Reduce your electricity bills by using a high efficiency UPS systems

Did you know that difference of only 1 % in efficiency in Online UPS system can save more than 3 lakhs rupees per year?

An Online UPS is ON 24 hours of the day 365 days in a year, except in the case of a voluntary shutdown. It consumes electricity all the time.

So if you are using an online UPS system at your office you should seriously consider how much efficient your UPS is and how much you tend to lose out.

When making a buying decision for a UPS , companies generally look at intial cost of the system. But the Total cost of ownership is more often not calculated and ignored. Now a days there is increasing emphasis on reducing the costs in business process. Energy costs should also be taken into account.

TCO( total cost of Ownership) = Initial cost of UPS + Maintenance charges + Running charges.

The amount wasted due to inefficiency in 1-2 years can be equal to the cost of the UPS itself.!!!!!!

What is UPS efficiency?
Energy efficiency of a UPS can be expressed as the difference between the amount of energy that goes into a UPS vs. the amount of useful energy the comes out of the UPS to power your loads. In all UPS systems, some amount of energy is lost as heat when it passes through the internal components of the UPS (transformers, rectifiers, inverters etc.).
The less efficient the UPS is, the more heat it will reject. This means air conditioning energy costs are also lower by using a high efficiency UPS. It takes an extra 3,400 BTU per kW of heat lost by the UPS to maintain the room temperature. A typical air conditioner requires 0.3 kW of energy to generate 3,400 BTU of cooling. As a rule, the air conditioning costs equal 33 per cent of the of the kW costs of lost energy of the UPS. So air conditioning charges would increases as the heat dissipated by UPS increases.

So the equation above becomes
TCO( total cost of Ownership) = Initial cost of UPS + Maintenance charges + electricity consumption by UPS+ Air conditioning charges.
Cost savings from using a high efficiency UPS often equals the value of the UPS in as little as 3 to 5 years.

Just how much energy is lost between the input and output can be significant when you consider how much the wasted energy is costing. Energy efficiency advantages of as little as 1 percent between one UPS and another can translate into thousands to lakhs of rupees saved per year depending on the size of the UPS.

Let us take an example of 100kW UPS

90% efficiency would mean loss 10kW.

10 kW of lost energy may not seem like a lot of power, however, UPS loads operate continuously 365 days a year.

10 kW of used energy now equates to 87600 kWh of power wasted each year.( 24hours x 365days x 10 kWh)

1kWH equals to one unit of electricity.

With a meter rate of Rs. 6/unit, this equates to Rs. 5,25,600 of energy wasted by the UPS and an additional Rs 1,73,448 in extra energy costs just to cool the heat ejected by the UPS — resulting in a total of Rs. 6,99,048 in electricity wasted !

No matter what UPS system you select, there will be some energy lost between the utility and the output, but high efficiency UPS systems can dramatically limit the energy loss, resulting in substantial cost savings.

Consider the previous scenario.

What if the same UPS was 95% efficient as opposed to 90 % efficient losing only 5 kW of energy as heat. The difference in energy savings would be over Rs. 3,49,524 per year!!!!!!

How do you know if you are getting a high efficiency UPS?
When comparing the energy efficiency of UPS vendors, published efficiency specifications from UPS vendors may all seem very similar, leaving you to wonder whether there is any difference between manufacturers. The only way to ensure that a UPS vendor is giving you straight facts about efficiency is to demand a witness test on your specific UPS prior to shipment from the factory. As a customer you have the right to know.

An efficiency test is like test-driving a car to measure fuel efficiency. Just as cars get radically different mileage when driving on the highway vs. a windy mountain road, UPS efficiency also can change with the type of load it powers. Today almost all UPS power 100 per cent non-linear loads (computers, servers, motors and electronic equipment).

When most manufacturers test their UPS, they use linear loads, which are not representative of customers’ actual loads. This is very convenient for some manufacturers, as UPS efficiency will often be much higher when powering linear loads. Some manufacturers won’t show the customer the true energy consumption of the UPS when installed at their site. Only by insisting that manufacturers demonstrate efficiency with non-linear loads representative of real world environments can you be sure of the UPS true efficiency.

The second major factor to influence UPS efficiency is at what power level the efficiency is measured. Just like a car will have its best mileage operating at around 60 mph, most UPS typically will have their best efficiency operating at 50 per cent to 100 per cent load level. Again in the real world, most UPS systems operate at 25 per cent to 60 per cent of their nominal load — not fully loaded.

To determine accurate efficiency, the UPS should demonstrate efficiency at loads below 25-50 per cent where most UPSs will likely be operating, especially if operating in redundant configurations. Hardly any UPS systems run at 100% load and those that are in N+1 or 2(N+1) redundant configurations rarely exceed 30% load per module.

Only by testing your UPS under actual expected load levels (25-50 per cent in most cases).and simulating an actual load profile in your facility will you know the real efficiency of your UPS.

How much will a high efficiency UPS save you?

To calculate how much you will save using a high efficiency UPS, estimate your actual load and utility rate category. Calculate efficiency based on example given above

Some things to think about when buying a UPS system

Below are some general questions when buying  a UPS system:

Off-line

An off-line unit would be the most basic UPS system as the load is supplied by raw mains until such times that the voltage or frequency would go outside the preset tolerance levels at which time the system would support the load via its battery. These units are primarily used for PC’s or servers but should not be used in an area were the local power supply is particularly unstable.

True online double conversion

True online double conversion UPS systems, due to the continual AC to DC followed by DC to AC conversion, provide a consistent quality of power. As the UPS output is independent of the mains input no matter what disturbances or fluctuations there may be on the mains supply there will always be a clean controlled output. This type of system is suitable for all applications were a high availability of supply is required.

Redundancy

Redundant systems are utilized in order to provide added resilience to further reduce the risk of a power failure. Multiple UPS systems are connected together sharing the load, this enables essential maintenance and repairs to be carried out on any of the connected modules without having to transfer the load to mains supply.

Scalability

Scalability is for instances when it is estimated that the load may increase in the future so the UPS system should be scaled up to match the demand. It is also used where the budget for the UPS requires that a smaller system can be purchased at the outset to suit the current load with additional modules

Communications

UPS systems have various options for communications such as volt free contacts for connection to the buildings BMS to network connectability enabling SNMP. It is best to decide on communication options from the outset so that the necessary cabling etc can be installed.

Contact Us

If you need any more information, or if we can help you in any way, then please contact us by sending us an email on sales@microsystemservices.com

Common electrical terms

Many a times, when we are deciding to buy a UPS or and electrical equipment , we are bombarded with a lot of technical Jargons . This is just glossary of common electrical terms in an attempt to De-mystify the Jargons. This will work just like an dictionary .. just technical one

Alternating current (AC): An electrical system in which voltage polarity and current flow alternates direction on a regular basis. Your home is an example of a system that is powered by AC.
Amp: A unit of electrical flow. In a water system, the flow of millions of water molecules would be expressed in terms of gallons per minute. In an electrical system, the flow of millions of electrons is expressed in terms of amps or amperes.
Apparent Power: The amount of power that is apparently consumed by a load. Apparent power is measure in VA or volt-amperes and is calculated by measuring the current consumed by the load and multiplying it by the voltage powering the load.
Common Mode Voltage: A voltage of any amplitude or frequency that is measured between the phase conductor and the ground conductor or the neutral conductor and the ground conductor. Neutral to ground voltage is a common mode component that frequently causes computer system malfunction. Neutral to ground voltages should always be limited to .5 volts (one half of one volt) or less.
Constant Voltage Transformer: Maintains a relatively constant output voltage for variations up to 20% in the input voltage. CVT’s are frequently a ferro-resonant style of transformer in which the voltage is regulated by means of current stored in a magnetic field. CVT’s are generally high impedance devices that are unsuitable for most modern computers with switch mode power supplies.
Current: The “flow” of electricity. Much like water, a current will follow the path of least resistance. As a result, electric current always finds the easiest path to ground. Current is measured in amps or amperes.
Dedicated Circuit: An obsolete method for providing clean, noise free power to a computer system. A dedicated circuit is one in which dedicated phase, neutral, and safety grounding conductors are run continuously from a distribution panel to an electronic load. The conductors may service only the dedicated load and the phase conductor must have its own circuit breaker. Furthermore, the dedicated conductors must run in their own dedicated metallic conduit or raceway with no other conductors present. The neutral and ground conductors may not be “daisy chained” or shared with any other circuit. The ability of dedicated circuits to guarantee a noise and disturbance free environment is insufficient for the high processing speeds, low operating voltages, and mission critical nature of modern technology.
Direct current (DC): An electrical system in which current flows in one direction only. A battery is an example of a direct current source.
Dip: See “Sag”.
Disturbance: Any departure from the nominal values of the power source. Disturbances can include transients, electrical noise, voltage changes, harmonics, outages, etc.
Drop: A slang word sometimes used to describe voltage sags or under voltages.
Flicker: A voltage variation of short duration but long enough to be noticeable to the human eye as a light flicker.
Frequency: In an AC system, the value of the voltage sinewave rises from zero to a maximum, falls to zero, increases to a maximum in the opposite direction, and falls back to zero again. This would describe one complete cycle. The number of complete cycles occurring in one second is called frequency. The General Conference on Weights and Measures has adopted the name hertz (abbreviated Hz) as the measurement of frequency. In North America, the frequency is 60 Hz. In Europe and most of Africa and Asia it is 50 Hz.
Glitch: A slang term for a voltage transient or voltage variation that causes equipment to misbehave..
Grounding Conductor: The physical conductor connecting the chassis of an electrical or electronic device to the electrical system’s grounding means. Sometimes referred to as the safety ground, this conductor may be a green insulated conductor, a bare copper wire, conduit, gutter or raceway. The purpose of the grounding conductor is provide a low impedance pathway for fault current in the event of a short circuit so that a circuit may be quickly de-energized to prevent a fire hazard or electrocution.
Grounded Conductor: Refers to the neutral conductor of the electrical system, which is bonded to the facility’s utility field earth reference in order to reference the facility electrical system to ground.
Harmonic: A whole multiple of the basic power frequency. On a 60 Hz system the 2nd harmonic is 120 Hz, the third harmonic is 180 Hz, the fourth is 240 Hz and so on.
Harmonic Distortion: The alteration of the normal voltage or current wave shape (sine wave) due to equipment generating frequencies other than the standard 60 cycles per second.
Impedance: Impedance is the opposition offered by a material to the flow of an electrical current in an AC electrical system. Impedance has two parts – resistance and reactance. Impedance is measured in ohms.
Interruption: See “Outage”.
Inverter: Device that converts direct current (DC) power into alternating current (AC) power.
Isolated Ground: An insulated equipment grounding conductor that is run in the same conduit as the supply conductors. This conductor is insulated from the metallic raceway and all ground points throughout its length. An isolated grounding conductor may only be connected to the grounding of the electrical system as a point where the facility neutral (grounded conductor) is bonded to ground. An example would be at the service entrance or at a distribution sub-transformer.
Isolation Transformer: A device that electrically separates and protects sensitive electronic equipment by buffering electrical noise and re-establishing the neutral-to-ground bond. By virtue of the neutral-to-ground bond, isolation transformers eliminate neutral-to-ground voltage – one type of common mode disturbance.
Line Conditioner: A device that provides for the electrical power quality needs of the connected electrical or electronic load. In the case of a linear power supply, a line conditioner might be a voltage regulator. In the case of a switch mode power supply, a line conditioner might be an isolation transformer with a noise filter and surge diverter. In the case of a simple electrical device like a motor, a line conditioner might be as rudimentary as a surge diverter. The term line conditioner is frequently misused. It must be understood that not all line conditioners function alike, and the capabilities of a line conditioner must be matched to the power quality needs of the connected load.
Linear Power Supply: A power supply which converts AC power into the DC power that is needed to operate an electronic circuit. In a linear supply, the AC voltage is first stepped down, then rectified, and then regulated using a series regulation device. Linear supplies obtain their name from the fact that there is a linear relationship between the value of the AC sine wave voltage and the power supply’s consumption of current from the AC circuit. Linear power supplies are generally less efficient because the series regulator dissipates large amounts of heat in the process of producing and regulating the DC output voltages. In addition, linear mode power supplies may require well regulated AC input voltage. One benefit of linear power supplies is that they produce little electrical noise.
Mission Critical Load: Devices and equipment identified as important or essential to the safety of personnel or the economic health of a business.
Momentary Outage: A brief interruption in power commonly lasting between 1/30 (2 cycles) of a second and 3 seconds.
Nines of Reliability: The reliability of an electrical system is a combination of both its availability (freedom from outages) as well as it’s quality (freedom from disturbances). Reliability is expressed in percentages. 99% would be expressed as two 9s of reliability. 99.9% would be three 9s reliable, 99.99% would be four 9s reliable and so forth. The average well managed electrical system in North America has about three 9s of reliability. In a 24 x 7 operation, that translates into about 88 hours per year in which the availability and quality of the electrical system are unsatisfactory to reliably power a mission critical electronic load.
Noise: An unwanted high-frequency electrical signal that alters the normal voltage pattern (sine wave). Noise may be either high amplitude or low amplitude.
Normal (Nominal) Voltage: The normal or contracted voltage assigned to a system for determining voltage class.
Normal Mode Voltage: Any voltage (other than fundamental 50 Hz or 60 Hz) that is measured between the phase conductor and the neutral conductor in a single phase system or between any two phase conductors of a three phase system. Normal mode voltage can be any amplitude or frequency. Normal mode noise voltages can interfere with the reliable operation of a computer system or degrade and destroy components. Normal mode power disturbances should be limited to 10 volts or less.
Ohm: A unit of resistance and impedance.
Ohms Law: The relationship between voltage, current and resistance in a DC circuit. If two values are known the other can be calculated. This relationship is expressed many different ways. The basic relationship is voltage (V) is equal to current (I) multiplied by resistance (R). Ohm’s law must be applied in a modified way to AC circuits. AC circuits have impedance rather than resistance. Impedance causes AC circuits to exhibit power factor, which must be factored into any calculations
Outage: Complete loss of electrical power.
Overvoltage: An increase in voltage outside the normal voltage levels (10% or greater) for more than one minute.
Phase Relationship: The timing relationship between voltage and current. If voltage and current cross through zero in a cycle at the same time they are said to be in phase. Phase differences are expressed in degrees. A cycle is 360 degrees. In a totally capacitive circuit, current leads voltage by 90 degrees. In a totally inductive voltage leads current by 90 degrees. In a circuit that is purely resistive, voltage and current are in phase.
Power Factor: The ratio between Watts and Volt-Amperes. This ratio is generally expressed as a decimal fraction. A power factor of 1.00 is unity.
Reactance: Reactance has two components, capacitive reactance and inductive reactance. The values of reactance are determined by the values of the individual capacitor or inductor as well as the frequency of the current flowing in the circuit.
Real Power: The amount of power that is actually consumed by the load. Real power is measure in watts and is calculated by measuring the current consumed by the load and multiplying it by the voltage powering the load and then multiplying by the power factor of the load.
Rectifier: A device that converts alternating current (AC) power to direct current (DC) power.
Reactive power: Reactive power is the difference between apparent power and real power. It is calculated by subtracting real power from apparent power. Reactive power is measured in VAR (volt-amps reactive) or kVAR (kilovolt/amps reactive)
Resistance: The opposition offered by a material to the flow of a steady electrical current in a DC circuit. Resistance is measured in ohms.
Sag: Any short-term (less than 1 minute) decrease in voltage.
Spike: See “Transient”.
Standby Generator: An alternate power supply usually driven by a gas or diesel engine.
Surge: A sudden dramatic increase in voltage that typically lasts less than 1/120 of a second.
Surge Protective Device (SPD): A device that is designed to limit instantaneous high voltages. Also known as a surge suppressor, surge arrestor and transient voltage surge suppressor (TVSS). These units are satisfactory for reducing the amplitude of catastrophic events. However, they function by diverting excess voltage to the safety ground of the electrical system. In the process they create a common mode disturbance which can disrupt the function of microprocessor based electronic systems.
Swell: Any short-term (less than one minute) increase in voltage.
Switch Mode Power Supply: A power supply technology in which the AC power is converted into DC power for use by an electronic system. SMPS technology uses switching transistors operating at very high speed to keep a capacitor reservoir sufficiently charged to produce the appropriate DC voltage needed by the electronic circuit. SMPS technology is very efficient because it does not utilize the “lossy” series regulator found in the linear power supply. Current is consumed from the circuit only when the charge state of the capacitor reservoir requires it. SMPS technology is “constant power” in that when line voltage decreases, the supply’s current consumption increases and when line voltage increases, current consumption decreases. SMPS technology is relatively immune to voltage regulation issues. However, the technology does not employ a stepdown transformer on the front end, which means that it does not satisfactorily isolate the electronic system from the electrical supply. SMPS technology produces electrical noise as a result of the high speed function of the switching transistors.
Transient: See “Surge”
True Power: See “Real Power”
TVSS: See “Surge Protective Device”
Undervoltage: A decrease in voltage outside the normal voltage levels (10% or greater) for more than one minute.
Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS): A system designed to automatically provide power in the event that utility power is interrupted. A UPS may be standby, line interactive, or on line. A UPS is not necessarily a power conditioner, and care must be taken to ensure that the UPS provides all the power quality requirements that are needed.
Volt: A unit of electrical pressure. In a water system pressure might be expressed as pounds per square inch. In an electrical system, the pressure that causes electrons to move is called voltage. The voltage found in most homes is 120 and 240 volts. Businesses will typically utilize voltage at 120 and 208, or 277 and 480 volts.
Volt-Ampere (VA): The product of volts times amps. A kilovolt-ampere (kVA) is equal to one thousand volt-amperes. VA is also known as apparent power.
Voltage: The electrical “pressure” that creates the flow of current.
Voltage Regulator: A device that maintains output within a desired limit despite varying input voltage. These devices usually provide little to no protection against voltage transients or noise.
Watt (W): A unit of power equal to the product of the value of current of one ampere flowing in phase with the pressure of one volt. A kilowatt is a thousand watts. Watts are an expression of real or true power.
Watt-Hour (Wh): A unit of energy equal to the power of one watt for one hour. A kilo-watt hour is a thousand watt-hours.
Waveform Distortion: Any power quality variation in the wave shape of the voltage or current.

Tips to maintain your UPS System

UPS as it is commonly known, stands for Uninterruptible Power Supply. A UPS is primarily used as a back up power source ( it consists of battery unit) for computers and computer networks to insure on-going operation in the event of a power failure.

In this article, we will try to explain you 7 tips for maintaining your UPS System. These tips can help you get more from your UPS ( in terms of life and performance).

1.) Check for the load capacity of the UPS and ensure that you are not overloading the UPS by plugging in heavy devices. For example, if your UPS is meant for a computer, do not plug in your refrigerator in the UPS. Overloading the UPS system can cause excess pressure on the battery and can even cause it to explode in worst case.

2.) Keep the UPS in a cool and dry place. This is very important, especially if you live in hot areas. Do not expose your UPS to direct sunlight. UPS systems work best when kept at a temperature of 25 degree C. Do not expose the UPS to corrosive and flammable substances too.

3.) If you do not know about electronics, do not try to service your UPS yourself. You might actually do more damage than any good. Have a service engineer inspect and service the UPS once every six months or as per the recommendation from the UPS manufacturer.

4.) If you are dealing with a new UPS; Its better to charge it for atleast 24 hours before using it. This helps with battery life. If you are dealing with an already “in-use” UPS, its a good idea to drain the battery once in 15 days and then again charging it completely.

5.) Ensure you have proper earthing in your house / office where the UPS is fitted. Improper earthing can cause electric shocks and even fire resulting due to short-circuit.

6.) Do not connect or disconnect battery terminals yourself ( this ties back to the point mentioned in number 3). Batteries are the heart of UPS systems, ensure that you only allow an expert to handle them to avoid large bills incurred on later repairs.

7.) When the UPS is online ( i.e. when the power is consumed from UPS), ensure that you are monitoring the load on the UPS ( in case of a data centre). Switch off  / disconnect all the peripherals which are not necessary. Eg. Printers, Scanners etc. This helps in getting more backup from the UPS.

These were the tips we recommend for getting more backup and performance from your UPS system. What are the other tips you recommend? Do mention in comments.

UPS – Made simple for everyone

An Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS), also known as an Uninterruptible Power Source, Uninterruptible Power System, Continuous Power Supply (CPS) or a battery backup is a device which maintains a continuous supply of electric power to connected equipment by supplying power from a battery when normal power is not available.

There are two distinct types of UPS:

Off-line,

Double conversion (also called On-line).

An Off-line UPS remains idle until a power failure occurs, and then switches from normal power to its own power source, almost instantaneously.

An On-line UPS continuously powers the protected load from its batteries, while simultaneously charging  batteries from the AC power.

The on-line type of UPS, in addition to providing protection against complete failure of the utility supply, provides protection against all common power problems, and for this reason it is also known as a power conditioner and a line conditioner.

A UPS is typically used to protect computers, telecommunication equipment or other electrical equipment where an unexpected power disruption could cause injuries, fatalities, serious business disruption or data loss.

UPS units come in sizes ranging from units which will back up a single computer without monitor (around 200 VA) to units which will power entire data centers or buildings (several megawatts). Larger UPS units typically work in together with generators.

A UPS should not be confused with a standby generator, which does not provide protection from a momentary power interruption and may result in an interruption when it is switched into service, whether manually or automatically.

Such generators are typically connected before the UPS to provide cover for lengthy outages. Integrated systems that have UPS and standby-generator components are often referred to as emergency power systems.

For any additional information or queries , kindly comment. we shall get back with the answers ASAP