Power Protection FEATURED ARTICLE

A power outage in the Woodland Hills section of Los Angeles shut down operations in shops in the Westfield Topanga Mall, along with other nearby  businesses and apartments, on April 9.  Power was restored about 90 minutes later, thanks to quick response by LADWP crews, but it left some 50 commercial customers without power, forcing them to close their doors for the period.

There wasn’t much businesses could do, other than wait out the outage.  “We just waited it out until our lights turned back on, because we could not use our computers,” said Abercrobie & Fitch manager Karen Hernandez.

Businesses that rely on their technology – which is effectively every business today – can often alleviate the inconveniences of short-lived outages by installing UPS systems to provide backup power, at least for a limited time.  Extended outages are more difficult and require much more powerful backup power systems and generators, but when utility crews are able to restore power quickly, UPS systems can help keep at least some business functions operating normally.

In addition, the power protection features of these systems protect computers, servers, switches, communications systems, and other technology that is at risk of damage with any outage.  Without proper protection, a short power outage can become a much more significant problem if equipment is damaged by surges and voltage spikes, and network components have to be repaired or replaced.  Suddenly, a 90-minute outage can turn into a multi-day or even week-long operational outage, resulting in high repair costs and even more in lost business.