“While VRLAs remain the dominant UPS energy storage technology due to their low cost and high reliability, lithium-ion is becoming a more attractive option for a growing set of customers”
Vice President of Secure Power Systems, Schneider Electric, Pedro Robredo, commenting on their Lithium-ion Battery Options for Its 3-Phase UPS Solutions
Schneider Electric, a global specialist in energy management and automation, announced that it will support the use of Li-ion (lithium-ion) batteries as an alternative to VRLA (Valve Regulated Sealed Lead-Acid) batteries for many of its three-phase UPS (uninterruptible power supplies).
Lithium-ion battery options are available immediately for the following select projects:
- Symmetra MW
- Galaxy 7000
- Galaxy VM
So how does the use of Li-Ion Batteries make a difference to their clients?
Schneider Electric Li-Ion Batteries replace VRLA – Three-phase UPS in One third the space
Schneider Electric is helping customers address some of the key challenges they face with using UPSs including:
- Significantly reducing UPS footprint and weight to allow for a more effective use of space: Li-ion batteries pack a lot of energy into a much smaller footprint.
- Extending UPS battery life and reducing maintenance overhead: Lithium’s long design life greatly reduces the cost and maintenance burdens of performing battery replacements.
As a result, these Li-ion batteries take up one-third the space (or less) of a comparable VRLA-based solution that delivers the same power. This helps customers increase the footprint available for IT equipment while also reducing cooling requirements, saving on capital costs and ongoing operating costs.
Vice President of Secure Power Systems, Schneider Electric, Pedro Robredo advises that the change brings benefits despite the higher initial costs, quote: “While the initial cost remains higher than comparable VRLA, the price gap has reduced significantly in the last few years. Based on the application, Li-ion solutions can offer a projected Total Cost of Ownership savings from 10 percent to 40 percent over their design life”.
Broad availability will be in the second half of 2016 with additional support for three-phase power systems being rolled out through 2017. Truly, Schneider Electric is a global specialist in energy management and automation as Li-ion Battery upgrade for VRLA batteries in three-phase uninterruptible power supplies (UPSs) are finally stepping into the 21st century!