The governments announcement to push on with a ‘build, build, build’ programme puts jobs and infrastructure at the centre of their economic growth strategy. But as infrastructure projects accelerate, so does the need for a reliable supply of power. UPS systems should not be overlooked and great consideration should given to what the most suitable UPS solution will be.

The government has recently unveiled ‘Fight back’ campaign, committing £5bn to supporting UK infrastructure, which is good news for those in the construction sector. However, with this comes an immense burden to deliver £1.5bn in hospital maintenance, £1bn of school rebuilds, £900m local growth projects and substantial improvements to road networks and digital upgrades.

In addition, the government has also recently set aside a further £3bn to support green initiatives in a bid to encourage the adoption of more green technologies. This includes a drive for more automation, which on the face of it this may seem like a contradiction, but automation is key to achieving sustainability targets. Automated technologies enable greater control of efficiencies, delivering significant utilities savings and enabling improved resource planning.

Organisations throughout the supply chain need to be mindful that in implementing more green solutions and automation there will be greater risk to performance. With the consideration of more electrical components, equipment failure will be more widespread.  Power backup – UPS (uninterruptible power supply) solutions therefore need to remain high on the priority list.

A UPS system will not only safeguard against any losses to power but will also provide a clean source of power, which is particularly important for sensitive equipment where the slightest change in power could affect their operation.

When it comes to UPS systems, several factors need to be considered; firstly, if there is already an existing solution in place, is this still fit for purpose? Are the load requirements still the same as when the unit was originally specified? And is the environment still suitable? It is important to review all these factors to ensure the performance of the UPS system.

Where a new backup power solution is being specified the entire electrical path should be taken into account. In all circumstances it is vital to remember the critical role that UPS solutions place in the entire physical framework.

With such great pressure placed on an already stretched building market, those responsible for delivering the government’s ‘infrastructure revolution’ cannot afford to cut corners. Temptations will undoubtedly be there in order to get the jobs done quicker and cheaper but a ‘skimp to save’ ethos will most definitely have repercussions. UPS systems are essential to business continuity.