Rated output power
The effective output power of the UPS is, in fact, the maximum active power of the load that can be connected to the device.
Active power is consumed directly for the operation of the device; it is expressed in watts. In addition to it, most AC devices also consume reactive power, which is "wasted" (relatively speaking) is spent by coils and capacitors. Apparent power (denoted in volt-amperes) is precisely the sum of active and reactive power; it is this characteristic that should be used in accurate electrical calculations. See "Maximum output power" for details; here we note that when selecting a UPS for a relatively simple application, it is quite possible to use only effective power. This is at least easier than converting the watts claimed in the characteristics of the connected devices into full power volt-amps.
The most modest modern "uninterruptibles" give out
less than 500 watts.
501 – 1000 W can be considered an average value,
1.1 – 2 kW is above average, and in the most powerful models this figure
exceeds 2 kW and can reach very impressive values (up to 1000 kW or more in some industrial class UPS).
USB-C for charging
The number of symmetrical
USB C ports in the UPS design, which are used for charging gadgets. Often, UPSs with such an interface are equipped with one USB C output, less often - two.
DC output
The presence of
a DC connector (or several such outputs) in the device for powering external devices with direct current. A standard DC jack is round in shape and has a pin in the center. However, its dimensions may differ in depth and diameter. The voltages output to the DC output may vary.
PoE output (LAN)
Availability of a LAN connector in the UPS with support for
PoE (Power over Ethernet) power supply. This technology allows energy to be transmitted via an Ethernet cable to power network devices. It is possible to power such devices directly from the UPS, which ensures equipment backup in case of power supply interruptions. Such devices include IP video surveillance cameras, access points, various sensors, etc.
Total battery capacity
The capacity of the battery installed in the UPS. For models with multiple batteries, this is both the total working capacity and the capacity of each individual battery: the batteries in such devices are usually connected in series, so that their total capacity corresponds to the capacity of each individual cell.
Theoretically, a higher battery capacity means the ability to power loads of a given capacity for longer. However, in fact, this parameter is more of a reference than practically significant. The fact is that the actual amount of energy stored by the battery depends not only on the capacity in amp-hours, but also on the voltage in volts; this voltage is often not specified in the characteristics, despite the fact that for accurate calculations it must be known. So when choosing, you should focus on more "close to life" characteristics — first of all, on the directly claimed operating time in different modes (see above).
