Power outages are no longer rare events. Unexpected blackouts can impact businesses, affect equipment or create data loss. Hence, companies should choose the appropriate electrical backup power option. The two most widely used backup power systems available are Uninterruptible Power Supply systems and generators. These forms of backup electrical systems have different methods for providing power.
In this article, you will find a comparison of both UPS systems and generators to assist you in determining the most suitable backup power system for your needs.
What Is UPS?
An Uninterruptible Power Supply is an electrical equipment that supplies immediate power backup when primary electricity fails. Since UPS do not have a delay when supplying power to their connected devices, there is no interruption in service to connected devices when the power source fails.
The following devices will help you provide a short-term backup power supply:
- Rectifier/charger
- Inverter
- Power conditioning devices
UPS protect the following:
- Servers and data centres
- Medical equipment
- Network equipment
- Industrial controls
- Office computers
Types of UPS Systems
1. Offline/Standby UPS – Basic protection for home and small office applications
2. Line-Interactive UPS – Improved voltage regulation for small businesses
3. Online/Double Conversion UPS – Continuous power conditioning for critical systems
What is a Generator?
A generator is equipment that generates electric energy from fossil fuels such as petrol, diesel, propane and natural gas. They cannot provide instant power like UPS.
Therefore, a generator must first be started up before it will provide power. The starting time for a generator will vary from a few seconds for a very small generator to approximately 3 minutes or longer for larger generators.
Some of the common uses of generators are:
- Long-term power outages
- Provision of electricity for a commercial building or process facility
- Provision of electricity for construction sites
- Hospitals and manufacturing facilities
Generators can produce power continuously for as long as there is sufficient fuel available and can work for several hours or days.
Differences between UPS and Generators
1. Power Response Time
Generators and UPS respond differently when there is a power failure. UPS systems provide instant power, while a generator takes a few minutes to start generating power.
In today’s world, having access to critical machines/equipment that require continuous power is important for many businesses. Unexpected power loss, even temporarily, can cause significant problems for systems, including hospital systems that rely on medical devices. As a result, companies with sensitive or critical systems often invest in UPS power supply systems.
2. Duration of Backup Power
A UPS power supply provides only short-term backup power (a matter of minutes to hours). A generator can provide long-term backup power (several hours to multiple days) after an outage or until utility service is restored.
Uninterruptible Power Supply systems are designed to provide power until a generator’s power source is activated. Therefore, UPS are more effective for short-term outages.
3. Power Quality and Conditioning
The output of a UPS system is stable, regardless of the size/load of attached equipment. A generator’s output can vary and fluctuate greatly, particularly during start-up and load changes.
A Uninterruptible Power Supply system provides additional protection from voltage spikes, surges, and frequency variations that a generator is not capable of providing alone.
4. Installation/Space Requirements
Because UPS are much smaller than generators, they can be set up in most office environments, data centre environments, and indoors.
However, due to their larger size and weight, generators are primarily used outdoors and require additional space for ventilation, fuel storage, and additional permitting in the event of sparks or flammable liquids.
5. Operational and Maintenance Expense
UPS Systems:
- Battery replacement must be done every 3-5 years
- Relatively low maintenance costs
- Very low operating costs
Generators:
- Routine servicing
- Fuel expense
- Oil and mechanical wear costs
In the long-term, generators will be significantly more expensive than UPS.
Conclusion
The question here is, what do you plan to use the backup power for?
You can purchase a UPS system if you want a very fast response time high-quality/clean power for sensitive electronic devices. On the other hand, you can get a generator if you want long-term backup power in case of large-scale or extended power outages.
If something needs to be running with zero downtime, you should consider using both a UPS and a generator together. Nowadays, power protection systems utilize Uninterruptible Power Supply systems as part of a complete solution in conjunction with generators.
