When load shedding results in power interruptions, people will spend money on almost anything to ensure backup power. Consumers’ vulnerability and the demand for standby power have led to an influx of options; unfortunately, some are less than ideal and unwitting people are being taken for a ride.
Not many people understand the terminology used for backup power, the differences between the various standby options, and why some systems are cheaper than others.
In this article, we discuss the difference between a UPS and an inverter and touch on why some options are ‘cheap’.
Inverter vs UPS
Technically speaking, an inverter is a device that has the sole purpose of converting DC power (Direct current power from a source like a battery, solar panel, or a rectifier, etc) to AC power (alternating current power) like you get from a domestic plug on 220 or 110 VAC of one phase or three phases plus neutral.
An inverter has only one function (converting power), but general slang used commonly in South Africa has labelled an inverter to be a device with a battery charger and an inverter in one unit. However, this is, in technical terms, a UPS.
A UPS has a battery charger and inverter built into one unit. In the case of large power UPS units used in industrial, medical, commercial, or banking backup, the systems will also include a static bypass and a manual bypass and often even parallel systems for redundancy in N+1 applications.
A rectifier converts AC power to DC power as needed through an external device such as a rectifier power supply or solar panel, or even a DC generator in the case of a standby system for emergency power backup. In other words, mains power comes in as AC, but it must be converted to DC for storage in the battery. When the mains power fails, the inverter converts the battery’s DC power back to AC power for the connected load. Once mains power is restored, the rectifier goes back to converting AC power to DC for storage in its battery in preparation for the next round of load shedding. An inverter, as a power converter, does not offer battery backup.
A UPS regulates fluctuations in the flow of electricity, thus providing protection against line abnormalities like spikes, surges, voltage fluctuation, and noise. For this reason, electronic devices with delicate circuitry are backed up using a UPS rather than an inverter. UPSs are not designed to provide backup power for an extended period. They provide power for long enough to save data and shut down devices and equipment safely or to start a generator to power the load. On the other hand, an inverter stores and relays electricity for an extended period but doesn’t monitor or regulate it.
Do you need an Inverter or a UPS for business use?
Broadly speaking, businesses need a UPS, and households can get away with an inverter. Let’s unpack this in a little more detail.
Best UPS for Medical use
If you’re in the medical field, your equipment is sensitive to power dips and spikes, and the last thing you need is to lose power to your equipment during a medical examination or procedure. In this instance, a UPS will protect your equipment against damage caused by fluctuations in the electrical supply and ‘kick in’ as soon as the power goes out. While the UPS carries the load, you can either switch on the generator or, if your UPS is combined with an inverter, it will supply the load with clean AC power without power interruption or any switching time.
Our recommendations for those in the medical field include the AROS Riello Sentinel Dual or SDU UPS rack or tower mount high power online, double-conversion UPS for single-phase medical UPS backup power, and the Aros Riello MPS Transformer Based UPS; or any of the UPSs featured on our Medical Products page.
Best UPS for Commercial use
Every other business will also benefit from a UPS for various reasons, possibly the most important being data and equipment protection. Also, if you can stay operational during load shedding, you’re one step ahead of a competitor who had to close their doors.
During load shedding, your company can continue nonstop if you invest in a UPS and a generator, meaning you won’t lose business. The uninterrupted turnover during other people’s ‘downtime’ will bring you a return on the investment in next to no time.
Our recommended UPSs for commercial use include anything between the entry-level AROS Riello iDialog and the AROS Riello NextEnergy UPS, which is an online double-conversion, high-efficiency transformerless UPS system. You can view our UPSs for commercial use on our website.
We also have lists of UPS recommendations for uses in banking, computer rooms, data centres, home and small offices, industrial, and telecoms applications including 19 inch rack mount versions and modular data center UPS options. Visit our website products page to view the options.
Why are some UPSs cheaper than others?
As with everything out there, you get what you pay for. If you buy a cheap, lightweight UPS, you can expect that it will not protect or power your standby load as well as a more robust, good-quality alternative.
Cheap UPSs are made with cheap components that will overheat and malfunction. The battery charger will be less effective, and eventually, the battery will die. After a hectic round of Stage 5 or 6 load shedding, the UPS will fail. What now? You wasted money. Rather buy a good quality UPS from the get-go, and benefit from the pure quality, uninterrupted power it offers you for the long term.
For more information on what type of UPS is best for your needs, visit the Standby Systems’ website, or contact us on 011 794 2541 or 011 794 3406 or WhatsApp 082 450 2361.