Where can you get help in choosing the one that’s right for you?

If you are in the market for UPS power protection – and this is the first time you have thought about it – trawling the internet for information can be frustrating and you could end up more confused than ever. It’s a big subject, and a specialist one.

UPS manufacturers are a great source of information but much of it is either technical (geared towards electrical engineers rather than end users) or biased towards a certain type of technology.

If you’ve already got a UPS installed, you’ll have a good idea (based on past experience) of what to look for when it comes to upgrading or replacing it. However, in the past few years the power protection industry has undergone an evolutionary process of change and development of UPS products, solutions and services, driven largely by the desire for greater energy efficiency and lower lifetime costs of UPS systems overall. Advances in technology and manufacturing have resulted in smaller, more powerful products with fewer component parts and which are more reliable and sophisticated than their forebears.

Which UPS should I choose and where can I go for objective information?

Sadly, there are few places you can get information like this for free. UPS specialist resellers and manufacturers are running businesses from which they need to make a profit and they usually either charge for consulting advice or give it for free if they can then sell you their products. You may not be at the stage where you are ready to choose your UPS manufacturer or their products so, what can you do?

As luck would have it, we’ve written a book: The Power Protection Guide – the design, installation and operation of uninterruptible power supplies, which was published in 2007. It’s available from Amazon, all good booksellers and our own estore. At 290 pages, it details all of the elements you need to think about in terms of UPS power protection – and although our publisher insists on a cover price of £28-95, it offers great value for money and may even save money for you in the long-term. Armed with knowledge, you will be in a better position to get what you need and negotiate a good price.

Covering such items as criticality, UPS topologies and designs, UPS sizing and selection, online UPS designs, building in UPS reliability and resilience, batteries and alternative UPS back up solutions, UPS and generators, UPS monitoring and remote control, UPS logistics and installation, UPS warranties, maintenance and service, the book provides a handy tool for anyone responsible for assuring the delivery of critical power supplies for the continuity of their business – whatever business that might be. We’ve purposely incorporated a detailed index to make it easy to reference and appended some useful forms and worked examples. It is illustrated throughout with clear diagrams, charts and graphs.

Majority of Renewable Energy Association’s members think tariff should be cut by 25%

So, there is still no clearer harmony over FiTs after the landmark legal victory in December 2011.

Since the Government’s announcement in December that it would slash the tariff for small-scale solar projects (up to 4kW in size) from 43.30/kWh to 21p/kWh, the industry has delivered a backlash of angry protest as installers have had contracts cancelled and companies have had to close or make serious redundancies.

But it would seem, from comments in the press by Gaynor Hartnell, the Chief Executive of the Renewable Energy Association, that there is disharmony in the industry. Hartnell responded to the high court decision by warning that the impact of the ruling could further increase instability.

The high court found that the proposed cut to the Feed-in Tariff Scheme for solar power by the UK Government in the middle of a consultation period was unlawful. The case had been brought by environmental organisation Friends of the Earth alongside solar groups. Following the ruling, DECC (Department for Energy and Climate Change) lodged with the Appeals Court and a hearing has been set for this Friday (13^th January).

I think it’s sad that it has come to this. It’s clear that the Feed-in Tariff scheme, which was meant to benefit individuals, small-scale energy users, schools and community projects has been exploited and often misdirected. In my view, there are faults on both sides (the Government and the industry). At the end of the day the ones who are suffering are individual energy consumers, who are missing out on the benefits of harnessing solar power and generating their own electricity, but the ones who are suffering the most are the honest, hardworking installers whose very livelihoods are being jeopardised.

I do believe, however, that the industry will bounce back. It has too much momentum behind it now to fade away and there are too many advantages solar power can offer (separate to the FiTs scheme), which is what the industry has to focus on now rather than relying solely on FiTs – irrespective of the Court of Appeal’s decision.

The Aros Solar Inverter product range covers both domestic and commercial/industrial applications from 1.5 to 500kW and includes a host of monitoring and customisation options. Aros Solar Inverters are accredited for use in the UK market and are available from Riello UPS Ltd.

Anyone reading an electrical magazine of late can’t help but notice the rising interest in (and column inches devoted to) the subject of voltage optimisation.

In 1995, the European Union set out to harmonise the single-phase mains supply voltage across countries. Prior to that, variation existed country-to-country from 220, 230 or 240Vac 50Hz. It was down to manufacturers of electrical equipment to optimise their products for each country or region. 230Vac became the nominal standard (prior to which the UK operated at 240Vac). Three-phase mains nominal voltage was harmonised to 400Vac.

A problem arose because many large electricity consumers found that much of the electrical equipment they use to run their businesses now operates inefficiently at the new rating and thus wastes considerable electricity each year.

Voltage optimisation technology providers stepped in to stem the problem by developing technology that sits between mains power and connected loads to provide a steady-state 230Vac or 400Vac supply to ensure optimal load voltage efficiency, whether resistive or inductive/capacitive loads.

My question is: can it be recommended for mission critical applications and is such technology really the best option when UPS themselves are the ultimate voltage optimiser?

Firstly, UPS protect connected loads from breaks in mains supply AND from mains-borne power problems such as sags, surges, brownouts and so on, which a voltage optimisers cannot do as effectively.

Secondly, although most online UPS are installed as 230Vac (single-phase) or 400Vac (three-phase) output, they can be configured manually to provide other voltages such as: 220/230/240Vac or 380/400/415Vac. Loads are automatically supplied by a UPS with the level of voltage and current required to perform at their optimal frequency. UPS also provide battery back up and/or connection to an alternative energy source (such as a generator) to protect loads in the event of a mains failure. Today’s online UPS can also achieve operating efficiency figures of 96% and higher (if operated in certain power modes).

Voltage optimisers carry a lower capital cost compared with UPS but they do not provide the higher levels of power protection required by the critical loads that run today’s always on businesses. In my view, UPS are better at the job of both power protection and voltage optimisation.

As most electrical engineers know, working with switchgear carries with it potential hazards. Improvements in design and better working practices, however, have contrived to make it much safer than it used to be.

If it were an animal, switchgear would be a champion racehorse; highly-strung, unpredictable – and with a powerful bite. But as every champion jockey will tell you: it’s all in the training. If you know what you’re doing and have thorough and appropriate training, you should be able to handle switchgear, no problem. If you are a novice, however, take every precaution and wear all the safety gear you can.

An accident associated with switchgear has been arc flash. These can occur when a large electrical current passes through ionised air and can be triggered when a circuit-breaker fails or when insulation has been seriously compromised. Although rare, these accidents have had serious consequences in the past. When an arc flash occurs, the temperature surrounding it can rise to around 20,000 degrees centigrade, which vaporises conductors leading to an explosion and the release of globules of molten metal. Anyone nearby could be in danger of serious injury or death.

Arc flash can also cause fire, the production of dangerous gasses and the leakage of burning oil in older designs such as oil insulated switchgear.

The good news is that modern designs of switchgear have moulded insulation, which allows good control over electric fields thereby reducing the susceptibility of the insulation to break down. It significantly reduces the chances of arc-related faults. It won’t entirely negate such incidents, or the chances there of, so it is important still to observe appropriate safety information and practices.

Not quite so hazardous but potentially more disruptive is the problem of partial discharge in insulation, which is a common cause of unreliability in MV switchgear. Here, small currents in the form of sparks can leak through the insulation at points where it has deteriorated. In hazardous environments, this could cause ignition of flammable materials but at best it could lead to breakdown of equipment and expensive repair. Needless to say, the best remedy for this is regular testing and inspection of switchgear, including all cabling and connectors.

When you choose Riello UPS for switchgear supply, you can be sure of our expertise. We always design switchgear into the system from the start and our name appears on the panel so you can rest assured we make sure that the quality of our work is consistent with the rest of your UPS and standby power installation.

The National Grid is buckling under the pressure of increasing demand for electricity – and modernisation is not happening fast enough. In densely populated areas like large towns and cities, it is a real problem exacerbated by the fact that more and more renewable energy sources, such as wind turbines and solar installations are being connected into the grid. These facts are introducing even greater instability into an already precarious system.

The primary purpose of a UPS (uninterruptible power supply) and generator is to provide an immediate source of back up power in the event of a mains failure. A secondary, but increasingly important, purpose for a UPS is to condition the voltage that is delivered to connected loads, but this can only happen if UPS and generator are properly synchronised to work together.

Power Problems

Power problems associated with raw mains energy are defined as any variation in electrical power resulting in a malfunction or equipment failure. Power problems include: sags, surges, brownouts, electrical noise, spikes, transients and harmonics, alongside frequency variations and complete blackouts.

It’s not only problems brought about by external mains power, however, that can cause problems for connected loads. Certain types of power load that are connected internally to the site electricity distribution system – such as motor loads (lifts, mechanical machinery), certain types of lighting (Tungsten) and air-conditioning can cause problems for equipment upstream without the correct filtering and power conditioning.

A generator must be able to accept the load of the UPS and the UPS rectifier and static bypass supplies must be able to operate with (and synchronise to) the output of the generator. There are several elements that enable this to be achieved: correct generator sizing. In UPS installations, generators are typically larger than the installed UPS so that they can deal with the harmonics the UPS generates and any overload conditions that may occur during operation.

For load acceptance to occur, a UPS must be able to synchronise to the voltage waveform supplied by the generator. UPS normally have a wide input voltage window, which will more than accommodate most generator output but the frequency can vary and this potential problem can be simply overcome by widening the UPS operating parameters to accept wider frequency ranges.

There is a whole chapter on generators in The Power Protection Guide – the design, installation and operation of uninterruptible power supplies, which offers more information. Visit the Riello website for details of the power protection products and services we supply.

Friends of the Earth lawsuit against UK Government over its latest FiTs Decision

More on the latest Government announcement of cuts to the FiTs tariff: I read on energylivenews.com in November that Friends of the Earth issued the UK Government with an ultimatum: amend their latest Feed-in Tariff decision or face legal action.

The charity wrote to Climate Change Minister, Greg Barker, and gave him until Friday 11^th November to make changes or face the consequences.

The Government has slashed financial support for solar under its FiTs scheme to over half what it was a year ago, from 43.3p/kWh to just 21p/kWh. This is for schemes 4kW or less and will come into force as of 12^th December 2011. Friends of the Earth claims that this date, which is two weeks before the consultation process the government brought into force earlier this year ends, makes their move unlawful.

The eco campaigning group carried out its threat and issued legal proceedings because they didn’t get a satisfactory response from the government by the appointed deadline. Friends of the Earth is calling for the Government to maintain existing tariff payments to all qualifying solar schemes completed by April 1^st 2012 and to extend the consultation period to Friday February 17^th 2012 at the earliest.

In a letter from the Treasury Solicitor to Friends of the Earth, the Government said: “The Secretary of State retains an open mind in respect of this proposal. Indeed, that is the reason why the proposal is out for consultation”.

It will be interesting to see what happens next.

We offer solar inverters that provide maximum energy, efficiency and safety. They come with advanced communications, easy installation and maintenance, plus conformance to international standards. More information is available on our website or contact us if you have any questions.

The UK government has merely loosened the head collar but it hasn’t yet killed the beast.

There is plenty of life left in Solar but the industry needs to build business models centred on delivering real value and market the many benefits of Solar installations rather than simply relying in subsidies from the FiTs scheme.

There was serious industry backlash against the UK government’s latest announcement of a massive cut in feed in tariff for Solar energy on schemes up to 4kW in size, from 43.3p per kWh down to 21p/kWh, earlier this month.

Chief Executive of the Renewable Energy Association, Gaynor Hartnell, was reported in the Guardian as saying that she did not believe the department for energy and climate change was winning its argument with the Treasury on the benefits to the economy of renewables. She is also quoted as stating that the government chopping and changing its mind like this and not honouring its commitments (this is the second major cut this year) was undermining confidence in the industry as a whole.

Other industry experts quoted in press articles within hours of the announcement were stating that thousands of contracts had already been cancelled and some Solar companies had started laying people off and making redundancies.

I’m in two minds about this. Firstly, cuts to payments under the FiTs scheme will make some people think twice about Solar installations, but unfortunately much of the subsidy has already been diverted to large commercial energy companies rather than individual home owners or public sector projects as it was initially intended. In my mind the Government should have acted sooner and made a much clearer distinction between the different market sectors. Spending controls are unfortunately now a necessity.

Every fledgling industry needs a helping hand but there comes a time when it should be able to stand on its own two feet. Perhaps that time for the solar industry is now.

There are many benefits and reasons why residential or commercial customers should invest in solar technology. FiTs is just one of them. Alongside the many ‘green’ issues, an other benefit is security of supply and having more control over your energy supply and usage; solar customers can at least rest assured that they can generate energy for their own needs at times when mains electricity may be unavailable. And with talk of possible energy rationing at some point in the future and political unrest globally, that benefit is looking increasingly attractive. Once payback has been achieved, Solar energy is always going to be less costly than many other sources – or even free in certain circumstances.

We offer solar inverters that provide maximum energy, efficiency and safety. They come with advanced communications, easy installation and maintenance, plus conformance to international standards. More information is available on our website or contact us.

HRH The Duke of Edinburgh is not shy about letting his feelings be known. We (the British Public) are used to reading about or listening to his latest verbal gaffe in newspapers and on the news.

In November, the Duke was reported in the Sunday Telegraph as having a pop at renewable technologies, specifically wind turbines, which he declared “Absolutely useless.” According to the newspaper, his comments were directed at a representative from a wind turbine manufacturer to whom he declared: “they are absolutely useless, completely reliant on subsidies and an absolute disgrace.”

His comments are unfortunate given the UK government’s widely broadcast renewable ambitions and support for onshore as well as offshore wind farms.

As you know, Riello UPS is a big fan of renewable energy, particularly as part of a mix of supply options, and particularly Solar. All new technologies need a subsidy to get them off the ground and solar is a case in point. In countries, such as Germany, where it has been subsidised for almost a decade, it has really taken off and as an industry will soon be able to stand on its own two feet. Wind farms (on and offshore) are the same and there are many instances where they are established and offering competitive enough electricity prices but there are many installations that still have some catching up to do and are reliant on subsidies.

On that note, I read an interesting article in Electrical Review talking about the ETI (Energy Technologies Institute) taking wave energy to the next level with a project to design and demonstrate a low-cost wave energy converter system.

Extracting energy from waves using wave energy converters (WECs) is one method of exploiting the energy potential of the seas around the UK – and as we are an island, why not? However, capturing as much energy from waves as possible while building technologies that will withstand the harsh environment is not easy and this project will identify areas for improvement and new developments. It is being commissioned in two phases, the first is looking for design concepts for wave energy converter systems and the second will see the designs being developed and demonstrated. Requests for proposals have been issued for any organisations wanting to get involved. Updates and more details are available at www.energyytechnologies.co.uk.

The first ever CRC Energy Efficiency Scheme Performance League Table was published in November by the Environment Agency, which is responsible for running it. It showed that 60% of organisations have taken action on energy management by installing smart meters and obtaining certificates for ‘good energy management’.

Ranked organisations count among them some of the largest energy users in the UK; large businesses and public sector organisations that use more than 6000 Megawatt Hours of electricity a year.

The scheme is intended to help the UK meet its carbon reduction targets and encourage large energy users to be smarter about how and where they consume electricity so that it can be reduced.

At Riello UPS, we think anything that encourages users to focus on reducing energy consumption is a great idea and we help our customers do so (and thus reduce their energy bills) while securing power continuity. We do that by providing products that are efficient, reliable and functional. I cannot help thinking, however, that the UK’s efforts to reduce energy consumption overall and meet carbon reduction targets could be given a real boost if energy suppliers started installing smart meters as standard. Only those that stand to benefit the most from so doing can afford to install smart meters and while that is the case we will continue to see the waste that is associated with a haphazard approach to measuring energy consumption.

For more information about UPS and power protection, visit our website.

Could the trend be spreading here?

An article on climaterocks.com earlier this month stated that despite American homes being cluttered with electronic consumer gadgets (Smartphones, tablets, wireless routers that run all the time, and TVs that light up in high definition), demand for electricity is levelling off.

Over the next ten years, experts are predicting residential energy use in the USA will actually fall, the first time it has happened since Thomas Edison’s invention of the electric light bulb.

Edison’s light bulb has now been replaced by more efficient types of lighting and electrical devices of all kinds are much more energy efficient than they used to be. Manufacturers have focused on that aspect as part of their research and development of new products for the past ten years. There are other factors too: new homes are more energy efficient and old ones are being made so by home energy savings programmes. Plus, utility companies say it is symptomatic of the economic slow down and not something to worry about for the future.

As energy costs continue to rise and users become more educated about their use of electricity, there is every indication that this will happen in the UK and Europe too. This may lead to the big six energy utility companies having to reinvent themselves and their business models, and perhaps even for the first time in years, reducing their tariff charges to encourage us to use more.

It’s a nice thought but I wouldn’t bet the house on it just yet.

If you would like more information on UPS and selecting energy efficient power protection, visit Riello AROS UPS’s website.