Did you know? Li-ion battery prices have decreased over the years and are now becoming a viable option for UPS applications.

Lithium-ion (li-ion) batteries have been used commercially for over 20 years in various applications. Why then have they not been commonly adopted as batteries for single-phase UPSs? The answer lies in the fact that, like all other applications, li-ion cells weren’t available that provided UPS vendors with the right balance of price, energy density, power, safety, and reliability for single-phase UPS applications.

However, advancements in li-ion chemistries and technologies over the last 10 years have provided UPS vendors with realistic options. These advancements have largely been due to requirements set forth by the electric vehicle industry.

Li-ion batteries do offer significant advantages over those with VRLA (valve-regulated lead-acid). Take a look at a few of the benefits below.

Fewer battery replacements
UPSs with li-ion batteries require fewer battery replacements over the life of the UPS. This eliminates the risk of downtime posed by battery replacement.

Less weight
Overall, UPSs with li-ion batters weigh three times less for the same amount of energy.

More discharge cycles
They also offer up to 10 times more discharge cycles depending on chemistry, technology, temperature and depth of discharge.

Less self-discharging
UPSs with li-ion batteries self-discharge about four times less than those with VRLA.

Faster charging
They charge four times faster than those with VRLA, which is key in multiple outage scenarios.

Learn more about Lithium-ion batteries and the advantages they provide to single-phase UPSs by downloading the APC by Schneider Electric White Paper.

At 2NSystems, we are here to provide you with data center solutions and services in hopes to make your life easier. We also hope to educate you on the most recent updates that are relevant to you and your data center like the difference between using a li-ion vs. VRLA battery with a single-phase UPS system.

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Note: Information contained in this blog came from Schneider Electric’s White Paper 266, Revision 1, by Victor Avelar and Martin Zacho.