SPECIAL FEATURE
ENERGY MANAGEMENT
POWERING THE FUTURE Leo Craig of Riello UPS predicts a power shift in the way the UK generates its electricity thanks to the increasing availability and popularity of battery storage.
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e live in a truly data-driven society, that’s undeniable. From the allconquering convenience of our smartphones and laptops, through to the automation and artificial intelligence revolutionising our smart offices and factories, today’s world is dominated by devices and sensors. Indeed, by 2025, it’s predicted the average person will interact with a connected device 4,800 times a day – once every 18 seconds. The unrelenting rise of the Internet of Things makes one thing certain – we’ll need a lot more storage capacity to deal with all that additional data. But all that extra server room space, either through on-site data centres or increased cloud storage, requires extra power too. And as we’ve seen with the muchdelayed Hinkley Point nuclear plant, cranking up electricity generation isn’t an easy – or for that matter a cost-effective – thing to do.
With a National Grid seemingly creaking at the seams, it’s understandable both the government and the energy industry are seeking alternatives to maintain the tricky balance between ever-growing demand and limited supply. Ongoing improvements in lithium-ion (Li-ion) battery technology over recent years means that energy storage is becoming an increasingly viable option for facilities as diverse as factories, utilities, telecoms, farms or hospitals – practically any environment that uses substantial amounts of electricity. Whether it’s small-scale renewables such as solar or wind, installing onsite combined heat and power plants to generate power, or using the battery backup in an uninterruptible power supply (UPS) to store electricity, the way we manage power is rapidly changing.
Shifting battery technology When it comes to power protection and UPS systems, sealed lead-acid (SLA) – also known as valve-regulated lead acid (VRLA) – have long-been the batteries of
choice. They’ve proven to be a cost-effective solution and are reasonably reliable. That’s not to say they’re perfect though. SLA batteries require a temperature-controlled environment of 20-25°C to function properly, which means either plenty of energy-intensive air conditioning or a space-eating separate battery room. And their impedance increases over time, which reduces power capacity, meaning they’ll need replacing fairly regularly. While they’ve been commonly used for years in personal electronics such as mobile phones and laptops, it’s taken some time to develop a Li-ion battery suitable for use as part of a critical power protection system. But the technology has come on in leaps and bounds. More importantly perhaps, the costs have come crashing down too, making Li-ion far more commercially viable. Compared to SLA, Li-ion batteries deliver the same power density in less than half the space. They operate safely at far higher temperatures (up to 40°C), recharge much faster, and have up to 50 times the cycle life.
When downtime isn’t an option Award-winning power protection systems from 400VA to 6MVA www.riello-ups.co.uk 0800 269 394 58 | November 2018
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24/10/2018 10:01