UPS FAQs South Africa
Below are common UPS FAQs in South Africa for businesses, covering systems, installations, and backup power solutions. Whether you run a small office, retail store, medical facility, or large-scale industrial operation, choosing and maintaining the right Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) is key to reliable operations.
1. What types of UPS systems are available for businesses?
There are three major types of UPS technologies available to the market: they are Online Double Conversion, Offline or Line interactive. They each differ in the type of support provided to the UPS load.
The Online Double conversion UPS offers the highest quality of power through its conversion of AC to DC and then back to AC ensuring instantaneous “clean power” to the support load. Offline and line interactive offer the most cost-effective benefits but a reduced level of support.
Powermode is one of the leading UPS suppliers in South Africa, who own the Q-on range of UPS, a online double conversion range of UPS supporting businesses nationwide.
2. How do I know the correct size of UPS needed for my business?
It is important to ensure you have enough capacity on your UPS selection. The UPS load is an accumulation of the watts of all the items supported by the UPS. Ideally, one should attempt to have the UPS load between 50% and 70% of the rated UPS capacity. This will allow for inrush (machine start-up) currents and ensure the UPS can handle the peak loads.
It is equally important to ensure the UPS system has sufficient battery capacity. Powermode’s Q-on range of UPS is both lithium-ion and lead acid battery compatible, providing best-in-class battery technology for both short-and long-run UPS applications.
The skilled Powermode team is ready and available to assist you on any UPS and battery selection ensuring you receive an optimal backup power solution for your business.
3. What range of UPS systems are available?
UPS systems are generally available in single and three phase configurations. Powermode stocks a wide variety of UPS systems to cater for every business need.
- The Q-on S Series is a Single Phase UPS. The Q-on Series is ideal for small to medium businesses supporting small loads. The 1KVA to 3 KVA units are plug and play units, while the 6KVA to 10KVA units offer backup power support to larger single phase loads.
- The Q-on Rugged Series is a Three Phase UPS. These rugged UPS systems are suitable for industrial and commercial applications with a higher three phase load requirement. The Q-on Rugged Series is a transformer-based UPS supporting business through the difficult South African power environment. This series is available from 10KVA up to 600KVA and is compatible with both lead acid and lithium-ion battery chemistries.
- The Q-on I Series is a highly adaptable and versatile range of UPS. The 5KVA module can be installed in parallel up to 30KVA. It is compatible with both lead acid and lithium-ion batteries and can be configured for both single and three phase electrical systems.
The Powermode team is only a call away to discuss your power needs and ensure you receive a fit for purpose back up power system.
4. What are the advantages of the Q-on Transformer based UPS system?
In a transformer-based UPS, the power flows via the rectifier, inverter, and transformer to the output, with the transformer used to step up the AC voltage levels, protect the UPS from load disruptions and provide galvanic isolation. Galvanic isolation is due to the transformer separating the input and output supplies, which in turn protects the load from electrical noise, surges, and spikes.
Further advantages of a transformer-based UPS include:
- Strength / Robustness: Transformer-based UPS systems are more robust and have fewer sources of failure. Transformer based UPS have a higher capability to absorb voltage and current spikes received from utility.
- Double Conversion Protection: The output transformer provides double protection through the conversion of AC to DC and return from DC to AC onto the supported load. This process is protected by the UPS transformer on the output supply to the load. This full process offers heightened protection and clean power.
- Insulated-Gate Bipolar Transistor (IGBT): Found in a transformer based UPS, offer significantly faster capabilities to switch electric currents. IGBTs within transformer based UPS’ are a large part of the reason transformer based UPS’ are used in many high-voltage, high-current applications.
- Voltage level adjustment: The transformer can step up or step down voltage levels as needed.
5. What is the best battery chemistry for my UPS system?
Historically UPS systems have been supported by a variety of lead acid battery options. This is the most widely used and popular UPS battery technology. Lead acid batteries are readily available in the market and with a low cost benefit, lead acid batteries remain the most common selection.
Lithium-ion batteries have seen major developments over the past few years driven largely by the electric vehicle and cell phone markets. The power struggles in the South African context have lead to big strides in the lithium-ion development seen largely in the renewable and back up power sector.
Lithium-ion batteries are lightweight, energy-efficient, high tolerance (temperature and discharge level) and have a longer lifespan of up to 10 years when compared to lead acid batteries. Powermodes Q-on UPS range are compatible with lithium-ion batteries, coupling the power security inherent in a UPS with the latest lithium-ion battery chemistryelection. The UPS load is an accumulation of the watts of all the items supported by the UPS. Ideally, one should attempted to have the UPS load between 50% to 70% of the rated UPS capacity. This will allow for inrush (machine start up) currents and ensure the UPS can handle the peak loads.
It is equally important to ensure the UPS system has sufficient battery capacity. Powermode’s Q-on range of UPS are both lithium-ion and lead acid battery compatible, providing best in class battery technology for both short and long run UPS application.
The skilled Powermode team are ready and available to assist you on any UPS and battery selection ensuring you receive an optimal back up power solution for your business.
6. How often should a UPS be serviced / maintained?
In order to achieve optimal performance from a UPS, it would be advisable to ensure the unit receives a minimum of an annual preventative maintenance / service. The surrounding environment plays a big role in service frequency. If the UPS system is not installed in an air conditioned room, you may want to consider a more frequent service cycle.
Power Guard is the support and preventative maintenance arm of Powermode. With over 2000 contracted sites around the country, it is an essential function of the Powermode offering. This includes:
- 24/7 technical support: We are available at any hour of the day to assist as required.
- Priority on-site response: Our contract customers come first, in the event of an issue onsite, schedules are cleared and support provided.
- Routine onsite preventative maintenance / service on hardware: As requested from our customers, full services on their hardware is completed on a quarterly, bi-annual or annual basis with hardware inspections carried out monthly.
- Detailed service reports: All interactions with our customers are recorded on our test reports and job cards and made available to customers on completion of the job.
7. Does a UPS work with a generator?
Yes. An online double-conversion UPS provides instantaneous power backup with zero interruption, protecting sensitive equipment. The UPS will provide power to the supported load, drawing power from the batteries connected to the UPS.
A generator, on the other hand, takes a few minutes to start (if fitted with an automatic transfer switch) when there is a loss of power from the utility. Once the generator is up and running, the UPS will detect the power supply and transfer the load onto generator power. Most businesses will make use of both a UPS and generator for complete power coverage. All of Powermode’s Q-on UPS’ are generator compatible.
8. Does a UPS work with a solar PV system?
Yes. UPS systems are compatible with solar PV installations. This is more commonly found in grid-tie solar PV installations that make use of a generator for backup power support when the utility fails. In this scenario the UPS will ensure stable / clean power to the support load and ensure continuous power supply between loss of mains and generator start-up.
9. My UPS is not lasting as long as it used to, what is the issue?
There are two reasons why a UPS’s length of support is shortened. Either the load on the UPS has been increased, or secondly and more likely, the batteries are nearing end of life and cannot provide the runtime as they did in the past.
A well maintained and serviced battery operating within its specific parameters should achieve its design life. For a lead-acid battery this is generally anywhere between 5 and 10 years. However, should the battery operate outside of its accepted parameters for example be exposed to high temperatures or be discharged past a 50% depth of discharge. These conditions will severely lower this expected life.