# SOP: Power Strips and Surge Protection for Edge Compute Center

## Purpose

This document defines the standard approach for power strips, surge protection, and power distribution within the Edge Compute Center.

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## Guiding Principle

Power strips are primarily used for:

* Outlet expansion
* Basic surge suppression
* Equipment organization

Power strips are **not** the primary layer of electrical protection.

The primary protection strategy consists of:

1. Whole-panel surge protection devices (SPD)
2. Proper grounding and bonding
3. Dedicated electrical circuits
4. Inverter/UPS backup power system
5. Local power strips or PDUs

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## Current Infrastructure

### Electrical System

* Main panel replaced approximately 8 years ago.
* Subpanels replaced approximately 8 years ago.
* Whole-panel SPD installed.
* Dedicated circuits installed specifically for the Edge Compute Center.
* Dedicated circuits originate directly from the subpanel.
* Grounding tested and verified.
* Outlet polarity and grounding verified with outlet tester.

### Backup Power

* Custom-built UPS system using a high-quality inverter.
* System provides backup power, voltage continuity, and power conditioning.
* Solar system includes surge protection devices on PV circuits.

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## Understanding Surge Ratings

### Joules vs Watts

Joules and watts measure different things.

* Joules = energy
* Watts = power

A surge protector's joule rating indicates how much transient surge energy it can absorb over its lifetime before protection degrades.

A higher-wattage device does not automatically require a higher-joule surge protector.

Example:

| Device       | Power Draw | Need High Surge Protection?           |
| ------------ | ---------- | ------------------------------------- |
| Laptop       | 50W        | Usually not critical                  |
| Mini PC      | 20–50W     | Usually not critical                  |
| NAS          | 50–100W    | More important due to data value      |
| Proxmox Host | 100–300W   | More important due to downtime impact |

Protection requirements are primarily driven by:

* Equipment replacement cost
* Data value
* Downtime impact

Not by power consumption.

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## Approved Power Strip

### Standard Deployment

Amazon Basics 6-Outlet Surge Protector

Specifications:

* 15A circuit breaker
* 600-joule surge protection
* Safety shutters
* Flame-retardant housing

This product is acceptable for:

* Mini PCs
* Laptop chargers
* Monitors
* Phone chargers
* Small switches
* Development systems
* Backup systems
* Test benches

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## Critical Infrastructure

### Tier 1 Equipment

Examples:

* Proxmox hosts
* QNAP NAS devices
* Core router
* Core network switch

Requirements:

* Connected to dedicated circuits.
* Protected by panel-level SPD.
* Protected by inverter/UPS.
* May use higher-quality surge strips or rack PDUs if desired.

However, given the existing electrical infrastructure, upgrading from a 600J strip to a 2,000–4,000J strip is not expected to materially improve overall protection.

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## Non-Critical Infrastructure

### Tier 2 Equipment

Examples:

* GMKtec mini PCs
* Static website servers
* Backup nodes
* Development machines
* Workstations

Requirements:

* May use Amazon Basics 600J surge strips.
* No special surge protection requirements beyond existing infrastructure.

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## Protection Layers

The protection strategy is based on multiple layers:

1. Utility power
2. Main electrical panel SPD
3. Subpanel distribution
4. Dedicated branch circuits
5. Inverter/UPS system
6. Local power strip

The majority of protection is provided by layers 2–5.

The power strip is considered the final and least important protection layer.

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## Risk Assessment

Given the current infrastructure:

* Whole-panel SPD installed
* Dedicated circuits
* Verified grounding
* Verified outlet wiring
* High-quality inverter backup system
* Solar surge protection devices

The likelihood of equipment damage being prevented solely by increasing power strip surge rating from 600J to 2,000–4,000J is low.

More likely failure points include:

* SSD failure
* Power supply failure
* Network equipment failure
* Human error
* Software corruption
* Backup failures

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## Purchasing Guidance

### Buy Standard Amazon Basics Strips For

* Mini PCs
* Workstations
* Laptops
* Monitors
* Development equipment
* Backup systems

### Prioritize Budget Toward

* Spare SSDs
* Spare power supplies
* Spare networking equipment
* Additional backups
* Backup internet
* Monitoring systems

These investments are expected to provide greater operational resilience than purchasing premium surge strips.

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## Conclusion

The current Edge Compute Center electrical design provides a robust multi-layer protection strategy. Standard Amazon Basics 600J surge-protected power strips are approved for general deployment throughout the environment, including mini PCs, workstations, and secondary systems. Existing panel-level surge protection, dedicated circuits, grounding verification, and inverter-based backup power provide the primary layers of protection.