The main role of any Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) is to ensure the availability of the critical infrastructure which it supports. Different UPS designs have emerged and the technology continues to be improved and developed.
This whitepaper examines how the static UPS, the dominant technology in most regions, compares with rotary designs when
Key Findings:
- Static UPS technology is by far the most widely adopted type of large (> 500 kW) UPS technology (three-phase) because of its efficiency and flexibility
- Static UPS also enables the modular configuration of a completely redundant power and control system, sized to match the capacity of the protected equipment
- The design of rotary UPS means equipment is usually a more fixed investment than modular static technology and often needs to be oversized against possible future growth
- Static UPS equipped with Lithium-Ion Batteries (LIB) have several advantages over conventional Valve-Regulated Lead-Acid (VRLA) batteries. They are 70% smaller and considerably lighter. LIB also support higher operating temperatures better than VRLA, which can also help cut battery cooling costs
- As electricity grids evolve, the static UPS system can be a good fit for delivering emerging front-of-meter (FtM) and behind-the-meter (BtM) energy storage applications
- Large rotary UPS are often installed before walls of the building are closed. The weight of rotary equipment requires a stronger building structure; there also could be very strict requirements because of the vibration caused by flywheels
- Electronic equipment usually requires less maintenance on average than mechanical equipment. For example, a static UPS system often only requires a single maintenance inspection in a 12-month period
