ELINEX emergency power ensures continuity of services at Rabobank

Gerard, technical building manager and responsible for installations at Rabobank, says: ‘We are delighted that ELINEX has once again been selected as a supplier. They know our company well and, once again, the collaboration has gone very smoothly.

It's unthinkable that the bank where you do all your digital payments would experience power fluctuations or outages. No more online banking, no more debit card transactions... Rabobank does everything it can to prevent this from happening. With a good emergency power supply, Rabobank can be sure that its systems will continue to function optimally in the event of a power failure. ELINEX recently replaced the old UPS systems at one of the bank's main locations, a project that was supervised internally by Gerard Werkman, technical building manager and responsible for installations at Rabobank. We spoke to him about this new UPS project.

Replacement based on service life

‘UPS systems need to be maintained to ensure that they work when needed,’ Gerard explains. "We make sure that happens. However, every UPS system has a maximum service life. Before that is reached, the emergency power supply needs to be replaced to guarantee continuity. That was the case at the location where I work. The old, existing UPS system had been supplied by ELINEX. However, we are obliged to issue a tender for this type of project, and ELINEX was of course also invited to tender. The relationship and good experiences we have had with ELINEX, combined with the price quoted for this operation, were the deciding factors. We decided to work with ELINEX again."

Power security in all critical areas

The new UPS system also supplies power to all critical areas at this Rabobank office in the event of an emergency. Gerard explains: ‘This means that in the event of a power failure or power outage, our server rooms can continue to operate without interruption. This is very important, given the amount of data that is processed. Payment and banking transactions take place day and night.’

Modular design

The new UPS configuration is compact and has a design life of 15 years. Everything is also modular. "The big advantage of this is that the UPS systems take up less space than before. The design life of 15 years means that we can continue to work longer with the same investment. Maintenance is easier thanks to the modular nature: the modules are hot-swappable, which means that the system does not have to be shut down during maintenance work. Instead of only being able to carry out maintenance at weekends, we can now do it during the week." For Rabobank, a Factory Acceptance Test (FAT) and a Site Acceptance Test (SAT) are mandatory. ‘The FAT test was carried out at ELINEX before the system was implemented here. After installation, the SAT test was carried out here on site to ensure that everything was working as it should.’

BACS also added

To enable controlled maintenance, ELINEX also supplied a BACS. Gerard explains: "A BACS (Battery Analyse & Care System) is a monitoring system that monitors the technical condition of the batteries in real time, 24/7. This increases reliability and service life by identifying defective batteries in good time and replacing them early. The system provides insight into the state of the battery configuration and enables remote monitoring. This brings “predictive maintenance” into the picture. We can predict malfunctions before they occur." BACS also distributes the voltage evenly across all batteries, increasing their service life.

The collaboration between Rabobank & ELINEX

Tom, account manager at ELINEX, explains: "We have enjoyed working with Rabobank for more than 15 years. I have been responsible for this relationship for the past five years and during that time I have always had a very pleasant working relationship with Gerard. The contact is personal and pleasant, there is always time for a good cup of coffee and a moment to catch up.

Over the years, we have carried out maintenance and replaced systems at various Rabobank locations. We always ensure that the emergency power supplies continue to function reliably, so that continuity is guaranteed. It is great to see how our collaboration continues to develop. And I look forward to continuing this line in the coming years. Here's to the next 15 years!"