islandbayy
Active Member
If you use the Powerwall as a power backup solution, you have to contend with the fact that it does indeed deliver backup power ... Starting about 5-10 seconds after the power goes out. So for certain things that you'd rather not have any power interruption for (like your computer, maybe your network gear), you need a UPS.
The problem with existing UPS is that their lead acid batteries last about 4 years. At which point you've got an expensive and messy upgrade procedure. And the UPS is designed to bridge far more than 20 seconds of downtime. Since lead acid batteries don't deal with rapid deep cycling week, you have to get a reasonably sized one.
So, my thought was, I wonder if there is a market for a super capacitor UPS? IF you could build it out of components that would last 20 years, you could build a fairly small and light unit since it would only need to bridge a 20 seconds power gap in a Powerwall (or any generator) household. Thoughts?
FYI, depends on the UPS for lead acid batteries. The batteries in my APC BackUPS 1500 are 11 years old, and powered my powerful desktop computer and monitor + a lamp for 13 minutes during a power outtage a week ago Friday until I could close all open apps and save the video content I was editing (That is what took so long, saving a 80 gig file..... After shutdown, still powered my LED lamp for another hour before it shut off. At that point, I ran a extension cord to my Model S, and used a 600 watt inverter on the 12v terminals under the nose cone to power my living room lamp, tv, for another couple hours to watch netflix until we went to bed.
Cheap batteries dont last long, quality batteries last a very long time. I still have my old 1991 Alfa Romeo 164's starting battery, the original factory installed one, from 1991. I dont use it in a car any more, but I use it to start a 1/4 scale diesel locomotive. still holds at 12.9v Give lead acid more credit, they are very resilient if treated properly.
Why get a super capacitor UPS? I'd say a lithium one would be good. I was thinking of testing a 12v Lithium vehicle battery in place of the lead acids when my current batteries bite the dust.
If charged to a decent SOC, so over--build the capacity in terms of amp hours, but then charge the cells to a lower SOC, they will last a insanely long time. So keep the SOC to about 50-70%, and those cells in standby would last 20+ years. Thats what I did with my first laptop. Those cells are now 17 years old, and as of 2 weeks ago, still had about 90% of the original capacity, and that was 1998 technology. Things have improved since then!