POWER PROTECTION
“A UPS does not simply maintain power - it maintains control, communication and visibility across the entire building.”
delay fault diagnosis and make it harder to maintain comfort conditions across occupied areas. UPS protection helps reduce this risk by smoothing power disturbances before they reach sensitive electronic components. Avoiding system lockouts Even a momentary power disruption can force modern heating systems into fault conditions or lockouts. Recovery may require manual intervention, resetting equipment and carrying out diagnostic checks, increasing maintenance demands and reducing system availability. Repeated lockouts can also create avoidable service callouts, particularly where buildings are unattended overnight, over weekends or during holiday periods. By keeping the control system energised through short interruptions, a UPS can help prevent nuisance faults and support faster recovery when the mains supply returns. Specifying the right UPS solution For critical building control applications, line-interactive and online double- conversion UPS systems are commonly preferred, offering enhanced power conditioning and seamless transfer to battery operation during power disturbances. Pure sine wave output: This is
particularly important where circulation pumps, electronic transformers and other inductive loads are present. Modified sine wave UPS systems can cause motors and pumps to buzz, overheat or operate inefficiently. Pure sine wave output helps ensure stable operation and compatibility with sensitive equipment. Correct capacity sizing: UPS capacity should be calculated based on the total power demand of connected controllers, communications equipment and any associated low-power loads that must remain energised during an interruption. UPS topology: For critical building control applications, line-interactive and online double-conversion UPS systems are commonly preferred. These designs provide enhanced power conditioning and seamless transfer to battery operation during power disturbances, helping ensure uninterrupted operation of sensitive electronic equipment. The most effective specification starts with the role of the equipment being protected: whether it maintains local control, supports communication, preserves alarms or enables remote visibility. Matching protection to the application Different buildings require different levels of resilience. Smaller control panels, programmable timers and
local controllers may be well suited to compact protection systems such as Metartec’s Micro-Versi UPS, where continuity is essential, but space is limited. Facilities, meanwhile, may require more robust backup solutions such as Metartec’s Centi M UPS to support central BMS servers, communications infrastructure and estate-wide automation. This application-led approach also helps avoid a one-size-fits-all specification. For example, a small local controller may only require short-duration backup to prevent resets, while a central BMS or communications cabinet may need longer runtime to preserve monitoring, alarms and remote access. Matching the UPS to the actual role of the equipment helps balance resilience, budget and available installation space. A UPS does not simply maintain power — it maintains control, communication and visibility across the entire building.
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