The increasing unreliability of mains power supply from Eskom due to lack of generation capacity, problems at the Koeberg nuclear power station and rapidly increasing demand is leading to a new approach by many businesses to ensure their mission-critical computer processing and data centres are not affected by long blackouts.
Neil Burnard, managing director of uninterruptible power supply (UPS) manufacturer and solutions provider, Square One Power Solutions, says the inconsistency of mains power supply over the past 18 months has galvanised many businesses to take action to ensure secure power supplies to their critical computer installations and electronic business systems.
"We are receiving more and more enquiries from businesses looking for power solutions using a combination of UPS and backup diesel generator sets that will keep their critical computing and related systems operational during extended blackouts."
Typical of this approach is a complete uninterruptible power supply (UPS) solution for a specialised, made-to-order building at the new Waterview Park complex at Century City, Cape Town installed by Square One Power Solutions, a member of the JSE-listed Square One Solutions Group.
The building, constructed for a company providing online Internet services, was fitted with two 120kW APC Silcon UPS units to supply data centre servers as well as a single 80kW unit which is dedicated to maintaining power to all of the desktop computers and peripherals in the offices.
The UPS solution specification was provided by BFBA Consulting Engineers, which called for tenders. Square One Power Solutions was subsequently contracted to supply and commission the UPS system by the construction project main contractor, JT Ross Construction.
The two 120kW units are installed in an isolated redundant configuration, which, by keeping the power outputs isolated, ensures exceptionally high security of power supply by eliminating common points of failure.
"In this configuration," said Burnard, "the two UPS units are each connected to a single power supply inside each of the servers, which ensures total redundancy.
"The online Internet services being provided are highly critical and downtime cannot be tolerated, hence the specification for an isolated redundant configuration and an additional UPS to separately cater for the desktops and other equipment outside the data centre."
The UPS system, worth about R1 million, was installed and commissioned in January. Square One Power Solutions is an APC High Power Partner in South Africa.
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Square One Power Solutions is a national UPS company, an APC High Power Partner and a member of the JSE-listed Square One Solutions Group. It provides power solutions for the SOHO, PCA and SME network environment, telecommunications, medical, security, lighting and general industry as well as major corporations and government.
The Square One Solutions Group focuses on providing IT-based business enabling solutions. The company has a national footprint and more than 19 years of experience of the South African market. Square One offers value-based solutions centred around biometric authentication; integrated wireless and mobile applications; enterprise storage and backup/recovery; enterprise power; coding and marking; and enterprise LAN, WAN and infrastructure for the corporate, SME and government markets. The company also distributes document solutions, colour input and output devices and provides 24x7 national support and service.
For more information, please visit www.squareonepower.co.za.
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