UPS general manager Leo Craig, this cannot come soon enough.

“A dependable uninterruptible power supply (UPS) should be seen as a business’s first and foremost line of defence against potential power outages and disruptions,” Craig said.

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“IT downtime is catastrophic, not just in terms of financial losses or drops in productivity, but also in terms of your reputational damage.

“With a reliable UPS protecting your critical power supply, you have that ultimate insurance policy bridging the gap until your backup generators kick-in or letting your computer systems safely shut down until the power’s back on.”

Life and death

The Riello GM continued by explaining that this is not just the case for companies that prioritise profit or shareholder interest.

“It’s not an exaggeration to suggest a UPS can sometimes be the difference between life and death. Hospital operating theatres and A&E departments, the emergency services, roads, railways, docks, and airports – all this critical infrastructure demands the clean and consistent power supply a UPS can help provide.

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“With the rapid growth of connected devices, smart industry, and the ‘Internet of Things’, both our personal and professional lives are only going to become increasingly interconnected and dependent on a robust, consistent power supply, so the demand for UPS protection is only likely to get bigger.”

A backup plan

Additionally, Emiliano Cevenini, EMEA vice president of commercial & industrial vertical for Vertiv, implored UK businesses to invest in a UPS, despite a recent upturn in reliability on the part of the National Grid, helped by the investment of £378m worth of contracts.

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“Although reliability of the grid is improving, it doesn’t mean that power failures won’t ever occur,” Cevenini said.

“For that reason, UPS systems are still a vital investment for mission critical businesses, but today, we are seeing new opportunities for these organisations.

“The batteries within the UPS have the potential to transition from being a backup source only to having a more proactive function.

“The concept is that the battery has the capability to feed electricity in the other direction, i.e. into the public power grid, in times of low consumption or high own generation. The owner of the UPS not only participates in the balancing energy market and stabilisation of the grid, but also opens up a new stream of revenue.”