UPS power consumption

[kalmquist]

Uninterruptible power supply manufacturers generally don't like to reveal the power consumption of their products. Since UPS devices are generally plugged in 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, even a small power draw can add up over time.

I have discovered that to get Energy Star certification for a UPS, the manufacturer has to submit a "Power and Performance Data Sheet" to the U.S. government, which in turn posts the information on the web at https://www.energystar.gov/productfinder/product/certified-uninterruptible-power-supplies/results.

Below I list the power consumption for some low end UPS products when the system is not under load. As you can see, the values generally fall into the 2 to 5 watt range. This list only includes products which were efficient enough to qualify for Energy Star certification, so you shouldn't assume that any low end UPS will have similar numbers.

200W APC BE350G - $44 - 1.93W
300W APC BK500BLK - $114 - 2.18W
330W APC BE550G - $57 - 2.52W
360W APC BN600G - $68 - 2.43W
390W APC BE650G1 - $68 - 2.39W
420W APC BR700G - $103 - 4.01W
450W APC BE750G - $90 - 3.33W
600W APC BR1000G - $123 - 5.13W

255W CyberPower EC350G - $45 - 3.34W
255W CyberPower CP350GSLG - $40 - 3.92W
255W CyberPower CP425SLG - $45 - 5.2W
330W CyberPower EC550G - $69 - 3.22W
330W CyberPower EC550SLG - $52 - 4.4W
340W CyberPower CP600LCD - $65 - 2.8W
390W CyberPower EC650LCD - $68 - 3.38W
390W CyberPower CP685AVR-G - $68 - 2.4W
420W CyberPower CP750LCD - $77 - 5.2W
450W CyberPower AVRG750U - $81 - 4.82W
450W CyberPower CP825LCD - $79 - 2.8W
450W CyberPower CP825AVRLCD - $94 - 2.8W
510W CyberPower CP850AVRLCD - $105 - 4.0W
600W CyberPower CP1000AVRLCD - $110 - 2.94W

325W Tripp-Lite ECO650LCD - $74 - 4.14W

 

[frowertr]

What are those figures in dollars from? Those don't match up with the energy consumption listed if we assume a .13kWh rate.

For example, a 2W energy consumption 24/7/365 would cost about $2.20 a year to operate.

 

[XavierMace]

I do believe those dollar amounts are just random numbers pressed on the keyboard as they don't correlate at all regardless what kWh rate you use. $123 for 5.13W, $77 for 5.2W, $94 for 2.8W.

 

[Gunbuster]

I'm sure those numbers are in the same range of accuracy as what VW submitted to the EPA for diesels. I mean one guy got an energy star listing for a gasoline powered alarm clock...

 

[Viper GTS]

Dollar values look like approximate street pricing, and a quick highlight & google suggests that is correct.

Viper GTS

 

[kalmquist]

Viper GTS is right; the dollar figures are prices on Newegg. You can estimate the total cost of a UPS by adding the purchase price to the cost of the electricity.