We know that a UPS is a power source for when the mains power has a problem, they have 4 main components, that sizing the load is essential to sizing the UPS and they come in different form factors. So, what’s next?

Battery modules or battery packs are an accessory which can be utilised where applicable to lengthen the runtime/autonomy of a UPS system.

We established recently that the UPS has a capacity, usually provided in VA or kVA. This is the maximum amount of apparent power that the UPS system requires. The output of the UPS may be limited by losses, referred to as power factor. The actual power is then a percentage of the apparent power – i.e. 10kVA at 0.9p.f. outputs a maximum of 9kW. 0.9 being 90% of the kVA rating.

Where the UPS system limits the power availability, batteries can be utilised to increase this amount of power for longer. The amount of batteries change depending on the size of the UPS. Some smaller UPS have only 1x battery inside the UPS system, some larger systems have up to 62x batteries. Batteries provide the power when mains power is not available. The more batteries you have, the more you can back up and/or the longer you can run the UPS for.

For example, a 10kVA Riello UPS Ltd Sentinel Tower UPS can be supplied with 20x 12V batteries within the UPS frame. If a mains anomaly happens for an extended period of time, the batteries would continue to work for a maximum of around 5 minutes. Battery autonomy is directly linked to the amount of power the UPS demands – i.e. if the UPS in this scenario is running at 10kVA, 5 minutes will be the maximum you could expect from the internal batteries, whereas if the UPS is only required to deliver 5kVA, the autonomy will be longer, probably around 10 minutes.

Battery packs can be added to the majority of UPS systems to extend this runtime/autonomy. Battery packs or modules are simply a metal enclosure with batteries and DC fusing within (sometimes the DC fusing is external), which connected to the UPS. More batteries simply = more runtime.

If the UPS system you are looking to purchase doesn’t offer a long enough runtime, external battery modules can be purchased to increase the autonomy to a suitable amount.

Businesses are all reliant on power. When the lights go out, business operations don’t have to stop.

Get in touch with our sales team today for more information.