How to Choose: UPS, Whole-home Backup or Solar Generators?

What is UPS?

UPS is the abbreviation of Uninterrupted Power System. Ups uses battery chemical energy as backup energy.Ups is an energy conversion device that can continuously provide (AC) electrical energy to user equipment during power outages caused by power grid failures.UPS is a backup power supply device connected between the user’s load electrical appliances and the AC power supply. Its role is to ensure that the load has a continuous power supply, and in the case of AC power interruption, it can also supply power to the load within a predetermined time.

The main functions are as follows：

Realize the isolation between the power grid and the electrical appliances；
Realize uninterrupted switching of two power supplies；
Provide high-quality power supply；
Voltage conversion and frequency conversion functions；
Provide backup time after power failure

Problems that UPS can solve:

Non-stop power-up function to solve the problem of power outages in the power grid；
ac voltage regulation function to solve the problem of severe fluctuations in network voltage；
Purification function to solve the problem of power grid and power supply pollution；
Management functions to solve the problem of AC power maintenance

UPS Composition:

In order to ensure that the UPS system can continuously supplies power to important loads, thus each UPS system is equipped with three power supplies, namely UPS main power supply, DC (battery) power supply, and bypass power supply.

The UPS system equipment consists of a main cabinet (including input transformer, rectifier, inverter, output isolation transformer, inverter static switch and bypass static switch, etc.), isolation transformer cabinet, bypass voltage regulator cabinet and power distribution cabinet.

UPS Application:

In the past, UPS was mostly used to assist computer equipment to prevent data loss caused by sudden power outages.

Now UPS has been widely used in: mining, aerospace, industry, communications, national defense, hospitals, computer business terminals, network servers, network equipment, data storage equipment, emergency lighting systems, railways, shipping, transportation, power plants, substations, nuclear power plants, production plants, fire safety alarm systems, wireless communication systems, program-controlled switches, mobile communications, solar energy storage energy conversion equipment, control equipment and its emergency protection systems, personal computers and other fields.

Classification of UPS：

UPS is divided into three categories according to its working principle: backup UPS, online UPS and online interactive UPS.

1.Backup UPS：

It has the most basic and important functions of UPS such as automatic voltage regulation and power-off protection. Although it generally has a conversion time of about 10ms, it has the advantages of cheap price and high reliability due to its simple structure, so it is widely used in microcomputers, peripherals, POS machines and other fields.；

2.Online UPS：

The structure is more complex, but the performance is perfect, it can solve all power supply problems, and the conversion time is 0ms. For example, the four-way PS series, its distinctive feature is that it can continuously output pure sine wave alternating current with zero interruption, which can solve all power supply problems such as spikes, surges, and frequency drift. Due to the need for large investment, it is usually used in environments with demanding power requirements such as key equipment and network centers.；

3.Online interactive UPS：

Compared with the backup type, the online interactive type has a filtering function, strong anti-MAINS interference ability, conversion time is less than 4ms, and the inverter output is an analog sine wave, so it can be equipped with servers, routers and other network equipment, or used in areas with harsh power environments.

What is Whole-home batteries ?

Used for: Powering your house for hours, or even days

A whole-home battery is a battery system that’s capable of powering an entire home. They are designed to handle high instantaneous power loads, meaning they can run several large appliances simultaneously. They also have large storage capacities, which enables continuous operation for many hours at a time.

Whole-home batteries are often called ‘solar batteries’, since it is most common to use them in conjunction with a solar panel setup. The reason for this is simple: when a solar battery is purchased with solar panels, it automatically qualifies not just for the 30% federal solar tax credit, but for a variety of state and other local incentives, too – most notably California’s SGIP rebate program.

In 2022, most people considering whole-home batteries are looking at smart lithium battery solutions such as a Tesla Powerwall or LG Chem Resu. These battery products are small, efficient, and durable. This is especially true when you compare them to older battery technology like lead-acid batteries. (Lead-acid batteries do still have some use cases; we have an article comparing different battery types).

I should point out here that it is actually possible to get a solar battery without actually installing solar panels. You could, for instance, set up a LG Chem Resu to charge using grid power, thus providing you a backup option for when there’s a power outage. Starting in 2023, you’ll even be able to claim the 30% tax credit on a standalone battery purchase. However, without solar panels, you’ll have to charge the battery with expensive grid power (instead of cheap solar power), and you won’t be able to charge your battery in the event of a prolonged power outage.

What is Solar Generator?

Electrical energy is generated by sunlight directly shining on the solar panels and charging the battery, which can power DC energy-saving lamps, radio recorders, televisions, DVDS, satellite TV receivers and other products. This product has protection functions such as overcharge, over discharge, short circuit, temperature compensation, and reverse battery connection. It can output 12V DC and 220V AC.Split design, compact size, easy to carry, safe to use.

Solar Generator Composition：

Solar generators are composed of the following three parts: solar cell modules; power electronic equipment such as charge and discharge controllers, inverters, test instruments and computer monitoring, and batteries or other energy storage and auxiliary power generation equipment.

Application of Solar Generator

It can provide electricity for remote areas without electricity, field places, field activities, home emergency, remote areas, villas, mobile communication base stations, satellite ground receiving stations, meteorological stations, forest fire stations, border posts, powerless islands, grassland pastoral areas, etc., can replace part of the energy of the national grid, pollution-free, safe, and sustainable use of new energy sources for more than 25 years!Suitable for grasslands, islands, deserts, mountainous areas, forest farms, breeding grounds, fishing boats and other areas with power outages or lack of electricity!

Advantages of Solar Generator：

Independent power supply, not limited by geographical location, no fuel consumption, no mechanical rotating parts, short construction cycle, and random scale.

Compared with thermal power generation and nuclear power generation, solar power generation will not cause environmental pollution, is safe and reliable, has no noise, is environmentally friendly and beautiful, has a low failure rate, and has a long life span.

It is easy to disassemble and assemble, easy to move, and low engineering installation cost. It can be easily combined with buildings without the need for embedded high transmission lines, which can avoid the damage to vegetation and the environment and engineering costs when laying cables over long distances.

It is widely used in various electrical appliances, and it is very suitable for households in areas without electricity or electricity, as well as household appliances and lighting appliances in remote places such as villages, grassland pastoral areas, hills, islands, and expressways.

It is permanent. As long as the sun exists, solar power can be invested once and used for a long time.

Solar power generation systems can be both large, medium and small, medium-sized power plants as large as one million kilowatts, and solar power plants as small as one household, which are unmatched by other power supplies.

Factors to consider when designing a solar power system：

Q1. Where is the solar power generation system used?What is the situation of sunlight radiation in the place?
Q2. What is the load power of the system?(For example: the total power of TV, lighting, and mobile phone charging generally does not exceed 300 watts)
Q3. What is the output voltage of the system, DC or AC?
Q4. How many hours does the system need to work every day?
Q5. If you encounter rainy weather without sunlight, how many days does the system need continuous power supply?
Q6. In the case of load, whether it is purely resistive, capacitive or inductive, how much is the starting current?
Q7. The number of system requirements?

What are the requirements for choosing an energy storage battery?

As an energy storage power station that cooperates with photovoltaic power generation access, realizes peak-cutting and valley-filling, load compensation, and improves power quality applications, energy storage lithium batteries are a very important component and must meet the following requirements：

It is easy to realize a combination of multiple methods to meet the higher operating voltage and larger operating current.；
The capacity and performance of iron phosphate lithium-ion batteries can be detected and diagnosed, so that the control system can realize the scheduling control of the power station load while predicting the battery capacity and performance.；
High safety and reliability: under normal use, the normal service life of the battery is not less than 15 years; under extreme conditions, even if a failure occurs, it is within the controlled range, and there should be no explosion, combustion, etc. that endanger the safe operation of the power station.；
It has good fast response and large magnification charge and discharge capacity, and generally requires 5-10 times the charge and discharge capacity.；
High charge-discharge conversion efficiency, easy installation and maintenance, good environmental adaptability, and wide operating temperature range.

Why lithium LiFePO4 batteries are the best choice for energy storage batteries?

LiFePO4 Battery has Longer Service Life

①The lead-acid battery has been recycled more than 300 times and has basically reached the level of scrap, with an average service cycle of about 1 and a half years.；
②the storage capacity of ternary lithium batteries for more than 500 cycles is less than 80%, and it can be used normally for about 3 years；
③Lithium iron phosphate is normally recycled 2,500 times, and the power storage is still maintained at more than 80%. It can be used for up to 8 years according to the calculation of one cycle per day, and it can be used normally for about 15 years if it is recycled every two days; therefore, the cost of use is also greatly reduced.

LiFePO4 Battery has Higher Security

①The ignition point of ternary lithium is only about 200℃, and it is prone to deflagration by impact, short circuit, acupuncture, etc., endangering life and property safety.；
②The ignition point of lithium iron phosphate can reach 500-800℃. Even if there is a short circuit, acupuncture, or severe impact, deflagration will not occur. The safety is very high. It is widely used in the fields of safety and cycle life such as buses and buses. It is used in electric two-wheeled vehicles, tricycles, low-speed four-wheeled vehicles, etc. The safety and stability performance is excellent.

What is the Difference between UPS Power Supply and Battery?

UPS power supply is a system equipment that connects the battery to the host and converts direct current into MAINS electricity through module circuits such as the host inverter. In the event of a power failure, it can continuously supply power continuously.It is mainly used to provide stable and uninterrupted power supply to a single computer, computer network system or other power electronic equipment such as solenoid valves, pressure transmitters, etc.

A battery is a device that directly converts chemical energy into electrical energy. It is a battery designed to be rechargeable.Its working principle: when charging, the external electrical energy is used to regenerate the internal active substance, the electrical energy is stored as chemical energy, and the chemical energy is converted into electrical energy output again when it needs to be discharged.

In terms of basic application principle, UPS power supply is a kind of power protection equipment that contains an energy storage device, with an inverter as the main component, and a voltage-stabilized and frequency-stabilized output.It is mainly composed of several parts such as rectifier, battery, inverter and static switch.A battery is a device used by UPS to store electrical energy. It is composed of several batteries in series, and its capacity determines the time for it to maintain discharge (power supply).Valve-controlled lead-acid batteries are currently widely used.By assembling together, it stabilizes the MAINS power input of important equipment stably during normal times, and provides a delay time for abnormal MAINS power, so that the equipment can operate in a stable power environment.

Which one we should choose?

A UPS is best if you:

Are on a budget
Run a server and you want to protect yourself from hardware failure or data loss caused by a brownout or sudden shutdown
Work on a PC and you want to be able to save your work and safely shut down if needed
Want several hours of backup power for a single small device, such as a Wi-Fi router

A solar generator is best if you:

Want to run and charge multiple appliances, as well as charge devices for several hours during a blackout
Need a portable solution than can be carried around the home, and even used for camping or other outdoor activities

A whole-home battery is best if you:

Are going to buy solar panels, or want to pair the battery with an existing solar setup
Live in an area prone to frequent blackouts and want a clean backup option that can power your entire home
You want to use the battery to avoid expensive peak electricity rates
You want to replace a loud and dirty gas generator