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Batteries are Cheap, Backup power is expensive

Dear Audiophiles,

To make a long story short I need to make sure my Internet devices stay on even when power is down for 24 hours, which on the South Carolina coast is realistic. 

I have an APC UPS 600VA which I though would do the job but it actually lasts less than 2 hours.  So I have been crunching the numbers and have really been surprised at how expensive an APC UPS is per minute of run time vs. modern battery based generators and DIY solutions. 

An APC UPS can be anywhere from $1.50 to $2.50 / minute of run time while an EcoFlow Delta for instance is around $0.50 to $0.75 / minute.  Not only is the EcoFlow cheaper but just has ten times better run times.  A single 1 kWh unit will keep my data closet running close to a full 24 hours.  I have too many devices in there which consume ~ 50 watts.  50 x 24 = 1,200 

I did in fact purchase a Delta 2 with back up battery for other reasons than the data closet, but when doing the research I also investigated DIY backup solutions and came across the idea of using a Renogy inverter/battery charger + 2x 12V LiFePO4 batteries.  It’s even cheaper than the Ecoflow but requires much more effort to set up.    I’ll do a full write-up on that soon. 

What have you done to back up your home devices?  

erik_squires
erik_squires OP
17,594 posts
 

Actually, the warmer it gets, the less efficient solar panels are. Optimal temperature is 77 degrees Fahrenheit. After that, they lose efficiency. If that's what you're talking about!

 

True, but the more decentralized our power delivery systems are the more resilient they are.   Having a lot of little power stations, including home units, is less likely to collapse during strain than having a few giant one's.  Less fossil fuel and nuclear reliance, plus more jobs.  

Still, I can't say solar is as cheap as I'd like it to be.  I keep hoping to see a massive jump in efficiency.  While batteries are hugely better than they were 10 years ago the solar cells are not. 

erik_squires OP
17,594 posts
 

"no internet, no music"? I feel sorry for you guys.

 

@fatdaddy2 OK, boomer. 

larsman's avatar
larsman
3,186 posts
 

No internet, no lots of other things besides music, too. But I can understand @fatdaddy2 's point, so I guess I rate an OK Boomer, too.... 

erik_squires OP
17,594 posts
 

@larsman  - All snide comments aside, many audiophiles care about battery back up systems for one reason or another.  Either in case of a power outage or as a way of getting cleaner and more stable power than they can get from the power lines. 

Whether that’s to run a turntable, streamer or SACD player power still matters.   There’s currently an active thread about buzzing while on audio power so clearly the topic is relevant to many here. 

The main reason for starting this thread was to point out just how incredibly expensive a UPS was for some of this.  Of course, it's not as expensiave as an F-150 truck, but still,  I was not aware until very recently how much better your average battery generator was or a DIY solution.  I think the DIY solution I'm doing is like 10x cheaper per minute of runtime than the average UPS.  

larsman's avatar
larsman
3,186 posts
 

@erik_squires - I know, I get your point, and it's a good one. 

As somebody who lives in an apartment and doesn't drive, to me 'UPS' is a delivery service and 'F-150' is some kind of fighter jet laugh 

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