Previous in Forum: Pay Less for Electricity   Next in Forum: Induction Distance for Voltage
Close
Close
Close
6 comments
Rate Comments: Nested
Active Contributor

Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Pakistan
Posts: 10

UPS/Inverter

02/22/2012 11:13 AM

Dear all Is it possible that we use Ups instead of solar inverter?

Register to Reply
Interested in this topic? By joining CR4 you can "subscribe" to
this discussion and receive notification when new comments are added.
Guru
United States - Member - New Member Engineering Fields - Power Engineering - New Member

Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: California, USA, where the Godless live next door to God.
Posts: 4665
Good Answers: 804
#1

Re: UPS/INVERTER

02/22/2012 11:31 AM

Not if you intend to feed back into the grid. But a UPS may also have a narrower input voltage tolerance than an inverter used in solar arrays as well, so it would respond by shutting down earlier and staying off longer. That results in you not getting the full benefit of the expensive solar system you just installed.

__________________
** All I every really wanted to be, was... A LUMBERJACK!.**
Register to Reply
Guru

Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: by the beach in Florida
Posts: 33392
Good Answers: 1817
#2

Re: UPS/INVERTER

02/22/2012 11:32 AM

A UPS has a rectifier, unless your system is generating AC voltage, this would have to be bypassed...A UPS also contains an inverter and batteries for backup power, though most don't last very long...so you could with some modification but it wouldn't work very good, unless you had a big one...

UPS schematic diagram...

__________________
All living things seek to control their own destiny....this is the purpose of life
Register to Reply
Guru
Engineering Fields - Electrical Engineering - Been there, done that. Engineering Fields - Control Engineering - New Member

Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: Long Island NY
Posts: 15600
Good Answers: 981
#3

Re: UPS/INVERTER

02/22/2012 12:05 PM

As others have implied but not stated, it is possible to use a UPS instead of a solar inverter. However, to do this there will be limitations one must expect and modifications that must be done. Depending on the capabilities of the UPS and the skills of the re-designer, the UPS may become equivalent to a proper solar inverter. The modifications will cost considerably more than purchasing a proper solar inverter.

Since you do not know all of this already, you are not qualified to do these modifications.

__________________
"Don't disturb my circles." translation of Archimedes last words
Register to Reply
Active Contributor

Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Pakistan
Posts: 10
#4
In reply to #3

Re: UPS/INVERTER

02/22/2012 12:39 PM

Thanks Dear i have 1000 watt PV power off grid system but my inverter create a problem with tube light and my computer. When i use my ups instead of inverter they work properly, so that`s why i ask a this Q, now tell me i continue use of UPS or change the inverter. 2- what will be the other disadvantages use of UPS (efficiency, losses etc)

Register to Reply
Guru
New Zealand - Member - Kiwi Popular Science - Weaponology - New Member Engineering Fields - Power Engineering - New Member Engineering Fields - Electrical Engineering - New Member

Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Auckland, New Zealand
Posts: 8777
Good Answers: 376
#5
In reply to #4

Re: UPS/INVERTER

02/22/2012 1:32 PM

You don't indicate what the problem is, but why not just use both the inverter and the UPS?

However, if the inverter you are using is a cheap square-wave inverter rather than a cheap sine wave or true sine wave inverter then yes your computer and lights may flicker or possibly even be damaged! I have blown up a square wave inverter just by connecting it to a fluorescent light, those square wave inverters are only really designed for resistive loads like heaters, NOT sensitive electronic loads like computers.

If you have a square wave inverter then that is your problem and it needs to be replaced with a better inverter, also connecting a square wave inverter to a UPS (as I have mentioned above) is NOT recommended as it may damage or destroy the inverter, UPS or both.

__________________
jack of all trades
Register to Reply
Guru

Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: by the beach in Florida
Posts: 33392
Good Answers: 1817
#6
In reply to #4

Re: UPS/INVERTER

02/22/2012 2:59 PM

Undoubtedly this is the problem, you must use a pure sine-wave inverter for electronics, and most everything else...Wiki gives the full rundown...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inverter_(electrical)

__________________
All living things seek to control their own destiny....this is the purpose of life
Register to Reply
Register to Reply 6 comments
Copy to Clipboard

Users who posted comments:

jack of all trades (1); JRaef (1); masood (1); redfred (1); SolarEagle (2)

Previous in Forum: Pay Less for Electricity   Next in Forum: Induction Distance for Voltage

Advertisement