Schneider Electric announced on Friday an update to its Galaxy VS 3-phase Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS). The UPS with internal smart battery modules has increased from 10 to 100 kW, making it the highest density uninterruptible power supply in the industry, according to a press release.

SEE: Special report: From cloud to edge: The next IT transformation (free PDF) (TechRepublic)

“Galaxy VS is well suited for a wide range of applications, including edge, small and medium data centers and computer rooms, manufacturing facilities, telecommunication, commercial buildings, healthcare, transportation, emergency lighting (UL 924 and CSA 22.2 NO. 141-15),” said Russell Senesac, director of strategy and business development in the secure power division of Schneider Electric.

“Some of the major warehouse and distribution companies, and manufacturing companies have standardized on Galaxy VS due to its easy to deploy, high efficiency, compact, modular architecture, serviceability and monitoring features,” Senesac said.

This latest announcement also introduced support for internal N+1 module-level redundancy, which is said to improve the system’s availability by up to 10 times, Senesac added.

Edge computing continues growing as more organizations integrate artificial intelligence (AI) and Internet of Things (IoT) devices into their operations. The insights provided by these technologies can be critical for organizations, and transporting this information at the edge allows organizations to access this data faster.

More than half (57%) of mobility decision makers said edge computing is on their roadmap for the next 12 months. In that same time frame, the edge cloud service market is expected to grow by at least 50%, according to Forrester Analytics Global Business Technographics Mobility Survey, 2019.

“Industries looking for optimized footprint, high availability, faster installation, proactive notifications and serviceability will benefit from these batteries,” Senesac said. “This includes industries that utilize edge computing, server rooms, branch offices, IoT, as well as those in transportation, commercial buildings and telecom.”

Galaxy VS benefits for the enterprise

The Galaxy VS is a modular power supply that brings efficient performance for edge, data centers, and critical infrastructures. The UPS delivers up to 97% efficiency in its regular operating mode and up to 99% in its ECOnversion mode, Senesac said

This efficiency translates to 66% higher energy savings, allowing users to recover their initial investment within three years, according to the release.

“Using Schneider EcoStruxure IT Expert, a secure, cloud based monitoring software, Galaxy VS can be monitored anytime, anywhere. It turns alerts data into proactive recommendations and enables secure, wherever-you-go visibility from any smart device,” Senesac said.

Its compact design and complete full-front service access makes the system ideal for smaller spaces. The modular architecture also allows for faster serviceability and fault tolerance, which means shorter time to repair, he continued.

“New long life batteries are designed to offer 10 design life in addition to commercial life battery (3-5 years), which eliminates the need for replacing battery periodically and related downtime/risk while replacement,” Senesac said. “Internal smart modular batteries help right sizing the battery.

“In addition, runtime can be increased by installing self-configuring smart battery modules. The battery modules are simple push in, push out type, and use touchproof connectors, which improve human safety, reduce human errors and are self-configuring, which means the battery configuration is updated accurately,” Senesac said.

“Battery monitoring is included as default to further improve reliability. Each smart battery module comes with multiple temperature sensors and battery identification devices for self-configuration,” Senesac noted. “Estimates on runtimes are automatically updated when smart battery modules are added or removed, making it user-swappable.

“For extended runtime, external battery cabinets containing smart battery modules are available with optional seismic kits, which supports both adjacent or remote installation for room layout flexibility,” Senesac added.

The extended power range for the Galaxy VS is available worldwide except Japan, per the release.

For more, check out Schneider Electric: First industrial smart factory in the US opens in Lexington, KY on TechRepublic.

This article was updated on April 6, 2020 to include input from Senesac.


Image: Schneider Electric