What is an Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) primarily used for?

An Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) is primarily utilized to provide backup power to critical systems in the event of a power outage or interruption. This capability is essential for maintaining the operation of equipment such as servers, data centers, and telecommunications systems that require continuous power to function properly. A UPS ensures that these systems remain operational long enough to either transition to a secondary power source, such as a generator, or to safely shut down, preventing data loss and equipment damage.

The other options, such as cooling industrial equipment, switching electrical circuits, and monitoring energy consumption, do not align with the primary function of a UPS. While these tasks may be associated with other electrical devices and systems, the main role of a UPS is to maintain power continuity rather than manage temperature or switch circuits actively. Thus, the function of providing backup power is what distinguishes a UPS in mission-critical operations.