GENERATORS

FACTORS TO CONSIDER

There are several factors to keep in mind when buying a generator. Will it be a prime or a standby generator? Single or a three phase? What size do you need - kW and kVA? It is always best to get a certified electrician to asses your power needs. However, there are a few key factors to consider.

HOW TO DECIDE

• 1What needs to be powered?
• 2What is the starting and running wattage? - This can be seen in the manual or on the appliances' identification plates
• 3Calculate the total power requirement by adding the total running wattage to the total starting wattage.

• 4What are the noise levels? Suburban areas have noise ordinance which can impact generator use - be sure to check this before ordering.
• 5Fuel efficiency and run time of the generator.

DIESEL GENERATOR PROS

• Fuel efficient
• Last longer than petrol generators
• No ignition switch
• Can use bio-diesel

PETROL GENERATOR PROS

• Less expensive than a diesel generator
• Wide selection of generators
• Less CO2 emissions

INVERTERS

Inverters convert direct current (DC) to alternating current (AC) which is the form of power that commercial businesses and domestic households use. Inverters are used to convert DC from a battery to AC which can then be used to power household electronics. This is useful for keeping the lights on when there is no power.

Inverters are around 95% efficient in converting DC to AC. In comparison, laptop adapters are 20% less efficient at converting DC to AC

POWER BANKS

Power banks have become very popular as an on-the-move battery charging device. A power bank is an encased, external battery with a circuit board and USB connections that allow other devices to be connected.

There are three broad varieties of power banks: economy, business and special, all of which vary in battery size, economy being the lowest and special the highest.

A power bank is measured in mAh or milliampere hours. This describes how much energy the power bank holds.

You can calculate how many times a power bank can charge your phone by the following formula:

Power bank (mAh) x 0.72

phone battery (mAh)

Where 0.72 is the efficiency of charging a battery.
If you have a phone Battery of 1500mAh and a power bank of 10000mAh, the power bank can charge the phone 5 times before needing to be recharged.

UPS

UPS stands for uninterrupted power supply, which allows power to be provided when the mains go off. A UPS can prevent computers from shutting down suddenly.

UPS devices can be as small as a notebook or as large as a room

Depending on the size, a UPS can provide power for minutes or for hours.

To find out the VA(volt-amperes)/size of the UPS that you need, check the wattage of the power supply unit (PSU) on your computer and multiply it by 1.6. This gives you the VA (size) of the UPS needed.

GUIDELINE FOR SELECTING A UPS

• 1SOCKETS - The number of devices that need to run. Figure out what is important and then add one or two extra in case something is forgotten
• 2POWER - How much power do the devices need? You need to know how much wattage each device needs to remain operational. This can be done either with a multi-meter or by checking the labels/specs of the device.

• 3DURATION - How long does the UPS need to run? Hours or minutes?
• 4WARRANTY - Also check what warranty the UPS has to offer as a default. If damage does occur, it can save you money in the long run.