UPS saves the Day When Florida Went Dark
Electric - something we all take for granted to enjoy our daily lives - but when it’s gone, there’s a bit of freaking out. Nevermind the fact there isn’t any air conditioning, light or working elevators - what about the ‘net? I need to get online!
Luckily, I always ensure that I’m not going to take a head dive when the power goes out. I ensure a UPS is connected to my primary PC as well as another unit to tend to my router and modem. This way - even when the power goes out, I’m surfing. I remember the 5 hours during a hurricane that I was able to stay online. Happy times. For those in South Florida, nearly 3 million people lost their electricity after a mechanical failure at a substation near Miami.
About 280 customers were still without power early today, FPL Group Inc., owner of the states largest utility system, said in a statement read by a spokesman during a telephone interview.
The malfunction at the substation took place at about 1 p.m. local time yesterday. That led to the shutdown of 15 transmission lines, which initiated a load-shedding procedure, the Florida Reliability Coordinating Council said. Utilities began restoring power at 2:15 p.m. yesterday.
Power Outage Coverage
Both units of FPLs Turkey Point nuclear power plant, south of Miami, were shut yesterday “in response to an `undervoltage caused when two power distribution lines between Miami and Daytona went down following the substation failure, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission said on its Web site.
Source: Bloomberg.com: U.S.
How long does your UPS last?
Depending on your demand, the average ups will last around 3 to 5 years. However, the battery replacement IS the majority of the cost of a ups, so it may be more beneficial to replace the entire unit and take advantage of new developments in both the ups harware and software. Keep in mind that most companies will pay for the return of old ups’…this is admirable to me that major global companies like APC are willing to reduce their “carbon footprint.”