However, to use the Product Selector tool effectively, there are several things you need to know. Let’s back up and start with the basics.
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Vertiv offers an Intractive Product Selector where you can filter UPS systems by these and many other features, and then compare the options that meet your criteria side by side. It’s a highly effective and time-saving tool for choosing the ideal UPS backup power supply for your specific requirements.
If you’ve spent any time looking for a backup power UPS, then you already know that when it comes to an uninterruptible power supply, you have an unlimited number of options. Narrowing them down and choosing the right UPS power supply for your application depends on a number of different factors including UPS system typology, UPS load capacity, and UPS runtime, to name just a few.
In our article aptly titled What is a UPS?, you can find a detailed description including UPS use cases discussing when and why you need a UPS system. The article explains that an uninterruptible power supply provides instantaneous emergency power to critical devices—such as servers and other electronic components found in computer networks—through the energy that is typically stored in a rechargeable battery. UPS power ensures these systems continue to operate properly even when the main source of power fails. Unlike generators or other backup power supplies that can take a few seconds to kick in, a UPS system ensures no break at all in the power current, hence the name uninterruptible power supply. The UPS battery backup carries the critical load until the longer-lasting backup power supplies can engage and take over the job.
One of the key search criteria you can choose on the UPS Product Selector is product type. There are three different types of UPS typology: online double conversion, line-interactive and offline (also called standby and battery backup). In the article What Are the Different Types of UPS Systems? we explore each in detail. But the choice typically comes down to the degree of criticality and sensitivity of the equipment being protected.
Generally, an online double-conversion UPS will deliver the greatest power protection by isolating the critical load from virtually all power disturbances or irregularities in the main supply. It is always online, conditioning incoming power as well as providing battery backup. A line-interactive UPS also provides power conditioning in addition to battery backup and can protect against most power problems, however, there is a 4-6 millisecond break in power when transferring to battery back-up. Finally, the offline UPS protects against most spikes and can ride out many shortages, but it does not maintain perfect power during minor sags and surges.
Single-phase AC power is commonly used for household and light commercial applications, such as lighting and small appliances. Smaller power users, such as schools, office buildings, or smaller edge applications, can choose a single-phase UPS with confidence. However, larger data centers and other commercial and industrial facilities with power-hungry equipment typically require a three-phase power system that can deliver more power with greater efficiency. The article Three-Phase Power: What It Is and the Benefits It Brings provides a detailed explanation.
Proper UPS sizing is critical to optimize operational efficiency. Choose a UPS system that is too big, and the unit will be inefficient. Choose one that’s too small, and it won’t be able to support your power load into the future. To determine what size UPS you need, first, determine your current power load and estimate your future power load based on anticipated growth and the addition of newer equipment with higher power requirements. You will then want to choose a UPS system with the capacity to meet your maximum current load with some room to grow.
To do this, you need to consider two things: the power rating in volt-amperes (VA). And the power factor. A UPS system with a power factor of only 0.8 can provide only 80 percent of its rating. A UPS system with a “unity” (or 1.0) power factor will provide 100 percent of its rated capacity. You can specify load capacity from 350VA up to 20kVA using the UPS Product Selector.
The UPS Selector tool allows you to specify different types of battery chemistry, such as lead-acid or lithium-ion. A lithium-ion battery is the most technologically advanced choice. Lithium-ion technology delivers a variety of benefits for UPS systems is a white paper with more information on this subject. However, more traditional batteries, such as VRLA, often have a smaller upfront price tag. You will want to consider operating temperatures, the total cost of ownership, life expectancy, and maintenance requirements to choose the right UPS batteries for your sensitive IT equipment and specific business requirements.
UPS systems come in a wide variety of form factors and the UPS Product Selector lets you choose from seven different options, including UPS systems that are convertible and can be either rackmount or tower. Other options include mini-towers, floor mountable units, desktop systems, or wall mount UPS systems. Many times, the choice is determined by the available space in your data center environment. Do you have rack space to spare? Or would you rather use wall space and free up the rack for more servers and networking equipment? Some applications will require a UPS system that is too big to fit in the rack, in which case you will need to consider tower or freestanding form factors.
UPS runtime is the amount of time a UPS can supply battery power to the connected load. You can calculate runtime yourself by multiplying UPS battery capacity by UPS input voltage and then dividing the sum by the total supported load (in watts.) Or you can use Vertiv UPS Runtime Calculator to determine the battery runtime for a number of different Liebert UPS models. Simply enter the model and then drag the bar on the interactive graph to the appropriate load amount to see the UPS runtime in minutes. The UPS Selector Tool also allows you to specify your preferred battery runtime at both full load and half load and see only models that meet those criteria.
Many organizations are required to (or simply want to) select TAA compliant UPS systems that are manufactured or “substantially transformed” in the United States or other TAA compliant countries. Other organizations look for Energy Star-rated UPS systems to help further efficiency goals. The UPS Product Selector allows you to check one or both of these options to find a wide range of Liebert UPS systems that meet these requirements including single-phase, three-phase, online double conversion, and line-interactive options.
Clearly, there is no shortage of factors to consider when selecting a UPS for power backup. Once you know your specific requirements, the UPS Product Selector can dramatically simplify the work of finding a UPS system that meets your needs. If you need help defining your requirements or narrowing down your options, even more, give Vertiv a call and let our experts help you specify the ideal uninterruptable power supply for your application.
All three basic uninterruptible power supply (UPS) technologies have their place in protecting today’s distributed IT infrastructure especially on the network edge. Each technology has its advantages and each may be necessary for configuring cost effective power protection, especially in complex systems. Selecting a UPS for your particular application requires an examination of a number of factors. The load size, location and criticality of the equipment to be protected are key, as well budgetary considerations, when choosing a UPS for power backup.
The three major types of UPS system configurations are online double conversion, line-interactive and offline (also called standby and battery backup). These UPS systems are defined by how power moves through the unit.
AC power is stable and clean upon generation. But during transmission and distribution, it is subject to voltage sags, spikes and complete failure that may interrupt computer operations, cause data loss and damage equipment. When it comes to safeguarding critical IT loads, only online double conversion technology protects fully against all these power problems, providing the highest levels of security for networks.
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An online UPS system is usually called double conversion as well because incoming power is converted to direct current (DC) and then converted back to AC. This AC-DC/DC- AC design ensures an increased degree of isolation of the load from the irregularities on the main supply.
The online UPS takes the incoming AC power supply and converts it to DC using a a rectifier to feed the battery and the connected load via the inverter so that no power transfer switches are necessary. If the main AC input fails, the rectifier drops out of the circuit and the batteries keep the power flowing to the device connected to the UPS. When AC input power is restored, the rectifier resumes carrying most of the load and begins charging the batteries.
Because power runs through an online UPS continually, output is a perfect sine wave. This type of UPS protects the critical load from virtually all power disturbances, including subtle harmonics and waveform distortion.
This means the quality of power from online UPS is significantly better than that of other technologies. Offline and line-interactive technologies reduce the impact of spikes, surges and sags by either clipping the peaks and valleys, boosting power or switching to battery backup. Within the normal track of an electrical sine wave, however, most power fluctuations are left alone. Online UPS regenerates the sine wave, not just conditioning of the raw utility supply.
An online UPS delivers continuous, high-quality AC power to equipment with no break when transferring to battery, protecting equipment from virtually all power disturbances due to blackouts, brownouts, sags, surges or noise interference. A true online, double-conversion UPS provides 100% power conditioning, zero transfer time to battery, no change in output voltage and better transient suppression than line-interactive units.
Online double conversion is the most common UPS mode of operation used for protecting large data centers by providing the highest level of power quality to the load always. Online systems also provide frequency regulation, essential for use with backup generator systems to protect from variations common at generator start up.
Line-interactive UPS systems provide both power conditioning and battery backup. This technology is particularly effective in areas where outages are rare, but power fluctuations are common. Line-interactive UPS systems support a wide range of input voltage fluctuations before switching to battery backup.
Beyond battery backup, line-interactive UPS provides far better control over power fluctuations then offline systems. The critical advantage of line-interactive UPS is the voltage boost circuitry and the range of input voltage that that UPS accepts. The wider the range, the more total protection you will have.
Line-interactive UPS technology provides power conditioning with a 4-6 millisecond break in power when transferring to battery back-up and protects against the most common power problems experienced in a network. Here the UPS also monitors the voltage level and balances under and over voltages. This technology provides a good choice between reasonable protection and moderate operating costs.
With line-interactive UPS, the inverter becomes part of the output and is always on. The inverter can operate in reverse to charge the battery while AC input is normal, and switch to battery power when input fails, which provides filtering and voltage regulation. Line interactive UPS systems rely on the battery to condition power so this type tends to drain its battery more frequently than online UPS systems that condition power through the double-conversion process.
When AC input power fails, the unit’s transfer switch opens and the power flows from the battery to the UPS output. With the inverter always on and connected to the output, line-interactive UPS provides additional filtering and yields reduced switching transients when compared to a standby UPS. Line-interactive UPS systems are typically used in rackmount applications below 5000VA.
Offline UPS, also called standby UPS or battery backup, is a cost-effective choice. Better offline UPS systems switch to battery fast enough to prevent power anomalies and ride out short outages. An offline UPS protects against most spikes, but doesn’t maintain perfect power during minor sags and surges.
The key to offline UPS quality is the range of power the unit will except before switching to battery backup. The wider the range, the less drain on the battery and the more backup time available when the power shuts off. The more times the UPS switches to battery backup, the shorter the battery life.
Offline UPS technology will protect from most power spikes by clamping down on excess voltage and help ride out more than 90% of all outages. An offline UPS system passes utility AC power straight through the unit, past a transfer switch, to the output point where the protected load is connected.
When an input power failure happens, the built-in battery and the inverter, which converts the battery’s DC power to AC, are activated and connected to the output by the transfer switch. There is generally about a 6-8 millisecond break in power when transferring to battery back-up.
This technology is best suited for devices under 1500VA such as small offices, personal home computers and other less critical applications. Offline UPS is a good option for those requiring lower power capacity and cost. Offline UPS technology provides power backup protection for desktop equipment, gaming consoles, workstations, wireless networks and other electronics. During power outage, it provides enough runtime to save work in process and complete an orderly shutdown of equipment. In addition to power backup, most offline UPS systems offers basic surge protection as well.
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