Yet, despite the very real risk of power outages, a huge proportion of the critical UK infrastructure is still 100% reliant on the mains supply. The situation leaves businesses and consumers extremely vulnerable should major outages occur.
In today's joined up, internet-enabled society, every aspect of the infrastructure is reliant upon a clean, reliable power supply. And, for those tasked with delivering these services, contingency planning is not just about safeguarding critical processes; it is increasingly about safeguarding revenue. With high targets and strict regulations, any significant failure will result in fines, negative publicity and a drop in shareholder value.
The importance of such contingency planning is demonstrated almost daily. Less than a minute without power at a fast-paced, large-scale car manufacturer, for example, could result not only in high volumes of wasted components and materials plus lost labour, but also damage to vital machinery and, potentially, hours of lost manufacturing time due to re-programming of automated machines and processes.
But this isn't just about protecting against a full power outage. In reality, it is far more likely that individual components will be damaged as a result of a power spike, surge or dip. Protecting against these problems is critical to keep the infrastructure working effectively and to minimise the additional costs associated with repair.
Additionally, consider manufacturing environments that are subject to extremes of temperature, vibration, water ingress, dust and dirt. These are critical locations that require protection.
I believe the solution is to provide a rugged uninterruptible power supply (UPS) designed specifically to work reliably and sustainably within a harsh environment – one that has been engineered, modified, ruggedised and tailored to fit within specific site and application space constraints: a "protected UPS".
With the right UPS in place, organisations can be assured that critical aspects of a manufacturing process will keep running irrespective of power outages or glitches.
Whether the UK hits its full capacity and the lights go out, or a substation trips for a few seconds resulting in a surge that damages equipment, our factories' reliance on power should not be underestimated. Safeguarding critical processes is as much about protecting the smooth operation of the nation as it is about safeguarding the smooth flow of revenue. However, power contingency is also now a fundamental aspect of planning for all businesses, including factories.
