Cross these threats off your power audit checklist

Organizations have a number of issues lurking within their power infrastructure. To make sure that energy is being used efficiently, many businesses conduct a power audit.

When assessing your facility, be sure to cross these major threats off of your power audit checklist:

1. Equipment is left on

Leaving critical pieces of equipment isn’t just wasteful, it can actually be dangerous. Phone chargers, coffee makers and other non-essential objects should be unplugged when not in use to ensure they don’t drain energy. Turn off machines like your computer and the photocopier at the end of the work day. If you’re planning to leave your desk for an extended amount of time, turn off your monitor or implement standby and power management features. Making these processes a part of regular routines will reduce energy waste.

Be sure to shut off equipment when not in use.

2. HVAC systems are unoptimized

Heating and cooling systems are essential to keeping personnel comfortable and providing an optimal environment for sensitive hardware. However, if the HVAC isn’t inspected frequently, it could be draining a lot of power.

First, ensure that you’re regularly replacing filters for the best performance. It will also be important to program the HVAC system to run at appropriate times and avoid constant, unauthorized adjustments.

Inspecting the HVAC system will be important to ensure that nothing is impeding its performance. If air leaks out of the duct,  you’re paying more to condition outside air. Bushes and other materials surrounding the HVAC unit can also make it difficult for air to circulate. If your organization has more than one HVAC unit, ensure that these systems aren’t fighting each other and costing you money.

“Without the right maintenance routine, your UPS solution might not perform as expected.”

3. Backup system not maintained

When a power outage occurs, it’s important to have a system in place that protects critical equipment and seamlessly transfers power. An uninterruptible power supply solution ensures that organizations will have enough battery runtime to gracefully shut down equipment and save important data. This capability is critical for minimizing downtime costs and recovering quickly.

Without the right maintenance routine, your UPS solution might not perform as expected. Having a planned maintenance inspection for your UPS unit will ensure that parts can be easily replaced and that your system will be ready for an emergency situation. Organizations can also implement surge suppression to ensure electronic equipment isn’t damaged during a power surge. Businesses must implement a schedule to test these solutions and mitigate issues before they cause bigger problems down the road.

Whether you’re administering a formal power audit or are simply evaluating your own system, crossing off these big threats will save you money and headaches in the long term. Ensuring HVAC units are optimized and that essential hardware is turned off when not in use will extend the life of your equipment and reduce overall power consumption. Putting UPS maintenance on the checklist will ensure that your infrastructure is ready for a potential outage and is being properly supported. Contact ECS today to learn more about power audit threats and how a UPS can help power your business.