Fundamentals of critical power

KEEP POWER
UNCRITICAL
 Fundamentals of critical power: Introduction 02

LEARN FROM A GLOBAL LEADER TO INTRODUCING EATON

Eaton is a global leader in power protection, distribution and

KICKSTART YOUR CRITICAL POWER JOURNEY

management solutions. We offer a comprehensive range of
products and services designed to serve the power system
needs of the industrial, institutional, government, utility,
commercial, residential, IT and mission-critical OEM markets
globally. Our portfolio includes uninterruptible power supplies
This guide forms part of Eaton’s new ‘Fundamentals’ series. Its aim is to introduce core sector themes, technologies (UPSs), surge protective devices, power distribution units
(ePDUs), remote monitoring, meters, software, connectivity,
and product considerations around Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS). This makes it a useful backgrounder for detailed enclosures and services.
discussions to help you meet your own specific UPS requirements, whether for an office, warehouse, hospital, plant,
datacentre or other building with mission-critical IT and operational infrastructure.
Six, easy-to-navigate sections take you from the basics of critical power protection right through to system design, compliance
and three contrasting example scenarios – an industrial setting, a hospital/healthcare environment and a shopping mall.

1 2 3 4 5 6
WHAT IS UNDERSTANDING CHOOSING PRODUCTS FACTORS INFLUENCING PLANNING USING UPS TECHNOLOGY
CRITICAL POWER? CORE TECHNOLOGIES AND SERVICES SYSTEM DESIGN FOR COMPLIANCE FOR DIFFERENT APPLICATIONS
03 07 10 19 23 26
1.1 What is UPS and why 2.1 UPS topologies 08 3.1 Modularity 11 4.1 Six key questions to inform 5.1 Compliance 24 6.1 Three contrasting UPS scenarios 27
is it needed? 04 your ups choice 20
2.2 Eaton’s UPS product series 09 3.2 Advanced technologies 12 5.2 Cybersecurity 25 6.2 Critical power: knowledge checklist 29
1.2 Nine common grid problems 05 4.2 Total cost of ownership 22
3.3 Redundancy 14
1.3 Single- and three-phase power
3.4 Accessories 15
supply 06
3.5 Cybersecurity 16
3.6 Software 17
3.7 Services 18
1.0
WHAT IS
CRITICAL POWER?
In this section learn about:
• The role of UPS in securely
protecting mission-critical
infrastructure
• The spectrum of grid power
issues that impact business
continuity
• The differences between
single- and three-phase supply
and its application
1. What is critical
power?
1.1 1.2 1.3
What is UPS and why is it
needed?
The ability of increasingly IT- and
IoT-connected, mission-critical
infrastructure to handle wide
variance in power quality, as well
total outages, is demanding the clock.
increasingly sophisticated systems
to protect its power supply. UPS
delivers that security.
2. Understanding
core technologies
Nine common grid problems
Grid power is not a homogenous,
predictable commodity. A wide
range of grid events can
compromise business uptime round
3. Choosing products
and services
Fundamentals of critical power: What is critical power? 03
‘The need for a clean, uninterruptible
power source has never been more
vital as buildings increasingly depend
on network-connected IT, IoT and other
sensitive electronic devices’
Single- and three-phase power
supply
UPS systems can deliver power
in two different ways to suit the
protection needed and building(s) in
which the protected infrastructure is
located.
4. 
Factors influencing system 5. Planning for 6. 
Using UPS technology
design compliance for different applications
1.1
WHAT IS UPS AND
WHY IS IT NEEDED?
From commercial buildings and health
care facilities through to data centres and
other complex environments – all require
a supply of reliable, cost-effective power
for the emergency lighting, elevators,
door systems, servers, computers and
other mission-critical infrastructure they
house. Any interruption to that supply
will range from a minor inconvenience or
reputational damage through to issues
around safety, health, public panic or even
loss of life.
1. What is critical
power?
Fundamentals of critical power: What is critical power? 04
‘An UPS protects you from a host
of threats, including power outages,
surges and lightning strikes.’
The need for a clean, uninterruptible power source
has never been more vital as buildings increasingly
depend on network-connected IT, IoT and other
sensitive electronic devices – and will do so even more
into the future. It means the ability to handle voltage
sags, surges and spikes, alongside line noise and other
supply variables, is every bit as important as managing
total outages.
An Uninterruptible Power Supply system provides
that security – enabling organisations to maximise
operational uptime and protect valuable data that could
be corrupted or even lost completely. It detects when
power quality deteriorates or current fails, and provides
near-instantaneous protection from power interruption
so that a standby power source such as a generator can
be activated or equipment shut down.
2. Understanding 3. Choosing products 4. 
Factors influencing system 5. Planning for 6. 
Using UPS technology
core technologies and services design compliance for different applications
1.2 Fundamentals of critical power: What is critical power? 05

NINE COMMON GRID PROBLEMS

The following graphic details nine common power
protection problems typically encountered in
the grid with the potential to impact uptime in
commercial buildings and data centres, as well as

AND THEIR CAUSES

in telecommunications, healthcare and industrial
settings. We’ll be exploring the system technologies
available to address these challenges in the next
chapter.

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9.
POWER POWER POWER SURGE UNDERVOLTAGE OVERVOLTAGE ELECTRICAL FREQUENCY SWITCHING HARMONIC
FAILURE SAG (SPIKE) (BROWNOUT) LINE NOISE VARIATION TRANSIENT DISTORTION

PROBLEM Total loss of electrical

supply, also known as a
Short term low voltage Very fast, short-term
high voltage variation
blackout above 110 per cent of
nominal
Reduced line voltage
from a few minutes to a
few days
Increased line voltage
from a few minutes to a
High frequency wave
form
A change in frequency
stability
Instantaneous
under-voltage (notch)
Of the normal line
wave form, generally
few days – shorter than a transmitted by non-
spike in the range of linear loads
nanoseconds

CAUSE • Utility equipment

failure
• Start-up of large loads
Utility switching
• Lightning
• Line or capacitor
• Can be intentional
utility voltage reduction
• Starting/stopping of
heavy loads
• Either RFI or EMI
• Interference generated
• Generator or small
code generation sites
• Lightning
• Switching loads and
• Switch mode power
supplies
• Storm • Utility equipment switching to conserve power • Poorly dimensioned by transmitters, being loaded and capacitor banks • Variable speed motors
• Objects striking lines or failure • Disconnection of heavy during peak periods or power sources welding devices, SCR unloaded • Opening and closing and drives
poles • Lightning loads. other heavy loads that • Poorly regulated driven printers and connections on • Non-linear loads such
• Fire • Insufficient power exceed supply capacity transformers lightning etc energised lines as copiers and fax
• Human error service to meet • Reclosing operations machines
demand and switching taps on
transformers

DIRECT • Equipment damage and

data loss
• Equipment crashes
• Damaged hardware –
• Line voltages in excess
of 6,000 volts almost
• Lights will dim and
flicker on and off
• Data loss
• Screen flicker
• Interference in radio
and television reception
• Motors may run faster
or slower, leading to
• Degradation (reduced
equipment lifespan)
• Communication errors,
overheating and
IMPACT • Reduced inventory
volume
especially with sensitive
electronics such as
always result in data
loss or hardware
• High-tech devices such
as computers, TVs and
• Equipment damage including cable TV
head-end pick-up and
inefficiency, excess heat
and degradation
• Equipment failure
(particularly concerning
hardware damage.

computers damage
• Heat build-up in UPSs, • Power surges can knock
as well as reduction out delicate electronics,
equipment life cause fires, and bring
havoc to circuitry
• Data processing
errors, data loss and
electromagnetic
interference
others are especially Internet service for essential services
vulnerable to shut • Loss of critical such as fire and
off, malfunction or communications for security alarm systems)
complete destruction police, fire, military
and other similar radio
users

1. What is critical 2. Understanding 3. Choosing products 4. 

Factors influencing system 5. Planning for 6. 
Using UPS technology
power? core technologies and services design compliance for different applications
1.3 Fundamentals of critical power: What is critical power? 06

SINGLE- AND THREE-PHASE Did you know?

The power supply to a commercial
or industrial building is always

POWER SUPPLY
three-phase. A single-phase UPS
simply uses one of those phases.

Depending on the characteristics of the

SINGLE-PHASE POWER THREE-PHASE POWER
building, the power needed to run
infrastructure in it and the applications
involved, UPS systems are designed to
supply either single- or three-phase power.

90° 180° 270° 360° 90° 180° 270° 360°

Single-phase UPS (also known as 1 phase) Three-phase UPS uses three, offset,
has just one sine-wave voltage of 230V. single-phase waves that combine to
This is typically used for protecting heating, deliver 400V (or 380V or 415V to suit
lighting, rack-mounted servers, telecoms or national norms). This tends to be used
computer systems and network switches, or in industrial and business settings with
any device that runs directly from a standard larger critical loads as it offers greater
mains plug such as a laptop or TV. power and efficiency.

1. What is critical 2. Understanding 3. Choosing products 4. 

Factors influencing system 5. Planning for 6. 
Using UPS technology
power? core technologies and services design compliance for different applications
2.0 Fundamentals of critical power: Understanding core technologies 07

UNDERSTANDING
CORE TECHNOLOGIES
In this section learn about:
• UPS topologies that address
different protection needs
• Eaton product series that cover
them
‘Choosing which topology will best meet
your needs will be influenced by the level
of reliability and availability needed, the
type of equipment to be protected, and
2.1 2.2 the application or environment involved’
UPS topologies Eaton product series

Three core UPS topology Our 3, 5 and 9 product series

approaches – each incremental in are designed to cover the full range
range of problems covered – enable of UPS requirements.
you to address key power quality
challenges.

1. What is critical 2. Understanding 3. Choosing products 4. 

Factors influencing system 5. Planning for 6. 
Using UPS technology
power? core technologies and services design compliance for different applications
2.1
UPS TOPOLOGIES
Different UPS topologies
provide varying degrees of
protection. Choosing which
one will best meet your
needs will be influenced by
the level of reliability and
availability you require,
the type of equipment
to be protected, and the
application or environment
involved.
OFFLINE
> >
Solves three power problems:
power failure, sag and surge.
Fundamentals of critical power: Understanding core technologies 08
We outline the three most common
topologies – offline, line interactive
3
and online (double conversion).
Each works in a different way
with each step up adding extra
protection. The application and its
criticality determine which topology
is best suited to the task.
Rotary and MV UPS are other
technologies now used less
frequently.
LINE INTERACTIVE ONLINE
>
Solves five power problems: Solves all nine power problems:
as offline PLUS undervoltage as line interactive PLUS line
and overvoltage noise, frequency variation,
switching transient and
harmonic distortion.
1. What is critical 2. Understanding 3. Choosing products 4. 
Factors influencing system 5. Planning for 6. 
Using UPS technology
power? core technologies and services design compliance for different applications
2.2 Fundamentals of critical power: Understanding core technologies 09

EATON’S UPS PRODUCT Eaton offers products right across the UPS needs
spectrum. Each of our three main product series is named
after the number of the nine common power problems it

SERIES
solves:

33 different
3 topologies
different topologies
different topologies
EATON 3 SERIES (OFFLINE): EATON 5 SERIES (LINE INTERACTIVE): EATON 9 SERIES (ONLINE):
A basic solution that protects non-critical hardware Offers an intermediate solution for office environ- Features double-conversion UPSs with excellent connec-
and data operating in standby mode. ments and servers, with good communication options. tivity and communication options to provide full protection
against all types of power problems –deliver 100% uptime
Used for protecting PCs
Offline
Offline Line interactive
Used for protecting enterprise network and IT
Line Online
Lineinteractive Online
for the most critical applications.

Offline interactive Online

applications
Used when electrical isolation is necessary or for protecting any equip-
ment that is very sensitive to power fluctuations.

•• Takes care of 33 power •• Takes care of 55 power •• Takes care of all 9

• Takes care of 3power
Takes care of
Solves three power problems:
power failure, sag and surge
power
• A low cost solution providing
sufficient protection for office
Takes care of power • TakesTakescare careofofall all99
Solves five power problems: The main advantage of line Solves all nine power problems: • Eliminates electrical interference
• Takes care of 5 power
as offline PLUS undervoltage and interactive is that it enables as line interactive PLUS line noise, as output voltage is entirely

problems problems power problems

environments. overvoltage compensation for under- and frequency variation, switching regenerated by a sequence of AC
• The UPS supplies power to the
problems
problems
application directly from the
mains in normal mode, filtered but
Passive standby is not suitable
where the power supply is low
problems
problems
• The UPS device is controlled by a
microprocessor in normal mode
batteries. power
powerproblems
overvoltage without using the transient and harmonic distortion.
problems
• Ensures a consistent quality
to DC conversion followed by DC
to AC conversion

•• Low cost •• Compensates for

without active conversion. that monitors supply quality and of power supply regardless of
quality (for example on industrial
•• Load completely The online route can be used with

• Lowcost
Low Compensates for Load completely
reacts to fluctuations. disturbances in the incoming
cost • Compensates for • Load completely
• Battery is mains charged – sites) or subject to frequent any type of equipment as there are
mains.
delivering stable power via the disruptions. • A voltage compensation circuit no transients when changing over
UPS in the event of a power cut or
•• Provides sufficient under- and overvoltage
boosts or reduces the supply
under- and overvoltage isolated
isolated from any to battery power.

• Providessufficient
Provides under- and overvoltage isolated fromany
from any
fluctuation voltage to compensate for

sufficient fluctuations.

without using the

protection
protection for
for office
office without using the disturbances
disturbances in
in the
the
protection for office
1. What is critical without
2. Understanding using the
3. Choosing products 4.  disturbances
Factors influencing system 5. Planning for in the 6. Using UPS technology
environments power? batteries
batteries
core technologies and services design mains
mains compliance for different applications
environments
environments batteries mains
3.0 Fundamentals of critical power: Choosing products and services 10

In this section learn about:

• The advantages of modularity • Accessories, cybersecurity, software and
services that keep UPSs operating as they
• How advanced technologies are boosting cost
were designed to
and operational efficiencies
• Redundancy and how it impacts availability

CHOOSING PRODUCTS
AND SERVICES
3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.7
Modularity Advanced technologies Redundancy Accessories Cybersecurity Software Services

Uninterruptible Power
Modules enable you to meet
your specific power and
redundancy requirements
now and into the future
should they increase.
Control opex with smart Know how to Increase From batteries and With the cyberthreat grow- Advanced power Ensuring you have
tech that saves on both availability and resilience battery cabinets to ing every day, resilience management software access to effective
money and energy including at modules, UPS or whole maintenance bypass against attacks is vital. does more than simply services from your
VMMS (Variable Module system level to reflect switches and network Knowing the implications of monitor system health and UPS supplier is as
Managed Systems) and ESS downtime risk. cards, understand the operational technology (OT) environmental conditions important as choosing
(Energy Saver Systems). role of accessories in a and IT convergence, and – it can take independent the right hardware
UPS system. the importance of a secure action to protect critical infrastructure and
development lifecycle, is infrastructure too. software to manage it.
critical when specifying
your UPS.

1. What is critical 2. Understanding 3. Choosing products 4. 

Factors influencing system 5. Planning for 6. 
Using UPS technology
power? core technologies and services design compliance for different applications
3.1 Fundamentals of critical power: Choosing products and services 11

MODULARITY

Taking a modular approach to UPS system design By connecting modules and/or UPSs in parallel, you can either increase The following graphic summarises the features/cost equation when
the power of the system, or its redundancy (see Section 3.3 for more on comparing non-modular and modular UPS approaches.
– using Uninterruptible Power Modules (UPMs) that this topic).
are essentially small UPSs – brings easy scalability.
This enables you to meet your specific power 93PM G2 UPS
Imput 93E G2 UPS
Non-modular Modular
93PM G2 UPS

and redundancy requirements now and into the UPS-93E G2 UPS-93PM G2

UPS
future should they increase. They can also be ‘hot Optional internal
No Yes
Power
swappable’, avoiding a transfer to UPS bypass and
redundancy
Module
increasing critical power availability by enabling Power
Optimized double
conversion mode
No Yes

module replacement while other modules remain Block

online. Modular for service No Yes

The example shows a 200 kW UPS feeding an Cost €€ €€€

150kW load, equipped with 4 x 50kW modules.
Should there be a fault in one module, it will isolate Power
Output Availability + ++
Power
Module
Module
itself enabling the remaining three to service the 150kW load

load with the required 150kW. This makes the

system more fault resilient. Figure 1: 200kW UPS featuring x4 50kW modules Figure 2: Modular vs. non-modular

1. What is critical 2. Understanding 3. Choosing products 4. 

Factors influencing system 5. Planning for 6. 
Using UPS technology
power? core technologies and services design compliance for different applications
3.2 Fundamentals of critical power: Choosing products and services 12

BOOSTING EFFICIENCY THROUGH

ADVANCED TECHNOLOGIES
Cumulative costs (EUR) Resistive load PF = 1,0
52500

Efficiency is the difference between input and output 52000

47500
Normal mode 100

power – i.e. how much loss do you have in the UPS. It is 45000 Load
(%)
Power
(kW)
Efficiency
(%)
99
42500
a key factor for efficiently controlling ongoing OPEX on 40000 100 200 96,3
98
an annual and system lifetime basis that is also impacted 37500
90 180 96,4 97

Efficiency (%)
35000
by cooling, preventive maintenance and servicing, 32500 80 160 96,6
96
upgrades, management and more. 30000
27500
75 150 96,6
95
25000 70 140 96,7

22500 60 120 96,7 94

20000
17500 50 100 96,7 93
15000 40 80 96,5
12500
92
30 60 96,2
10000
91
7500 25 50 95,9
5000 90
20 40 95,3
2500
0 10 20 92,4 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Load (%)
How is OPEX impacted by 1%-point improved efficienty?
Example:
Operating load: PLoad = 100kW
UPS Opearting efficiency: UPS 1: 96,4%
UPS 2: 95,4%
OPEX Savings 1 200 Eur/year - Lifetime savings of 12 000 € (10 snt/kWh)
With modern UPSs, peak efficiency is achieved at around 50% load (of
nominal rating). The graphic demonstrates the substantial financial gains
to be made with every 1% efficiency improvement you achieve for an
100kW load:

1. What is critical 2. Understanding 3. Choosing products 4. 

Factors influencing system 5. Planning for 6. 
Using UPS technology
power? core technologies and services design compliance for different applications
3.2
BOOSTING EFFICIENCY THROUGH
ADVANCED TECHNOLOGIES
Two optional advanced, energy
enhancing technologies are
available to help you deliver that
efficiency:
• VMMS (Variable Module Managed
System): offering up to 25% OPEX
reduction
• ESS (Energy Saver System:
offering up to 75% OPEX
reduction
Fundamentals of critical power: Choosing products and services 13
VMMS (VARIABLE MODULE ESS (ENERGY SAVER SYSTEM)
MANAGED SYSTEM) 100%
Eaton 93PM G2 Online double
Ideal for larger systems or those featuring extensive 95% conversion
redundancy, VMMS firmware suspends some UPS
EFFICIENCY
90%
Eaton 93PM G2 ESS
power modules when activated and keeps others
online to optimise the system at peak efficiency while 85%
Eaton 93PM VMMS
maintaining double conversion.
80%
0 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
Legacy UPS
LOAD LEVEL
VMMS continuously monitors load demands to Eaton 93PM Double conversion Eaton 93PM VMMS
determine how many modules are required - the UPS Figure 5: Efficiency effect of Legacy
VMMS
Eaton 93PM ESS
UPS
and ESS advanced technologies.
constantly aware of how much load it’s taking. In the
event of a power outage, the system jumps from VMMS
into battery mode instantly (i.e. less than 2 ms). Best suited to UPSs in developed regions with stable, dependable mains
supplies when feeding the load through the bypass line, this technology
can deliver 99%+ efficiency that translates into substantial financial savings.
When ESS is activated, all power
modules are suspended, minimizing
power losses apart from the minimal
energy required for its controls, logic
and control screen. If there are any
issues with the raw mains supply,
the UPS will be informed of them
through constant monitoring and
transfer back to normal online mode
in less than 2 ms. Figure 6: With 99% leading market
efficiency, your UPS can pay for
itself by dramatically reducing
facility power and cooling costs.
1. What is critical 2. Understanding 3. Choosing products 4. 
Factors influencing system 5. Planning for 6. 
Using UPS technology
power? core technologies and services design compliance for different applications
3.3 Fundamentals of critical power: Choosing products and services 14

MATCHING REDUNDANCY
LEVEL TO NEED
Redundancy refers to the additional resources required N+1: EXPRESSING REDUNDANCY N+N OR 2N: EXPRESSING REDUNDANCY
to ensure an uninterruptible power supply (UPS) system
is always available in the event of failure. This can be
CONFIGURATION FOR MODULES CONFIGURATION FOR SYSTEMS
designed at module, UPS or full system level. OR UPSS
The more redundancy you build into a system, the higher the availability This is a way of expressing the number of power This is a way of expressing the duplicated system needed to handle an
and greater the resilience, at increasing cost. This graphic illustrates the modules (UPM) or UPSs needed to handle an adequate adequate supply of power for essential connected systems in the event of
availability and relative cost equation of these three redundancy levels supply of power for essential connected systems in the total system failure.
when compared to no redundancy. event of a single fault ‘plus one more’.
This graphic illustrates the pros and cons of the N+N or 2N redundancy
This graphic illustrates the pros and cons of UPM power approach for a customer requiring 1MW of uninterrupted power.
modules or UPS redundancy approaches for
a load requiring 150kW of uninterrupted power. Two completely independent systems are each fed by different power
Different configurations Availability Price sources. Lose one of them and operations will continue to function.
UPM level UPS level What is ‘N+N’ or ‘2N’?
A + B system (or ‘N + N’)
redundancy redundancy
N = required system
No redundancy - €€
• 3 x 50 kW = 150 kW • 2 x 50 kW UPSs ‘+N’ = fully duplicated system
• Provide 4 x 50 kW for • Parallel connections • 2 x1 MW systems connected to same load
redundancy • Normally load shared equally between A and B systems
UPM level redundancy + €€€ +Tolerates
one UPM +Tolerates
one UPM A: 9095P 1 MW system A: 9095P 1 MW system
failure failure
+Faulty
UPM +Tolerates
one UPS +Tolerates
failure of one UPS / full system
automatically isolated failure +Faulty
UPS/system isolated automatically
UPS level redundancy ++ €€€€ +Faulty
UPM +Fully
duplicated feed
automatically isolated
– Very costly
– Critical failure outside – Failure
UPMs leaves load upstream/downstream
System level redundancy +++ €€€€€ unprotected may compromise load

LOAD
At UPM level, three modules would be needed to protect the load should one fail.
At UPS level, two UPSs would be needed to protect the load should one fail.

Figure 7: The availability and relative cost equation Figure 8: Example load needs 150 kW uninterrupted Figure 9: Example customer needs 1 MW uninterrupted power
of these three redundancy levels when compared power with redundancy with redundancy
to no redundancy.

1. What is critical 2. Understanding 3. Choosing products 4. 

Factors influencing system 5. Planning for 6. 
Using UPS technology
power? core technologies and services design compliance for different applications
3.4 Fundamentals of critical power: Choosing products and services 15

ACCESSORIES Did you know?

Super capacitors (or ‘super caps’)
are an effective alternative to
batteries for applications requiring
short run times, also offering a long
service life.

3.4.1 3.4.2 3.4.5

Total Cost of Ownership (TCO), NPV
Batteries VRLA battery replacement Communication cards
Cost

160k €
140k € Li-Ion
120k €
Two battery technologies feature in UPS systems: 100k €
VRLA VRLA batteries need to be replaced approximately Communication cards allow for secure monitoring and
Valve Regulated Sealed Lead Acid (VRLA) and lithium- 80k € every three to ten years. Old ones in poor condition are control of an individual UPS by connecting it directly
VRLA + BMS
ion types. 60k € one of the most common causes of downtime. to the network. This connectivity is the conduit for the
40k € device’s data and information providing status, alerts
The VRLA battery is the established, traditional reserve 20k € OEM VRLA battery exchange services therefore offer and remote capabilities. Notification features keep you
power design with the electrolyte captive, preventing 0 the reassurance of knowing you meet stringent quality informed of problems as they occur, avoiding shutdown
it from spilling even when the case is punctured. VRLA 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 Years
standards and that the batteries are fully compatible in the event of an extended power outage and always
batteries are considered ‘maintenance free’ and require with the UPS. They are a cost-efficient way of ensuring keeping your business information safe.
no addition of electrolyte or water. VRLA vs Lithium-ion: pros and cons
the UPS remains at peak reliability.
Battery Network card types include:
Lithium-ion batteries are the modern alternative to 3.4.3 3.4.4
technology Pros Cons • IT-based SNMP
VRLA, bringing improvements in product footprint,
weight, design life, temperature tolerance and ability to VRLA (lead-acid) Mature Temperature-sensitive These connect UPSs to the network via Ethernet,
Battery Maintenance bypass providing complete UPS monitoring, control and
support a cyclical load. They enable UPSs to function in Cheap Approx. 3-8 year true cabinets switches
applications and environments where VRLA batteries shutdown solutions in a networked IT environment via
Simple service life
will not work effectively, also offering the option to a standard web browser.
Standardized form Only stand-by operation
remotely monitor battery levels. The total cost of /fit/function Battery cabinets enable External Maintenance • Industrial protocols
lithium-ion battery ownership is often lower compared the easy mounting of Bypass Switches (MBS) These provide real-time UPS management by
to VRLA. lithium-ion Long service life Higher initial outlay connecting to any building management system using
batteries and connectivity increase safety and
New applications to the UPS. They should reliability by enabling Modbus TCP, RTU and BACNet.
Choosing whether to use VRLA or lithium-ion Different Li-Ions for
batteries is a trade-off that will reflect project type and be designed taking full seamless transfers to Relay
different needs account of connections, bypass and isolation
management priorities. For example, an easy access
proper cooling, air of the UPS system for This sends the signal to your device through open or
site might justify the lower initial outlay yet overall
very high cost of battery replacement in such a tough circulation and the size of maintenance. Eaton closed contacts. An environmental monitoring probe
higher total cost of ownership (TCO) through the need
location relative to the higher capex. any protective equipment External MBSs are can attach to the communication card to enable you
to replace VRLA batteries periodically. However, the
designed to UPS standard to collect temperature and humidity readings in rack
inaccessibility of a remote offshore wind farm would This chart demonstrates TCO differences for VRLA vs IEC 62040. External MBSs enclosures, and monitor environmental data remotely
point to lithium-ion as the obvious choice given the lithium-ion during its life time. are available for power using power monitoring solutions or a standard web
range from 8 kW to 150 kW. browser.

1. What is critical 2. Understanding 3. Choosing products 4. 

Factors influencing system 5. Planning for 6. 
Using UPS technology
power? core technologies and services design compliance for different applications
3.5
CYBERSECURITY
Our world is increasingly digitised, networked and
connected – and the UPS sector is no exception.
That’s why ensuring resilience against cyberattack is
critical when choosing UPS products and solutions
to match your needs. They must be able to protect
mission-critical infrastructure from power supply
degradation and interruption that can catastrophically
impact operational capabilities and, ultimately, the
organisation’s bottom line.
As organisations expand their digital footprint, it becomes imperative to
protect system availability, integrity and confidentiality. Cybersecurity
threats are therefore best met proactively by taking a system-wide,
defensive approach specific to organisational needs that recognises that
cyberattack methods constantly change.
1. What is critical
power?
Fundamentals of critical power: Choosing products and services
THE IMPORTANCE OF UNDERSTANDING
OT AND IT CONVERGENCE
Information technology (IT) has, for many years, been almost the
exclusive focus for cybersecurity designed to protect the acquisition,
storage, processing, and sharing of data and information. However, as
the operational technology (OT) hardware and software that keep critical
infrastructure running have rapidly evolved, such as that behind UPS
systems, its vulnerability to cyberattack has also grown. While some IT
cybersecurity methods can be applied to OT, they need to be applied
in such a way as they don’t impede or impact the system’s real-time
operation.
Figure 10: Key stages of the Secure Development Lifecycle (SDLC)
2. Understanding 3. Choosing products 4. 
Factors influencing system
core technologies and services design
16
WHY A SECURE DEVELOPMENT LIFECYCLE
(SDLC) CYBERSECURITY CAPABILITY IS CRITICAL
Cybersecurity across IT and OT isn’t about making a binary choice between
‘secure’ and ‘not secure’. Neither is it something that can be applied just
once and left alone, or considered at procurement and then forgotten
about. Instead, cybersecurity must be applied across the entire lifecycle of
a UPS system – considering every asset from product selection through
weekly, monthly, and yearly maintenance to decommissioning, and
remembering that its security is only as strong as its weakest link. Choosing
a vendor or supplier that understands and applies SDLC principles –
meeting all relevant industry standards such as such as IEC-62443-4-2 or
UL2900-1, and having third-party validation – is key to maximizing your ROI
on UPS investment.
Find out more here about Eaton’s approach to managing
cybersecurity risk – including a list of all cybersecurity-certified
Eaton products.
5. Planning for 6. 
Using UPS technology
compliance for different applications
3.6
SOFTWARE
Distributed architectures and critical
infrastructures demand intelligent
power management software capable
of ensuring the round-the-clock UPS
efficiency required to maintain business
continuity. Such smart software is the
‘glue’ that links all UPS sensors and other
hardware, such as power distribution
units (PDUs) and automatic transfer
switches (ATSs), and enables a UPS to
operate to its full capability. This sits
on top of the entire hardware stack and
displays cybersecure information in a
meaningful manner so that the user gets
an aggregated system view including
dashboards, trends and thresholds.
1. What is critical
power?
However, advanced power
management software does more
than simply monitor system health
and environmental conditions such
as temperature and water leakage
in real time. It can trigger automated
IT system actions without human
intervention. For example, it can
send a signal to shut down the
system in a controlled way should
it be about to run out of battery
– without corrupting any files or
databases.
2. Understanding
core technologies
Fundamentals of critical power: Choosing products and services 17
The importance of effective smart
software is especially well illustrated
when protecting the distributed
architectures and supervisory
control and data acquisition
(SCADA) systems found on a multi-
turbine windfarm for example – or
across the geographically scattered
facilities of a global manufacturing
enterprise.
3. Choosing products 4. 
Factors influencing system 5. Planning for 6. 
Using UPS technology
and services design compliance for different applications
3.7 Fundamentals of critical power: Choosing products and services 18

SERVICES
Ensuring you have access to effective services
from your UPS supplier is as important as
choosing the right hardware infrastructure and
software to manage it. The following ‘what
and why’ summary highlights four key priority
service areas to consider including warranty,
maintenance, technical support and emergency
response.

WARRANTY AND SERVICE CONTRACTS

Maintenance Technical support Emergency response

What?
Preventive maintenance and
inspection
System diagnosis
Cybersecurity firmware updates
System efficiency optimization
Why?
Recurrent, preventive maintenance helps avoid UPS
deterioration and inspections can identify early signs of
degradation. Taking this approach increases UPS system
reliability and decreases the cost of power interruptions
due to reduced frequency – producing a full picture of its
health status.
Diagnostics analytics identify hidden patterns that can
potentially lead to UPS malfunctions. This should encom-
pass the wider UPS ecosystem including environment
and power distribution. This will reduce UPS downtime,
as well as make for more cost-effective corrective mea-
sures.
Regularly updated UPS system firmware ensures latest
functionality, performance and cybersecurity – boosting
protection.
This process updates UPS parametrization to improve
efficiency by minimizing power losses and optimizes the
battery charging cycle to extend battery life.
What? Why? What? Why?
Helpdesk Hot line, email and chat should be available to solve L1 Guaranteed response time Minimise mobilization time for [a system expert] to be
requests during working hours – ideally in the local lan- present onsite if required to investigate problems and
guage. This should provide access to product documenta- remedy them.
tion, pricing and lead time for parts. Root cause analysis Identify reasons for malfunctions including recommen-
Expert hotline 24/7 Level 1 and 2 support, including priority access to L3 dations to addressing those most probable – preventing
and L4, should be available round the clock to deliver a similar future failures and clearly communicating recom-
response in minutes. mended actions.
UPS operation training Onsite basic training should be available to help staff Tailored contingency planning This minimizes a site-specific plan adapted to fit
fully understand the UPS operation process, including customer processes to react to malfunctions, including
how to react to different alarms and events. This enables pre-arranged logistics with dedicated staff trained in
them to perform basic operations and improve communi- on-site specifics to be fully malfunction-ready.
cation efficiency with tech support.
Cyber-secured remote A cloud-based analytics solution should collect and anal-
monitoring yse the data of power infrastructure devices without
compromising security and availability. This enables ser-
vices such as remote monitoring, health reports and early
anomaly detection that mitigate downtime risk associ-
ated with critical components and enables you to shift
from a reactive to proactive model. First time fix rates are
increased, valuable time is saved, and maintenance and
emergency travel reduced.

1. What is critical 2. Understanding 3. Choosing products 4. 

Factors influencing system 5. Planning for 6. 
Using UPS technology
power? core technologies and services design compliance for different applications
4.0 Fundamentals of critical power: Factors influencing system design 19

In this section learn about:

• Our six-stage process to help inform UPS choice
• Considerations around UPS Total Cost of Ownership

FACTORS INFLUENCING
SYSTEM DESIGN
4.1
Three- or single-phase?
Centralised or distributed
architecture? And what about
redundancy? Taking a systematic
approach to identifying your
needs in good time is key to
successful UPS design and
implementation.
‘A range of environmental factors will
influence the design for UPS hardware. Is
the UPS correctly designed and certified
for marine or other harsh environments?
4.2 Or is it appropriately constructed and
rated for power protection in an industrial
Understanding the details
setting?”’
Understanding the detail around
capital expenditure (capex) and
operating expenditure (opex) is
critical for analysing total cost of
ownership and measuring value
added.

1. What is critical 2. Understanding 3. Choosing products 4. 

Factors influencing system 5. Planning for 6. 
Using UPS technology
power? core technologies and services design compliance for different applications
4.1 Fundamentals of critical power: Factors influencing system design 20

SIX KEY QUESTIONS TO

INFORM YOUR UPS CHOICE
The following six-stage process will help
you determine the UPS solution that
meets your needs:

1. DO YOU NEED THREE-PHASE
FEED?
If you’re protecting three-phase equipment – generally
in an industrial or business setting with larger critical
loads – then you’ll need three-phase UPSs. If the project
involves single-phase equipment such as heating,
lighting, smaller IT systems or devices run from a
standard mains plug, you can opt for either a single- or
three-phase UPS solution.
2. HOW MUCH POWER DO YOU
REQUIRE?
To calculate your total load, list all the equipment you’re
going to protect with the UPS and combine their power
requirements. You may also want to take into account
the need for any additional load capacity you may need
in the future – for example were you to add more server
racks in your data centre later on. Depending on your
budget, you can build in a safety margin to go beyond
the minimum UPS capacity required to handle the
maximum potential load.
3. DO YOU WANT A CENTRALISED UPS OR DISTRIBUTED
ARCHITECTURE?
While centralised architectures power the complete
building or area, de-centralised UPSs are used to protect
only a single load or piece of equipment such as a machine
or rack. A centralised UPS system can be built resiliently by
adding redundancy. This can be done by adding power
modules in modular systems and/or more UPSs in parallel.
This approach also enables the servicing of equipment one
power module or UPS at a time, without the need to shut
the system down completely. The same applies to scaling
up the system – you can add power by adding more power
modules or UPSs in parallel.
UPS systems require status monitoring through an
aggregated dashboard view that can be enabled using
Eaton or third party systems. They can also feature sensors
for environmental monitoring that show how the UPS is
behaving relative to local conditions including air
temperature, water leakage, humidity etc. Ensuring
appropriate cybersecurity is especially important to prevent
any ‘back door’ system entry given the data flows
generated by monitoring processes, as well as ensuring
business continuity.
Other considerations should you opt for a distributed
architecture include the service package required to cover
multiple systems – which may involve additional
complexity and servicing time etc.
A range of environmental factors will influence the design
and materials used for UPS hardware. Is the UPS correctly
designed and certified for marine or other harsh
environments? Or is it appropriately constructed and rated
for power protection in an industrial setting?

1. What is critical 2. Understanding 3. Choosing products 4. 

Factors influencing system 5. Planning for 6. 
Using UPS technology
power? core technologies and services design compliance for different applications
4.1
SIX KEY QUESTIONS TO
INFORM YOUR UPS CHOICE
4. WHAT ARE YOUR RUNTIME
REQUIREMENTS ON BATTERIES
OR OTHER ENERGY STORAGE
TECHNOLOGIES?
The starting point here is determining the storage
capacity you need to deliver the runtime required
for controlled shutdown or transfer etc – which, in
general, can be delivered using VRLA, Lithium-Ion or
supercapacitor technology. However, your choice here
may be influenced by location and other practicalities.
For example, the higher capex for using Lithium-Ion
would be easily offset from a Total Cost of Ownership
perspective in a remote location such as an offshore
wind farm, where more frequent replacement of
cheaper VRLA batteries would be expensive, as well as
challenging.
A further factor here is Energy Aware grid support
– whether you wish to be able to generate revenue
by selling unused stored power back into the grid
on a ‘demand response’ basis, also supporting grid
frequency regulation.
1. What is critical
power?
5. WHAT ARE YOUR
REDUNDANCY NEEDS
Depending on the criticality of the load you are
protecting with a UPS, you might want to add more
redundancy to make the installation even more fault
tolerant. You can do this throughout the power chain,
starting by using dual feeds at the UPS’s input or even
dual feeds for the actual load (e.g. server).
Looking at the UPS equipment specifically, we can
build in redundancy either by paralleling multiple
UPSs or by using modular UPSs (see chapter 3.1). It all
comes down to the question of how critical your load
is – and whether you can afford downtime in the event
of a failure in the power chain. Ultimately it’s a balance
between uptime and the capex needed at installation.
2. Understanding 3. Choosing products
core technologies
Fundamentals of critical power: Factors influencing system design 21
6. WOULD YOU LIKE TO LEVERAGE DATA FOR FURTHER
AUTOMATION BEYOND THE UPS AND PROTECTION IT PROVIDES?
The power chain status data derived from a UPS can help Integrating with third-party monitoring applications is made
you protect the IT infrastructure that’s running underneath easy through the use of public protocols such as SNMP/
it – integrating both to maximise business continuity. For MQTT.
example, if the UPS knows that it’s running on batteries
with say 75% capacity remaining, [Eaton’s] IPM software With cybersecurity a dynamic, constantly changing picture,
can trigger actions at the IT load level. This might then choosing a supplier that delivers firmware updates is key to
involve moving virtual resources from one rack to another helping you stay ahead of the threat.
– or from one site to elsewhere – to keep the application
running.
Smart power distribution units (PDUs) come with very
sophisticated sensors and a range of different power
outlets. So if, for example, you are renting rack space to a
tenant in a data centre on a monthly basis, you could bill
them based on PDU power consumption data.
4. 
Factors influencing system 5. Planning for 6. 
Using UPS technology
and services design compliance for different applications
4.2
TOTAL COST OF
OWNERSHIP
When buying a UPS you naturally need
to understand the initial capital expense
(capex) of the UPS itself plus costs
for installation, housing and cooling
requirements – which can typically
account for between 25-40% of the
total cost of ownership (TCO). You also
need to know the operating expense
(OPEX) picture. How much will your
business spend running and maintaining
the UPS over its lifetime? What is the
likely frequency and cost of battery
replacement? And what might annual
energy consumption look like?
1. What is critical
power?
Fundamentals of critical power: Factors influencing system design
Analysing the broader TCO over
Total cost purchase cost the UPS’s lifetime is critical, even
a single percentage improvement
operational costs in efficiency could save you more
than the UPS purchase price over
that period. And it needs to be
considered in the context of value
rather than purely bottom-line
25% cost. What will the UPS bring to
the business in terms of business
continuity, resilience and disaster
Purchase cost recovery in the event of prolonged
and unexpected power outages?
The efficiency of a UPS highly
affects its operating costs as it’s
usually running 24/7. Efficiency
enhancing technologies built into
modern UPSs will further drive
these costs lower.
75%
Operational costs
2. Understanding 3. Choosing products 4. 
Factors influencing system
core technologies and services design
Given that a UPS is normally an
investment over quite a long period
– roughly 5 to 15 years – it will need
maintenance during its lifetime. This
plays a big role in the total cost of
ownership. The unit’s serviceability,
as well as the component lifetime
chosen by the manufacturer,
can make a big difference when
comparing the cost of ownership of
different UPSs.
5. Planning for
compliance
22
One of the most crucial parts of
any UPS system is energy storage,
with batteries usually on standby
to power the load even during
mains outages. The lifetime of
the energy storage solution can
vary considerably depending on
type. Taking VRLA batteries as an
example, their lifetime can vary
from around three years to more
than ten. Choosing Lithium batteries
instead of VRLA will prolong battery
lifetime to equal that of the UPS
itself.
Explore total cost of owner-
ship further with Eaton’s
TCO calculator
6. 
Using UPS technology
for different applications
5.0 Fundamentals of critical power: Planning for compliance 23

In this section learn about:

• The regulations governing backfeed and short
circuit safety
• The complex international cybersecurity
regulation picture and Eaton’s solution

PLANNING FOR COMPLIANCE

5.1 5.2
Safety Cybersecurity

Maintaining safety and eliminating While there is no single set of

risk to people and equipment when
managing hazardous voltages
is a key priority for UPS system
manufacturers who must comply
with IEC international safety
standards.
standards governing the complex
global cybersecurity landscape,
Eaton meets the all-encompassing
international standard IEC 62443
and UL-2900-1 which applies in the
United States.

1. What is critical 2. Understanding 3. Choosing products 4. 

Factors influencing system 5. Planning for 6. 
Using UPS technology
power? core technologies and services design compliance for different applications
5.1
COMPLIANCE
SAFETY
While reliability and resilience are
top priorities for mission-critical
facilities, the biggest priority of
all has to be maintaining safety
and eliminating risk to people
and equipment when managing
hazardous voltages. UPS system
manufacturers must comply with
IEC international safety standards
to protect against two major risks,
both equally important but often
misunderstood.
Backfeed protection is mandated
by EN62040-1:2008 Uninterruptible
power systems (UPS) – Part 1:
General and safety requirements
for UPS. This states that a safety
mechanism must be correctly
installed either internally within the
UPS or as an external component.
At a minimum this protects service
personnel who may be working
on switchgear upstream from the
UPS by isolating the UPS from
the input and preventing current
leaking upstream. In addition, a
UPS can detect backfeed current
and open an internal backfeed
connector while sounding an
alarm. This enables the UPS to
continue in double-conversion
mode, significantly improving
system operation and reliability.
Backfeed protection can be applied
to both distributed and centralised
multiple UPS configurations, while
maintaining the same levels of
safety, system redundancy and
availability.
1. What is critical
power?
Fundamentals of critical power: Planning for compliance 24
Short circuit protection is Consulting with a well-established
also a mandated UPS safety UPS supplier eliminates
requirement under EN62040- users’ exposure to legislation
1:2008 Amendments 1: 2013. This transgressions arising from a
is to prevent a system with a large lack of knowledge of all relevant
upstream feeding transformer requirements. Personnel value
suffering a downstream short the safety to which they’re
circuit that creates a very high fault entitled during normal operation,
current running through the UPS maintenance and fault conditions,
leading to flames, molten metal, while system resiliency and
burning particles, arc flash and even availability are maintained at
explosion. maximum levels.
Did you know?
Backfeed and short circuit protection is always
included as an internal component of Eaton
modular UPS systems – properly designed,
installed and tested.
2. Understanding 3. Choosing products 4. 
Factors influencing system 5. Planning for 6. 
Using UPS technology
core technologies and services design compliance for different applications

5.2
CYBERSECURITY
Cybersecurity is a complex international
picture across the UPS sector and other
industrial areas as there is no single set
of global standards. And it’s dependent
on more than simply ensuring the
technology itself is protected against
cyber threats. The people operating the
equipment and on-site processes where
it is installed are also vital factors over
which an equipment manufacturer has no
influence.
1. What is critical
power?
TWO KEY STANDARDS INCORPORATING THE BEST
In particular, Eaton meets the EATON’S SECURE BY DESIGN
technical control system component
requirements of two key, all-
encompassing standards depending
on where equipment is to be
installed.
IEC 62443 has an international
focus on industrial communication
networks – IT security for networks
and systems – and covers both
technical and process-related
aspects of industrial cybersecurity.
IEC 62443-4-2:2019 provides
detailed technical control system
component requirements (CRs)
associated with seven foundational
requirements (FRs) described in IEC
TS 62443-1-1. These include defining
the requirements for control system
capability security levels and their
components, SL-C(component).
UL-2900-1 covers broadly similar
areas but is US-centric featuring
general software cybersecurity
requirements for network-
connectable products used in the
United States.
2. Understanding
core technologies
OFtoTHE
know BEST:
1 Get the device
Eaton has synthesised a best-prac-
tice approach – ‘Secure by Design’ –
having conducted in-depth analysis
of all major global cybersecurity
standards ranging from that of
the US Department of Homeland
Security and NIST through to the
Electrical Manufacturers Association
(EMA), UL and IEC. The company
then uses this super set of the
most relevant norms as the basis
for cybersecure engineering on a
product-by-product basis.
The process starts with the product
manager and Eaton’s Centre of
Excellence identifying the worst
case scenario should a product
to be under attack and/or its
weakest link. This analysis then
informs which relevant standards
to incorporate which are then
detailed in a confidential Product
Cybersecurity Requirements
document.
Once the product has been
designed and manufactured to
3. Choosing products
and services
throughout the entire product lifecycle. you to measure, classify and reduce risk.
A continuous journey to safeguard
Fundamentals of critical power: Planning for compliance 25
solutions.
With trained people, thorough processes and
sophisticated technologies in place, our SDLC
program safeguards products across the entire
product development lifecycle.
With continuously evolving system
complexities, threat scenarios and
technology, security is a continuous
journey. Our approach provides control
and management throughout all phases
of integration.
The SDLC framework spans the life of a device,
from its inception to deployment and
maintenance phases.
Eaton collects important background
information from product teams to initially Get to Learn how
classify the product, whether the device tested
know it’s built
is a sensor, actuator, field device or system.
meet the specified standards, it
the device
2 made how
will beLearn
full lifecycle.
secure
This
There are all process
sorts of
built
it’sthroughout
products in provides
its
the market,
control and management across
with countless components, interfaces and all
protocols. We review the architecture of the
phasesproducts,
of integration – from product
See where
identifying physical interfaces,
Cybersecurity risk may
designprotocols,
and development
data flows, deploymentthrough to
contexts and
lie
integration, installation, operation
access scenarios. All this helps Eaton set the
stage for discovering where risk may hide.
Confirm assessment
and support. security process
3 See where risk may lie
We methodically examine every facet
of the product and then create threat
models to identify conceivable
cybersecurity issues that may be a Work to
concern in the customer environment. Remove risk
With our findings in hand, we finalize
cybersecurity requirements.
4 Work to remove risk
We take a series of precise steps to make sure the
5 Confirm security
We ensure our requirements and findings
requirements identified — like security design, code reviews from product assessments enable developers
and product cybersecurity assessments — are correctly to fix any bugs discovered and develop a
applied. We align our findings with the requirements process to address any future vulnerability
framework to confirm we meet the product’s cybersecurity discovered in the field.
goals. We then document secure hardening and deployment
guidelines according to industry best practices.
your11: Secure development lifecycle
Eaton can help secure Figure You can rely on Eaton for the latest connected-network
thinking, best practices and advanced technologies
connected environment.
needed to address cybersecurity risk.
Discover how we can help you build secure cyber
solutions in your network environment.
4. 
Factors influencing system 5. Planning for
Eaton.com/cybersecurity 6. 
Using UPS technology
design compliance for different applications
6.0 Fundamentals of critical power: Creating a UPS 26

In this section learn about:

• UPS applications that extend beyond data protection
• Plus, how to check your critical power understanding

USING UPS TECHNOLOGY FOR

DIFFERENT APPLICATIONS
“Although UPS systems are typically
associated with data protection, there
are multiple other applications that need
6.1 6.2
instantaneous, short-duration power
THREE CONTRASTING UPS CRITICAL POWER: back-up”
SCENARIOS KNOWLEDGE CHECKLIST

An industrial setting, a hospital and Test yourself on how much you’ve

a shopping mall illustrate diverse learnt about critical power – and
applications of UPS technology. identify areas where you’d like
Compare example outline systems to find out more by talking to an
for each Eaton expert

1. What is critical 2. Understanding 3. Choosing products 4. 

Factors influencing system 5. Planning for 6. 
Using UPS technology
power? core technologies and services design compliance for different applications
6.1
THREE CONSTRASTING
UPS SCENARIOS
Although UPS systems are typically
associated with data protection,
there are multiple other applications
that need instantaneous, short-
duration power back-up until power
is restored from the main supply or
an alternative long duration back-up
e.g. from diesel generators.
Here we explore three contrasting
example scenarios – an industrial
setting, a hospital/healthcare
environment and a shopping mall
– that each illustrates general UPS
principles and opportunities, rather
than specifying a fully specified
solution. Every ‘real life’ building
and application will be different
and it is the system designer’s
responsibility to ensure adequate
provision is made for safety, data
integrity, cost avoidance and
business continuity.
Some life safety applications have
specific requirements that aren’t
covered by general UPS. Such an
example is emergency lighting
that must use a special back-up
supply compliant with EN 50171,
rather than a standard UPS. Eaton
provides a marketing-leading central
power system (CPS) product range
to meet this need.
1. What is critical
power?
SCENARIO 1:
INDUSTRIAL SETTING
Many factories or plants involve key
processes where an interruption
to the power supply could lead to
either a safety risk, a significant
added cost – or both. For many
industrial processes, it’s essential
that once it has started it is
completed. A mid-cycle interruption
could lead to a significant loss of
wasted materials and/or require
an expensive clean down of
equipment. For example, certain
mixed substances may ‘set’ in the
processing equipment and be very
difficult to remove. Also, a sudden
power loss could leave some
moving machinery in a dangerous
position, with power then required
to close it down safely.
For this reason, UPSs are used to
ensure that, in the event of a power
failure, machines can be shut down
safely and processes completed –
or at least maintain power until an
alternative back-up comes online.
2. Understanding 3. Choosing products
core technologies and services
Fundamentals of critical power: Creating a UPS 27
Industrial processes involve diverse
environments and consequently
require specific UPS solutions
to match. In controlled settings,
smaller 3-phase or 1-phase UPSs
such as Eaton’s 93E, 93PS or 9PX,
9SX are optimal, for example when
backing up automation loads. 93E
and 93PM are ideal for protecting
larger loads required for pumps and
motors, especially at start up, which
can be started in groups. For more
demanding industrial applications,
9PHD offers flexible configuration
options such as a robust enclosure
with up to IP54 rating for dusty/
wet environments, a seismic rating
for earthquake-prone zones, and
internal transformers for voltage
conversion, galvanic isolation
and compatibility with different
distribution systems.
4. 
Factors influencing system 5. Planning for 6. 
Using UPS technology
design compliance for different applications
6.1
THREE CONSTRASTING
UPS SCENARIOS
SCENARIO 2:
HOSPITAL/HEALTHCARE ENVIRONMENT
The impact of sudden loss of
power in a hospital or clinic is all
too clear: lives depend on essential
equipment being available round
the clock. From life support
and dialysis machines through
to operating theatres, power
availability is non-negotiable.
This is why there’s a raft of
regulations covering short- and
long-duration power back-up
in healthcare environments.
These include the categorisation
of services and the need for
redundancy for some applications,
so if one part of the back-up system
fails another immediately takes
over.
Eaton has produced a detailed
reference design guide for
consultants and designers working
on hospital and other healthcare
projects. This gives designers a
comprehensive overview of the
regulations, as well as a technical
specification for medium voltage,
low voltage and critical power
back-up needs.
As power availability can be
life-critical, the Eaton 93PM G2
featured in the guide provides the
highest availability thanks to its
hot swap, modular design and a
parallel redundant distribution with
independent power paths. This
1. What is critical
power?
simplifies maintenance procedures
by enabling a power module or
entire UPS to be isolated while
ensuring that critical loads remain
fully protected. When it comes to
distributed power protection for
specific devices, the Eaton 9PX
UPS can protect critical loads to
the highest level of reliability and
availability.
2. Understanding 3. Choosing products
core technologies and services
Fundamentals of critical power: Creating a UPS 28
SCENARIO 3:
SHOPPING MALL
Shopping malls and other retail
outlets are busy spaces where
many visitors may be unfamiliar
with the buildings and others who
work there are managing large
volumes of financial transactions.
So as well as the usual safety
systems such as emergency
lighting, back-up power is needed
to further protect safety and
minimise financial risk.
While emergency lighting and
fire detection systems will have
independent power back-up, those
running security, CCTV and access
control need to be kept active to effectively closed-down once those approach, supermarkets and other
monitor buildings, keep people safe transactions are completed. retail outlets could opt to use
and protect valuable stock. smaller, 3-phase UPSs such as
Larger, 50-300kVA UPSs such Eaton’s 8-40kVA 91PS, 93PS and/or
For example, in the case of a as Eaton 93PM or 93E provide
supermarket, it’s important that Eaton 1-phase UPSs like Eaton 5PX
an effective solution to back up and Eaton 9PX. Both of the latter
doors can always operate to systems in a more centralised
allow people to evacuate. With can be used either standalone or
critical power distribution with rack mounted.
retail outlets also handling many UPSs located at facility level. If
cash and card transactions, it’s
taking a hybrid or distributed
important that systems can be
4. 
Factors influencing system 5. Planning for 6. 
Using UPS technology
design compliance for different applications
6.2
CRITICAL POWER:
KNOWLEDGE CHECKLIST
Identify any gaps in your critical WHAT IS CRITICAL
power knowledge with our handy POWER?
checklist. Then close them by
reviewing the relevant guide section Do you know the role of UPS
or talking to an Eaton expert. in protecting mission-critical
infrastructure and the range
of grid power issues that can
impact business continuity?
And are you familiar with the
differences between single-
and three-phase supply – and
its application?
UNDERSTANDING CORE
TECHNOLOGIES
Are you up to speed on
the three core UPS system
approaches and how they
address key power quality
challenges?
Do you understand how
Eaton covers the full range of
UPS requirements with its 3,
5 and 9 Series?
1. What is critical 2. Understanding
power?
CHOOSING PRODUCTS
AND SERVICES
Are you clear about the
advantages of modularity,
the advanced technologies
saving both energy and
money, and how to build in
system redundancy?
Do you know how
accessories, cybersecurity,
software and services keep
UPSs operating as they were
designed to?
FACTORS INFLUENCING
SYSTEM DESIGN
Do you know the six-stage
process that can help inform
your UPS choice? And
understand how to take
total cost of ownership into
account when considering
the solution that’s right for
you?
3. Choosing products
core technologies and services
Fundamentals of critical power: Creating a UPS 29
PLANNING FOR
COMPLIANCE
Do you understand the
key regulations governing
backfeed and short circuit
safety, the complexity around
cybersecurity and standards
governing it – and how Eaton
meets the challenge?
USING UPS
TECHNOLOGY
FOR DIFFERENT
APPLICATIONS
Do you know the top-level
considerations to be taken
into account when designing
a UPS system to maintain
business continuity in
contrasting environments
such as a hospital/healthcare
facility, industrial setting and
shopping mall?
4. 
Factors influencing system 5. Planning for 6. 
Using UPS technology
design compliance for different applications
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