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Our team members come from diverse and experienced backgrounds in electrical training, and many have been in critical power for years. We pride ourselves on choosing the best people to service our customers to ensure that you get the most out of your equipment.
Chris Lee, native to Houston, TX, first joined Mitsubishi Electric in 2020 as a Field Service Technician II. Chris shares his knowledge on how much the critical power industry has changed in recent years and what sets our business apart from the rest.
Certifications
University of Maryland (Business Administration), Penn Foster (Electronics Technical certificate), OSHA 10, NFPA70
Field Trained
9900D; 9900C/CX; 9900B; 9900AEGIS; 9900A; 1100 Series; 7011B; Battery Monitoring
How did you find Mitsubishi Electric and start working in the critical power industry?
“A recruiting company sought me out and asked if I would be interested. I was an ASP for Toshiba. I did that from 2014 until 2020 when I came to Mitsubishi. I started in it right out of the military [Navy] when I moved back to the U.S. and then I went to school while I was being introduced to the industry.
It just kinda fell into my lap. I knew somebody in the industry, they were shorthanded, asked me if I wanted to help out and after one weekend of helping, they gave me a job offer.”
What do you like most about working at MEPPI?
“The freedom and the cohesiveness of the team itself.”
In what ways has the critical power industry changed since you’ve started, and what do you think will change in the next few years?
“The footprint has dramatically shrunk. New battery technology like lithium has extended service life of equipment.
In a few years, the batteries could be used to lower utility usage during peak hours with the UPS applying a controlled portion of the load to the batteries even while [the] normal utility power is on.”
What is something that people may find surprising or interesting about working in critical power?
“The amount of technology behind the equipment.”
What is something that people should know when looking for the ideal UPS?
“Preventive maintenance is necessary for everyone. It’s not often [that I run into people who don’t realize that] but it’s often enough to say something about it.
I’ve been to places where people didn’t even know what a UPS was - we got sent to them because the batteries were in thermal runaway and they’re melting, and they don’t know what it is or what to do.”
What are the most common issues that you see when people aren't knowledgeable about preventative maintenance?
“Batteries - batteries going into thermal runaway. Sometimes they catch fire. That’s a maintenance issue.
So, [VRLA] batteries have a service life typically of about 5 years and we do preventive maintenance at least once a year just to test them and make sure that something’s not wrong with one of them. That they’re not starting to go into thermal runaway.
And basically, they don’t even know what a UPS is or that they have one and it sits there for 10 years until [the] batteries catch on fire and they call us.”
What advice would you give to a facility manager?
"Utilize the ability to incorporate equipment into their network for monitoring. It’s a network card that we will install into the UPS and once we do that, that building can put their own network cable into it and monitor it in their building.
So most of the buildings have a building monitoring system so if something goes into alarm, or if something happens, it’ll give them notices. It’ll send them emails or maybe they have a central room where they watch everything- it’ll raise alarms or bring attention to it. If something’s wrong, they’re gonna know it immediately. [This service is available] for every UPS we have.
Utilize the 24hr tech support number even if it’s just a question.”
What sets Mitsubishi Electric apart from other brands in the industry?
“We are able to create more of a relationship with our clients. Other companies send ASPs or they have too many technicians so the client doesn’t feel as supported.”
What is something you are passionate about outside of work?
“I like fishing. I like hunting. I like doing adventurous things like I got four-wheeling, hiking, and [this position] is a good spot for me because I’m always travelling somewhere different.
There [are] always different regions I can experience the outdoors in- the desert out in Arizona or the beaches along the coast in California- different things like that. It’s something my dad got us into when we were kids growing up. He always took us out- just to get away.
I like living in the city cause I like all of the things the city offers- [I can] go out and do different things everyday basically- but I still like [that] within an hour, I can be on the beach or in the woods somewhere as well.”
What is the best advice you have received?
“Always be kind and respectful to the people you meet. You never know what someone is going through.”