What Is a UPS? A Guide to Uninterruptible Power Supplies and Battery Backups

Have you ever experienced the frustration of a sudden power outage or not having access to a reliable power source? Uninterruptible power supplies (UPS) help ensure that you’re never left in the dark again. From the basics of how they work to the advanced features that can save your data, we will explore the ins and outs of UPS systems and show why it is crucial to have a battery backup on hand.

Whether you’re a tech enthusiast, an IT professional or you’re in a remote location, understanding the nuances of UPS technology is key to ensuring your devices stay powered up and protected.

Uninterrupted power supplies protect electronics from power disturbances. Acting as a safeguard, a UPS provides backup power and ensures uninterrupted operation of your devices. These battery backups work by constantly monitoring the incoming power supply. When it detects any anomalies, such as a power outage or a surge, it instantly switches to its internal battery power.

Using a battery backup UPS offers several benefits. It protects your electronics from sudden power loss, which can cause data loss, hardware damage or system crashes. Battery backups also provide a stable power supply, ensuring consistent performance and preventing damage from voltage fluctuations.

One of the first factors to consider when determining your UPS needs is the power consumption that can be drawn from the battery backup system. When you see a volt-ampere (VA) rating on a UPS, it represents the maximum volt-ampere load that the UPS can support. Battery backups typically range from 450VA to 1500VA.

Systems with higher VA ratings can support a larger total load, which is great if you have multiple devices or devices with higher power requirements, like gaming desktops. They also provide more flexibility for future additions to your power setup. However, higher VA-rated battery backups also tend to be pricier and may operate less efficiently if connected to devices that don’t require that much power. Conversely, systems with lower VA ratings are typically less expensive and may be better if the connected devices match the backup’s capacity. However, low VA ratings may not be suitable for larger power consumption needs or for future expansions in power requirements.

The runtime of an uninterrupted PS refers to the amount of time it can provide power to your devices when the main power source is unavailable. To estimate the runtime for your equipment, you need to know the power consumption wattage of each device and the total power capacity of the UPS. Then, you can divide the total power capacity of the battery backup system by the total power consumption of the connected devices.

Let’s say you would like to know what the power consumption is for a laptop. There are two easy ways to determine the total power consumption. First, you can check the included charger. The power supply typically has a label indicating the output voltage (in volts) and the current (in amperes). The power in watts can be calculated using the formula: Power (W) = Voltage (V) x Current (A). If the charger doesn’t have this information, you can always also look for the laptop's specifications on the manufacturer's website or in the user manual.

Once you’ve determined your device’s power consumption wattage and you know the VA rating of your UPS, you can easily calculate the estimated runtime. Simply divide the VA by the number of watts. So, if the power consumption for a laptop is twenty watts and your battery backup has a VA rating of 1000, the runtime for your laptop will be approximately fifty minutes (1000 divided by twenty). 

Obviously, devices that consume less power will have lengthier runtimes. The power consumption of most smartphones and tablets range between one to five watts. So using the same technique as before for a cell phone or tablet using a battery backup with 1000VA, the UPS runtime would range between approximately three hours to just over sixteen hours.

Surge protection provides a defense mechanism against sudden voltage spikes or surges in electrical power. Key points about surge protection in relation to UPS include:

• Voltage regulation. In addition to providing a temporary power source during outages, battery backups are designed to regulate and stabilize incoming voltage.
• Surge protection components. Components such as metal oxide varistors or transient voltage suppressors also help absorb excess voltage and prevent it from reaching connected devices.
• Joule rating. A higher joule rating indicates a greater capacity to absorb energy from surges. So when choosing the best UPS for your needs, don’t forget to consider the joule rating for surge protection.

When you aren’t relying on a UPS for power, you can still protect your plugged-in devices with a separate surge protector for your home.