Facilities that operate in controlled environments, whether cleanroom manufacturers or specialty laboratories, are highly power dependent. Any interruption to a steady, reliable power supply can wreak havoc with product integrity, research, shipping schedules, factory utilization, and toolsets.
Are you looking to remain fully operational in the face of an extended power outage? What levels of redundancy are required? Is your goal to simply maintain power, or does it encompass other considerations, such as being as green and clean as possible? Do you want to focus on ensuring continuity of mission-critical operations only? Is mobile equipment an option? Can rental equipment cover some requirements?
Make sure you understand, clearly define, and communicate how the equipment will be loaded when it’s operational. Full or part load? Short term or sustained operating? Need for additional redundancy? Growth? Upsizing the system by 40% or so is a common practice to engineer for growth. If you’re not opting for 100% operations at 100% capacity, carefully segment your loads based on criticality of function.
This cleanroom tip was taken from “Backup Power Supply,” which appeared in the February 2013 issue of Controlled Environments.
