UPS
Exploring ECO mode in a UPS Chris Cutler from Riello UPS examines how an uninterruptible power supply’s ECO operating mode works and explores whether the potential energy savings are worth any trade-off in reliability.
32 Electrical Review | March / April 2022
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s energy costs continue to spiral, facilities managers across every industry are eager to reduce power consumption where possible and identify potential savings. UPS manufacturers play their part by developing ever more efficient models. Indeed, many modern UPS are capable of high efficiency (i.e. >97%) even in maximum protection online double conversion mode. Most UPS systems now also incorporate ‘economy’ operating modes offering even greater efficiencies. But do the promised savings add up in practice? Before we go on, we should first clarify what we mean when we talk about UPS efficiency. This term describes the ratio of power entering the UPS compared to the power that exits to supply your load. Whenever electricity flows through a UPS’ components, a certain share dissipates as heat and sound. So, take a UPS with a 95% efficiency rating. That means 95% of the original input powers the load, with the other 5% ‘wasted’ running the actual UPS. UPS efficiency has increased steadily in recent years, with ratings in excess of 95% now the norm rather than the exception. Most modern
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