EPS and Eaton: A long-standing partnership
Ralf Enderlin joined Eaton Electric about 12 years ago. Today he works as a technical division manager for Germany, Austria and Switzerland. Despite his intense schedule and busy weeks, he has not forgotten his roots in the beautiful Black Forest. He talked to our colleague Stefanie about the use of UPS systems, UPS maintenance and care, the EN50600 standard and general perspectives in the IT industry. You can read more about this in the following interview.
Can you please briefly introduce yourself for the readers?
Ralf Enderlin: Yes, of course. My name is Ralf Enderlin, I come from Germany near the beautiful Black Forest. For approx. For 12 years, I have been working at Eaton Electric as a technical division manager for Germany, Austria and Switzerland. Maintenance and commissioning of UPS systems as well as project management are my daily bread.
What exactly is Eaton waiting?
Ralf Enderlin: Uninterruptible power supplies. In the event of problems with the public power grid, we take over the secure power supply by generating a new AC voltage. In order to be able to guarantee safe operation, the systems must be maintained – but the maintenance is very intensive, especially to ensure availability. And customer needs.
Where is a UPS system generally used?
Ralf Enderlin: The focus is on data centers. However, the data center is a very sensitive area because a lot of data communication – data traffic – takes place there. Whether in medicine, industry, or niche projects – e.g. luxury ships on which their owners need UPS equipment for their arcades – UPS systems in data centers are in high demand.
What models are available for UPS systems?
Ralf Enderlin: There are dynamic and static UPS systems. Dynamic systems have a rotating storage system but also an emergency power system for longer bridging times. Static UPS systems , on the other hand, have a typical battery system in different designs and are operated either offline, line-interactive or online.
Offline, line-interactive and online – can you define these terms in more detail?
Ralf Enderlin: Willingly. Offline is the cheapest option, as the UPS system only starts up during short power outages, otherwise it runs in standby mode. The Line Interactive is constantly working alongside the network, but the UPS system only intervenes in the event of real malfunctions. The online system, the safest of all, is constantly working between the network and the consumer and therefore offers the greatest security. There is a constant conversion of the voltage into direct and alternating voltage.
What are the dos and don’ts of UPS system maintenance and care?
Ralf Enderlin: The infrastructure must be designed correctly. For UPS systems, for example, two supply lines are often used to achieve more safety. Under no circumstances try to take everything into your own hands. Advice and service from a project engineer is the be-all and end-all here.
Managed Service
What are the five most important points on your checklist?
Ralf Enderlin: Commissioning, battery test, communication with the customer, integration of the system into an IT network, maintenance of the system. Just like a doctor with his patient, we check the state of health of the plant and proceed systematically. These are important building blocks, especially for long-term and safe operation.
The norm EN50600 is more relevant than ever – what is your opinion on it?
Ralf Enderlin: Firstly, EN50600 is an important element in data centre construction today as the only integrated solution. Secondly, certification can build a great deal of trust with the customer. A huge advantage. And don’t forget: there are different requirement classes for electricity, such as availability – how it is classified is precisely defined in the EN50600.
Does that mean an A/B system?
Ralf Enderlin: That’s right. Such a system has to do with availability. If the light bulb at my home breaks, but I have a second light, emergency lighting is guaranteed in any case. This is also the case with the UPS system.
EPS is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year. The partnership with Eaton is just as young. Why did you choose EPS as your partner back then?
Ralf Enderlin: Eaton has a very strong presence in Germany, but we didn’t have our own UPS service organization in Austria, because everything was done from Germany. As luck often would have it – I had known EPS for a long time, because EPS was already selling Eaton’s UPS systems at that time. Highest trust in you was the reason for our decision. to train and jointly train EPS technicians.
Where do you see the data center and UPS systems in the next few years?
Ralf Enderlin: UPS are always needed, especially in data centers. There will be more and more data – through smartphones, autonomous driving, networking of means of transport. There will have to be many server rooms and data centers to handle this traffic. So the trend is edge data center.
Can you briefly explain what exactly is meant by “edge data center”?
Ralf Enderlin: Edge data center means that data processing takes place where the data is generated. Through more efficient battery storage systems. But can these storage systems also be used in a more versatile way. Today, a storage system is only used when the supply network shows problems. In the future, these memories will also be used to participate in the regular market.
What comes to your mind when you think of cloud computing?
Ralf Enderlin: Cloud is indeed an issue – also for Eaton. As a result, there will be fewer dedicated data centers, but eventually the cloud will also have to process, transport and store its data. It is important to note that data centers must become more energy-efficient and ensure data transfer at all times. – i.e. more UPS systems! And in the long term, more UPS service. We are all on the right track – innovative and forward-looking.
