I recently stated out loud that my homelab was stable, and now my UPS is posting less than 30 minutes of estimated normal load. What’s everyone using as a UPS?

I’ve been rocking the aptly-named CyberPower OR1500LCDRT2U for the past few years. Should I just replace the cells or upgrade the whole unit?

  • @litchraleeEnglish
    2•6 months ago

    I second this idea, if it’s feasible. As noted elsewhere in this thread, the lead-acid batteries in UPS units have a limited lifespan, even if not regularly drained. Solar and off-grid enthusiasts have determined that parity between overall lifetime cost of lead-acid versus lithium batteries was reached years ago, and now it’s firmly in lithium’s favor, mostly due to the greater number of recharge cycles.

    Contraindications for lithium batteries would include:

    • high local costs for lithium battery packs
    • lack of space for the hybrid inverter, as they’re usually not rack-mountable
    • the homelab drops below 0 C (32 F), in the specific case of LiFePO4 cells

    That said, breathing life into old equipment is usually more environmentally friendly than acquiring new equipment.