Are Your Data Centres Protected from a Power Outage?
Unplanned data centre downtime often begins with a small fault. A failed UPS battery, a misconfigured update, or a cooling issue can quickly escalate into a full-scale outage.
Power outages in data centres remain one of the leading causes of downtime in data centres, alongside hardware failure, network misconfigurations, and gaps in monitoring.
Most data centre issues can be avoided. The underlying problem is often a lack of redundancy, poor visibility, or ageing infrastructure. Reducing data centre downtime starts with identifying these weaknesses and addressing them before they lead to failure.
We at Secure I.T. Environments Ltd can help you with both urgent power issues and reducing data centre downtime in the long term.
→ Need urgent help? Contact our team for expert data centre troubleshooting and support
What Happens if a Data Centre Goes Down?
A power outage in a data centre is one of the most serious disruptions an IT team can face. The result is often complete data centre downtime, triggering service outages, financial losses, reputational damage and urgent recovery costs. In high-stakes environments, even a few minutes offline can have long-term consequences.
Many organisations now use a hybrid infrastructure to reduce reliance on a single location. However, even with distributed systems, a single point of failure can still impact thousands of users if proper safeguards are not in place.
The most common causes of downtime in data centres include human error, electrical faults, overheating, and severe weather events. Real-time environmental monitoring, regular risk assessments and well-planned failover systems are critical to avoiding downtime in data centres.
High-profile incidents in recent years highlight the real-world cost of downtime. In one case, a misconfiguration at the Fastly content delivery network caused Amazon, Twitter, and Spotify to go offline globally for nearly an hour. The TSB banking outage led to over £370 million in compensation payouts, while British Airways experienced downtime that stranded 75,000 passengers and resulted in a £150 million liability. These failures demonstrate that even large, well-resourced organisations are not immune.
Unmonitored systems, failed UPS batteries, or missed alerts often lead to data centre systems failure. To prevent this, teams must maintain up-to-date asset registers, monitor temperature and airflow continuously, and plan for both immediate response and long-term resilience.
→ Experiencing instability or recurring faults? Contact our team to discuss with a data centre consultant
What Are the Primary Causes of Downtime in a Data Centre?
The core function of any data centre is to keep mission-critical systems available at all times. Yet even with the best intentions, unplanned outages remain common. To reduce risk, IT teams must understand the most frequent failure points and take steps to prevent them. Left unchecked, these issues can lead to major data centre downtime, financial loss and reputational damage.
UPS System Failure
One of the most common causes of downtime in a data centre is the failure of the uninterruptible power supply (UPS). Overheating, ageing batteries and lack of testing can all lead to sudden loss of backup power.
Monitor battery voltage and ambient temperature, and carry out proper maintenance and capacity testing as part of your data centre troubleshooting routine.
Cybercrime
Cyberattacks are now the second leading cause of data centre outages. It is no longer enough to rely on firewalls. Regular system audits, updated compliance certifications and DDoS protection tools are essential. Automated patching and early threat detection reduce the chance of a breach escalating into full data centre downtime.
Human Error
Operational mistakes remain a major source of disruption. Thorough staff training, clearly documented procedures (MOPs), and strict access controls help reduce the risk of data centre systems failure caused by incorrect handling of equipment or configurations.
Common mistakes include accidental activation of the emergency power-off (EPO) switch, unplugging power cords from live equipment, changing temperature settings from Fahrenheit to Celsius, overloading electrical circuits, or simply failing to follow standard processes. These seemingly small actions can have major consequences if safeguards and checks are not in place.
Extreme Weather
Natural events like storms, flooding and heatwaves can trigger outages if facilities are unprepared. Regularly test disaster recovery plans and backup systems. Facilities in high-risk areas should assess physical defences and generator capacity.
Overheating can also result from poor internal airflow, failed cold aisle containment, or loss of cooling system redundancy. A lack of cold air circulation or blocked cabinet ventilation can cause systems to shut down to prevent damage. Installing environmental monitoring systems that send alerts when temperature or airflow conditions deviate from normal can help prevent unplanned downtime.
Cabling Faults
Poor cabling practices can also lead to critical outages. Compacted, bent or low-quality cables can degrade signal quality, introduce near-end crosstalk, and trigger full system failures. Regular physical inspections and proper cable management are essential to maintain performance and reduce the risk of outages caused by physical layer faults.
Generator Failure
Generators are often the last line of defence during a data centre power outage. While responsible for about 6% of failures, overlooked maintenance or failed switchovers can still cause serious problems. Preventative servicing and proper N+1 design are key to avoiding downtime in data centres.
The Real Cost of Data Centre Downtime
The impact of data centre downtime goes far beyond technical disruption. Even short outages can have immediate business consequences.
Lost Revenue
Customers are unable to complete purchases or access services, leading to missed sales and damaged trust.
Brand Damage
Repeated outages erode credibility. Clients and partners may view your business as unreliable.
Productivity Loss
When systems go down, teams can’t work. In tech-driven operations, even minor outages slow or halt entire workflows.
Contractual Payouts
SLAs may require you to compensate customers for downtime, adding unexpected costs.
Data Loss and Risk Exposure
Outages increase the chance of data corruption and cyberattacks. Even with backups, confidence can be shaken.
→ Avoid these risks. Talk to our experts to reduce downtime and strengthen resilience.
How Often Do Data Centres Lose Power?
Power outages were the most common reason for data centre downtime in 2016, affecting 22% of 2N-architectured cooling failures and power systems.
That’s one-third fewer outages than those who took the cheaper, not-fully-redundant N+1 strategy, which had a 33 % outage rate.
On the other hand, a power outage can shut down an entire data centre industry. In addition, outages are harmful to IT systems since they may lead to data loss, damaged files, and destroyed equipment.
Key Facts About Data Centre Power and Backup Systems
- Data centres consume over 90 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity annually, equal to the output of around 34 coal-fired power plants.
- Average power consumption per server rack is 7 kW, but many modern data centres reach 15–20 kW per rack, reflecting higher densities.
- Power, cooling and connectivity form the foundation of data centre infrastructure design. Load calculations start by totalling cabinet power needs and must also account for growth, cooling, and lighting.
- UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply) systems are the first line of defence in a data centre power outage. The average UPS system lifespan is 13 years, but batteries and capacitors require replacement and monitoring sooner.
- Redundancy levels like N+1 or 2N are used to protect against data centre systems failure during outages.
- Some data centres supplement grid power with on-site generation, including diesel generators, solar PV, or wind turbines.
- Automating generator start-up sequences can reduce response time and operational risk, but requires careful configuration.
- UPS battery health depends on ambient temperature and cell voltage stability, which must be regularly monitored and tested.
How to Overcome Data Centre Failures
No organisation is immune to downtime. A single data centre system’s failure can lead to service disruption, loss of access to critical data, and costly recovery efforts.
Understanding the root causes of failure — whether hardware, software, or facility-related — is key to preventing unplanned data centre outages.
Regular testing of power infrastructure, scheduled maintenance, and a clear escalation process are essential. When outages do occur, having a documented disaster recovery plan, redundant systems, and backup power in place helps maintain operations and minimise impact.
Businesses managing hybrid IT environments are particularly vulnerable, as complexity increases the risk of configuration errors, weak points and delays in response.
Proactive Monitoring with DCIM Tools
Modern data centre infrastructure management (DCIM) systems allow facilities to monitor performance, temperature, power usage, and equipment health in real time.
These platforms use predictive algorithms to identify when hardware is approaching the end of life or is likely to fail, giving teams time to replace components before they cause outages.
Always Be Prepared for Downtime
Whether it’s a data centre power outage, cyberattack or natural disaster, downtime is inevitable. What matters is how quickly you recover.
A well-prepared organisation has real-time monitoring, tested failover systems, and defined roles during an incident.
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