Spis treści:
Demand vs. capacity…
The demand for electricity is increasing year by year, resulting in new wind farms and photovoltaic installations being built all the time. Grid lines are also expanding, in order to ensure the safe transmission of electricity and voltage to offices, homes and public facilities such as shops, offices, etc. Due to its scale, however, this is a slow process, so that network expansions often cannot keep up with demand, which limits the stability of the network. This can result in a deterioration of nominal parameters, failures and even blackouts.
UPS – what is it for and when is it worth buying?
A sudden power cut means not only irretrievably lost data, but also a serious risk of damaging electronic equipment due to sudden power surges. An uninterruptible power supply (UPS), can protect you against such problems.
Under these terms is a relatively complex device, consisting of a classic mains power supply unit with a number of fuses and surge filters, as well as a powerful battery. Its capacity depends on the UPS you buy, but no matter how many Wh you have, you will be guaranteed that in the event of a power loss, the operation of the devices connected to the UPS will not be suddenly interrupted.
Instead, the UPS will allow you to save your work in peace and safely shut down your computer, which is especially important for office and artistic work. What’s more, if the factory-supplied battery that the UPS is equipped with has a large enough capacity, you will be able to continue your work for several more hours.
In cities, for example, most power cuts last only a few minutes or so, after which the correct voltage returns to the socket. In suburban or rural areas, on the other hand, the battery at the heart of the UPS will allow the generator to be connected and started up in peace.
It is also worth looking at another duty that a UPS can perform – good class UPS models are fitted with advanced protection systems that can continuously filter the “raw” current generated by the generator. As a result, a pure sine wave is delivered to the end users, eliminating the risk of damage to equipment connected to the UPS.
An uninterruptible power supply unit is also a must-have for any server room – a suitably selected set of UPS units will be able to keep the whole system running until a fault is rectified or the power supply in the building is restored.
Emergency UPS – how many years of continuous use does it last?
Due to the harsh conditions in which an uninterruptible power supply operates, it is quite difficult to determine the period of its trouble-free operation. The lifespan will depend on a number of factors – the class of the equipment, the number of loads connected to it (and therefore the energy load), as well as the frequency of switching on the emergency power function provided by the UPS. So how long does the unit itself last?
Manufacturers of uninterruptible power supplies almost always guarantee their customers at least two years of continuous and trouble-free operation. However, this is the industry minimum, as reputable UPS companies estimate a lifetime of 3 to 5 years, while professional solutions aimed at large enterprises can last much longer.
Which UPS will be ideal for office applications?
Despite the advanced power grid stretching across today’s office buildings, minor power failures can still be encountered. Therefore, every company should consider purchasing an uninterruptible power supply.
Which UPS is the best choice depends primarily on the number and power of the devices connected to it. In the case of a single office computer with an external monitor and speakers, there is no point in exaggerating the battery capacity, but opt for a compact UPS. If necessary, it will provide several hours of battery life, thus allowing you to save your work.
However, for those who have powerful computers used for graphics and video processing in their company, the question of which UPS to choose is a little more difficult. Here, it will be a much better idea to choose a powerful power supply capable of providing power in the order of 3000 VA / 2400 W.
Which UPS should I buy for my home?
For domestic use, in most cases you can definitely opt for a slightly less advanced UPS, although the question of which UPS to buy will still depend mainly on the energy requirements of the appliances connected to it. In many cases, for example, to protect a single TV set or personal computer, a power supply with modest parameters will suffice. However, when we have a professional gaming station in our home, or a home cinema whose operation can easily be heard by the neighbours, it is worth considering a high-end model, for which the operation of multiple devices will not be an obstacle, thanks to the number of available connections and the power of the device itself.
