NAS devices are typically used by multiple users, that’s why they are network attached and not direct attached to a single computer. Yes, you can shut it down when not in use but it defeats many purposes of a NAS in the first place. A NAS losing power at most will lose data and at the least will require a scan at startup.
Pretty much all UPS units have a USB connector that will plug into the NAS and shutdown the system when the battery is low.
Specifically for a lab it's less of an issue. I run UPSs at my network equipment/NAS and at desks at home - with people working from home & also cameras recording to the NAS, a power hit would be problematic.
Better to have it and not need it, than need it and not have it
I'd rather have power in case of an emergency than be in the dark
Interesting. I've been in IT for over 30 years and have always used UPS systems. Never had data loss as a result of power issues. Also, it cleans the power a bit and I get a lot of life from my hardware. Plus, I dont have to worry at all, it works as intended. My entire lab has redundant UPS systems backed by a large generator ... Zero downtime is nice.
A proper UPS protects against bad power, surges, brownouts and reclosure events. So it’s not just about shutting down gracefully (but that too), but also protecting your expensive equipment.
Nothing wrecks your equipment and data faster than the power going off and on three times in 10 seconds.
the power coming out of my walls is terrible. really unpredictable, constant brown outs, and storms impact it badly. At the least a very small UPS will even out and correct the power. I've had electrical storms take out computers, firewalls, a TV, and a dvd player. Everything on my house is on at least a surge protector, servers are on dual UPS, on two separate circuits, my PC is on a battery, so is the internet gear, separately. I hear it at work frequently. We also have a whole house surge protector. I'm just outside a major metro. invest in UPS.
BTW if your pi crashes while writing it will almost certainly corrupt the SD card beyond use. I have moved to SSD or netbook (PXE) because I got tired of replacing the damn things.