Calculating Your UPS Runtime to Keep Your Power On

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Where does Eskom’s power go, what is the Government doing about power theft, advancements in Renewable Energy and UPS Systems.

Most South Africans are kept in the dark regarding the where, what, how and why regarding power – all we care about for the most part is how expensive it is to have electricity which usually takes a large chunk from any budget or when the lights go out and how this affects us negatively, whether it is the work environment or within the home.

Why you need a UPS system and UPS runtime calculator installed:

Ensure you have a fail-safe UPS system installed for those times when power is erratic or when the lights go out and come on again, damaging valuable electronic equipment in its wake – why is this happening and what is Government doing to fix these frustrating problems?

But don’t for one minute think that once you have installed a systems such as a UPS backup system, that all is fine and dandy.

What you need to take into account is exactly how to go about calculating battery runtimes; this is where a UPS runtime calculator becomes invaluable.

The UPS runtime calculator will calculate the estimated run-time or battery backup any time of any UPS using the device loads – this will be measure in WATTS, power factors, the number of batteries, battery voltage as well as battery amp hours.

For those not in the know – where exactly does Eskom’s Power Go?

  • 41% goes to municipalities throughout South Africa. This in turn sells the electricity to homes and businesses.
  • 4% goes to railways.
  • 1% is utilised for industry use.
  • 5% is allocated to the mines.
  • 4% is for commerce and the agricultural sector.
  • 7% is used in homes that don’t buy from municipalities and that buy directly from Eskom.
  • And last but not least, 5.9% is exported.

Power theft in South Africa:

Did you know that in 2010 Eskom launched Operation Khanyisa which is an anti-theft project? This project was created to protect Eskom from stolen power which is a huge problem here in South Africa and not limited to poor communities and townships alone.

According to research and statistics businesses as well as large and medium-sized power consumers are responsible for as much as 60% of power theft – a frightening though indeed.

In 2011 and 2012 alone, a staggering R1.2 billion was lost due to electricity theft.

Advancements in renewable energy:

South Africa is currently faced with multiple challenges in providing affordable, clean and reliable energy in today’s complex energy markets due to continued rising demand for electricity and increased energy prices and environmental concerns.

The Department of Energy recognises the need for energy efficiency and renewable energy and had placed this as a high priority – but in the meantime we need to ensure that our electrical appliances and high-tech equipment are protected from surges, outages, black-outs and brown-outs as these are unpredictable, can result in lost revenue or just plain and simple, inconvenient.

When installing UPS systems it is best to choose the correct one that will pander to your individual needs and electricity demands; once installed you need to calculate your UPS runtime with a UPS runtime calculator to ensure you are never without power again.