Why load shedding is affecting your UPS battery life

Living in South Africa presents its fair set of challenges, one of which has persisted for numerous years is of course Eskom’s dreaded load shedding. When it comes to keeping households out of the dark and connected during load shedding, users generally opt for one of three devices – a generator, UPS system, or a solar power hybrid system.

Both a generator and solar power hybrid system can be extremely costly, therefore many households generally select a UPS as a starting point. What is great about a UPS is the flexibility in cost based on what users need to keep powered during load shedding, if the user is only worried about keeping items such as lights and basics electronics on, then a UPS of 1 600W(2kVA) will have a battery large enough to do just that for a load shedding cycle and these units will cost anywhere from R3000 upward. A UPS is also often less noisy and provides no changeover, so the power supply kicks in right away when the electricity goes out.

What has however come to light as the frequency of load shedding has increased, is the relationship between load shedding and battery life. On average a UPS battery should last for about 5 years but due to load shedding’s increased stages, premature capacity loss is being experienced leading to early battery replacement – and the below explains why.

According to Battery Experts, a typical AGM battery will offer an average of 260 cycles at 100% discharge based on 1 discharge per week, allowing the battery bank to receive a full recharge before the next discharge takes place. However, if we take into consideration that South Africa currently experiences around 1 – 2 power outages per day, within one week the battery will execute about 11 discharges without sufficient time to fully recharge resulting in the deterioration of the battery.

Temperature has also been identified as playing a major part in the longevity of AGM batteries as for every 10 degrees Celsius above the battery-designed temperature, battery life is reduced by half. When load shedding strikes, batteries tend to work in a high-temperature environment if the battery room cooling system doesn’t have an automatic re-start system.

Sustainable power management solutions provider, Eaton, urges users to follow 6 simple steps to ensure the ongoing optimal performance of their UPS battery backup:

1.      Make sure your UPS batteries are in good health

Schedule a preventative maintenance exam at least once a year by contacting your local Eaton office, or Datanet.

2.      Clean up your IT space

As mentioned, temperature plays a role in battery life so make sure nothing blocks the airflow of your workspace by avoiding clutter and dust.

3.      Verify UPS communication

Correctly configured UPS communications ensure IT managers can respond to alerts and take corrective actions. If your UPS is equipped with a network card like the Gigabit Network Card, deploy a trial email, since changing email servers or domains can cause settings to be out of date. Additionally, check the software to be sure the UPS and network card both have the most up-to-date firmware versions.

4.      Keep service information and records current

Review your service information often and make sure your Eaton UPS is registered in order to receive updates.

5.      Make service information easy to find

Keep your factory-authorized UPS and battery service number on file for quick access.

6.      Reevaluate your level of power protection

Over time your power requirements may change, be sure to monitor your current UPS’ capacity to ensure you are not over-exerting the unit. 

Eaton
Eugene Botes

Brand Manager

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Be prepared when load shedding hits, shop the Eaton range available from Datanet: https://www.pinnacle.co.za/search/?q=eaton

For more information on Pinnacle’s Intel offering, click here.