Lithium-Ion Batteries Answer Challenges at the Edge with APC

What does sustainability mean to you? Do you act and function in ways that can be easily maintained at a manageable level? Why would one want to engage with sustainability or attempt more sustainable practices? Well, exerting a lot of energy to complete task after task can do just that: Use up a lot of energy. 

Humans have spent quite a long time consuming the limited resources available on the planet. This is something we've  known about. Not only that, the modern machines and devices we use require way more energy than most of us can even fathom. Millions of residential homes, commercial buildings and public infrastructure contain multiple battery-powered devices that are depended on to be not only powered on, but also well-functioning. So businesses rely on power distribution units and/or uninterrupted power supplies to attempt to streamline such intense energy usage, giving customers the pristine digital experience they demand. 

UPS Challenges

While these units chug along at their maximum potential, long-term UPS challenges understandably arise at the edge. Frequent battery replacements, for example, must be made due to high temperature battery degradation. Many do not consider the impact of how batteries power our technology, unique companies do and always have. APC by Schneider Electric continues to address the sustainability of battery technology and improve education about the very topic.

Accordingly, they recommend comparing battery types thoroughly before making decisions about a power solution. In an article published this year, Senior Research Analyst Wendy Torrell from Schneider Electric’s Data Center Science Center provides clarity about the total environmental impact between lithium-ion vs. valve-regulated lead-acid (VRLA) battery types. 

After comparing in detail topics such as supply chain, operation and end of life, she determines that li-ion batteries have a lower environmental impact than their counterpart, making them the more sustainable option for data center decision makers and other IT professionals.

Additionally, the advent of lithium ion batteries has answered to challenges at the edge. The APC Smart-UPS Ultra is one of Schneider Electric's most recent products that demonstrates the benefits of li-ion batteries against traditional VRLA batteries.

• Greater Performance
  • Lithium-ion offers 3x the battery life vs. VRLA batteries
• Longer Lifecycle 
  • Results in lower maintenance costs with replacing VRLA batteries
• Less Overall Degradation 
• Lighter Weight
  • Easier to install, requiring less personnel