Protecting homes and businesses during load-shedding

29th November 2019

Homes and small businesses may be at risk during load-shedding if there are no contingency plans in place, in the event of a sudden loss of power or power surge due to a power outage.

Electronic devices used for communication, security and entertainment are at risk of damage and failure because of unexpected blackouts, voltage fluctuations and other power disruptions. Backup solutions help to maintain productivity and comfort, while ensuring the safety of electronics in the event of power outages.

An uninterruptible power supply (UPS) is one such back-up solution that can be used to help safeguard computers and data against power outages. A UPS device provides battery backup when the electrical power fails or drops to a specific voltage level.

A UPS is also scalable and can be adapted according to the user’s needs, with the aim of allowing electrical and electronic equipment to continue operating during a power outage.

In addition, it can be used to maintain WiFi availability, provide battery backup power and protection for electronic devices, such as televisions, security systems and gaming consoles and to recharge mobile devices such as cellphones and tablets.

A UPS should be connected to an input power supply point with a capacity of 20% to 25% higher than the size of the device. In addition, UPS runtime gives an indication of the duration of the capacity of the device.

It is recommended that a UPS is used to provide backup power only to critical equipment, as the more equipment is connected to the device, the less runtime will be available.

Schneider Electric provides backup solutions for homes, buildings, data centres, infrastructure and industries.