While traditional Valve-Regulated Lead Acid (VRLA) batteries have for a long time been the preferred choice for use in uninterruptible power supplies for data centre, offering a better trade off between price, energy density, power, safety, and reliability, decreasing costs now mean that Lithium-ion alternatives could, in fact, provide greater benefits over a system’s lifetime.
Driven by a growing interest in the development of electric cars, Li-ion batteries are quickly becoming available in formats specifically designed for use in uninterruptible power supply (UPS) systems in data centres.
Despite a greater capital cost and strict transportation regulations, Li-ion requires much less frequent replacement and therefore reduces the risk of downtime. The technology is also much lighter than VRLA, and can achieve up to ten times more discharge cycles.