Grid congestion, solar surges and power outages: can your IT withstand them?
The availability of IT resources and data cannot be taken for granted these days. Developments on the world stage are causing fears of disruptions to energy supplies. But a much more immediate problem that we already face on a daily basis is network congestion.
In this era of solar panels, electric cars and other exponents of the energy transition, our electricity grid is under heavy strain. High solar energy yields in the summer cause sharp peaks in the afternoon. At the end of the day, when many car batteries are being charged at the same time, there are sharp drops in the grid load. These grid fluctuations can lead to malfunctions and, in some cases, even to the failure or damage of sensitive equipment. No wonder that many companies that still have their IT in-house invest in a UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply; a system that temporarily supplies power when the normal power supply is temporarily interrupted).
Costly investments
However, if a power outage lasts longer than a few minutes, a UPS does not offer a structural solution to guarantee the continuity of your IT systems. To eliminate risks, you should also invest in an emergency power supply that continues to operate for longer, such as a diesel generator. In addition, a redundant cooling system is a must if you want to prevent your server equipment from underperforming or even becoming permanently damaged due to high temperatures. Another crucial aspect is the importance of physical security. In many organisations, servers are located in rooms that are insufficiently protected against unauthorised access. Measures should also be taken in this regard. In short, ensuring the availability of an on-site IT environment requires costly investments.
All in all, ensuring the availability of an on-site IT environment involves costly investments.
Our complete solution
Previder biedt op alle hierboven genoemde punten een complete oplossing, op een niveau dat voor het gemiddelde bedrijf financieel onmogelijk haalbaar is. Onze datacenters beschikken over redundante voorzieningen voor noodstroom en koeling. De locaties zijn 24/7 beveiligd door middel van ,onder andere, camerabewaking. Bovendien hanteren we een systeem van fysieke toegangscontrole op basis van biometrische gegevens; alleen geautoriseerde personen krijgen toegang en mogen bij de apparatuur komen.
Thorough testing
To guarantee continuity and availability, our emergency power system is one of our most important facilities. We test it regularly. Every month, we conduct a so-called “light test”, in which we switch on the diesel generator at the relevant location and then run the entire data centre on it for 45 minutes. In addition, we conduct a so-called “black building test” every six months, during which we switch off the regular power supply completely and check whether the emergency power supply takes over seamlessly. You can watch a video here if you are curious about what such a black building test looks like in practice.
Fuel guaranteed
In addition to the extensive testing procedures, we have agreements with various fuel suppliers. They have committed to continuing to supply us with the diesel we need to keep the generators running for long periods of time in the event of an emergency. It should be clear, however, that diesel generators may only be used in emergency situations, as Previder attaches great importance to caring for the environment. Thanks to heat recovery and various advanced technologies, our data centres are among the most sustainable in the Netherlands.
Is continuity also on your agenda?
Curious about what's happening in the market and how your peers are dealing with it? Then sign up for the IT event of the year: Continuity'25, Your Business Continuity: Sustainable, Secure, and Successful!