Types of battery backup

UPS is designed so there is minimal interruption to the power supply when there is a power cut. Customers with sensitive electronic equipment such as computers or medical equipment might require a high power supply quality.

EPS are suitable for the majority of customers – it is typically a little slower to transfer into backup mode and the quality of supply is not as consistent but it is adequate for most people’s needs.

This is an alternative name for EPS backup systems.

The least expensive option, but has limited use in a power cut. It would require running an extension lead to essential lights and the fridge/freezer for example.  It can normally only run small loads.

This design means when there is a power cut there is little user intervention required, since the essential loads can be designed for the size of the battery.

This design requires re-wiring all essential loads onto a separate essential loads consumer unit (fuse board). This might sound straightforward, but most houses in the UK run sockets on a ring main – basically a loop of wires around the house. To wire a fridge to an essential load consumer unit normally requires running a new wire to the fridge location – known as a radial circuit.

It is ideal for people who are away from their home for extended periods.  They are also typically suited to new builds, since the house can easily be wired as a radial circuit rather than ring main.

This design switches the whole house to being supplied by the battery. If the home is running 3kW of loads and the battery can supply 5kW then this process will be fairly seamless. If the house was running 6kW of loads and the battery can only supply 5kW, the battery would turn off until the house loads are manually reduced.

These systems can be designed as automatic changeover or manual changeover.