Smart UPS 750 va - Green (Eco mode) Question

[Anonymous user]

Hello everyone,

I have a Smart UPS 750 Va (SMT750I) that, after almost 1 hour from power on, it goes in "Eco Mode" (I assume it is the same thing as "Green Mode"). The exact message i read on LCD is "Alim. Attiva ECO" (I am italian), and the UPS remain in this mode during normal operations (also for entire day till an eventual brownout).

I wanted to ask: is this situation normal or there can be a malfunction?

What means techically ECO mode? AVR works just the same in Eco Mode?

Many thanks in advance

Ps: Sorry for my imperfect english

[voidstar_apc · Accepted solution]

If the UPS determines you have high power quality within voltage tolerance, it bypasses the AVR for higher efficiency. If there is any electrical disturbance, the UPS will leave green/eco mode and use AVR or battery as necessary. So yes, it's normal.

[Anonymous user]

On 5/20/2018 6:32 AM, voidstar said:

If the UPS determines you have high power quality within voltage tolerance, it bypasses the AVR for higher efficiency. If there is any electrical disturbance, the UPS will leave green/eco mode and use AVR or battery as necessary. So yes, it's normal.

Hi Voidstar and thank you so much for the reply.

I thought "Eco Mode" was a mode that the Ups activates rarely for few minutes...   But I've understood that "Eco Mode" can remains activated for several hours, right?

Just a curiosity: in Eco Mode, while bypassing AVR and within voltage tolerance, the Ups provide the same to "clean" the power or the power that comes out from the electrical wall socket it's exactly the same in output?

Thank you, again, in advance

[voidstar_apc]

On 5/21/2018 5:20 PM, Mario said:

Hi Voidstar and thank you so much for the reply.

I thought "Eco Mode" was a mode that the Ups activates rarely for few minutes...   But I've understood that "Eco Mode" can remains activated for several hours, right?

Yes. The UPS is active whenever necessary. Whenever possible, the UPS goes to Eco/Green mode to improve efficiency.

On 5/21/2018 5:20 PM, Mario said:

Just a curiosity: in Eco Mode, while bypassing AVR and within voltage tolerance, the Ups provide the same to "clean" the power or the power that comes out from the electrical wall socket it's exactly the same in output?

Yes, when in Eco/Green mode, the input is exactly the same as the output. Keep in mind your UPS is "line-interactive" so the only time it makes its own clean power is when on battery. Otherwise the output is being fed from the input either directly (Eco/Green mode) or through the AVR boost/trim transformer.

[Anonymous user]

The growing financial and environmental costs associated with the energy use of data centers and industrial applications has given rise to an appropriate drive to improve the efficiency of data centre power and cooling systems. Efficiency improvements – reductions in PUE for data centres – can be accomplished at a number of levels in the data center:

• Overall system architecture

• Scalable, right-sized system design

• Better efficiency of individual devices

• Operational decisions Eco-mode is a benefit/risk decision here This paper will focus on a particular technique for improving the operating efficiency of a double-conversion UPS by operating it in eco-mode. Eco-mode is a method of operating the UPS at reduced power protection in order to obtain improved electrical efficiency and save energy and is marketed by vendors under a variety of names (see box, left). This paper will address the following subjects

• What is eco-mode, and how does it work?

• What efficiency gains are possible and expected?

• Loss of protection and reliability associated with eco-mode

• Operational considerations Eco-mode will save energy, although the amount saved is surprisingly small. In addition, the energy saved comes at some reduction in electrical protection and reliability. This penalty will vary depending on the design of the electrical architecture such as in a data center and on the UPS vendor’s specific design approach used in implementing eco-mode functionality. Some data center operators or plant owners will decide the energy savings are worth the risks and potential problems, and some will not. Eco-mode is very similar to the basic mode of operation used in an offline UPS where it is called “standby” or “line interactive” mode1 . In these traditionally smaller, single-phase UPSs, the inverter/rectifier circuits are “offline” or are not part of the normal power path. In normal operation, therefore, the load is exposed to essentially raw mains power from the Utility. This mode of operation is similar to what occurs with a double-conversion online UPS that is operating in traditional eco-mode. All large double-conversion online UPSs are equipped with a “static bypass” path, which provides multiple features including acting as a source of redundancy for the UPS power inverter.

[Anonymous user]

On 5/23/2018 1:31 AM, voidstar said:

Yes, when in Eco/Green mode, the input is exactly the same as the output. Keep in mind your UPS is "line-interactive" so the only time it makes its own clean power is when on battery. Otherwise the output is being fed from the input either directly (Eco/Green mode) or through the AVR boost/trim transformer.

Thanks again. I've found on the site of APC this Faq that says that in ECO mode no power protection is sacrificed:

"Do I sacrifice any protection by operating in ‘green’ mode?

Absolutely no power protection is sacrificed in ‘green’ mode. In this mode the UPS is providing surge and noise filtering and can react to any change in power that requires voltage regulation or inverter operation in a matter of milliseconds."

It seems that filtering noise is activated same on Eco Mode. So, it isn't a total bypass, right?

When Avr activates, should appear on my LCD or Avr activates only with a click and no message on display?

Does exist a way, if wanting necessary, to disable Eco mode from Lcd menù?

[Anonymous user]

On 5/23/2018 1:29 PM, Daniyal said:

• Operational considerations Eco-mode will save energy, although the amount saved is surprisingly small. In addition, the energy saved comes at some reduction in electrical protection and reliability. This penalty will vary depending on the design of the electrical architecture such as in a data center and on the UPS vendor’s specific design approach used in implementing eco-mode functionality. Some data center operators or plant owners will decide the energy savings are worth the risks and potential problems, and some will not. Eco-mode is very similar to the basic mode of operation used in an offline UPS where it is called “standby” or “line interactive” mode1 . In these traditionally smaller, single-phase UPSs, the inverter/rectifier circuits are “offline” or are not part of the normal power path. In normal operation, therefore, the load is exposed to essentially raw mains power from the Utility. This mode of operation is similar to what occurs with a double-conversion online UPS that is operating in traditional eco-mode. All large double-conversion online UPSs are equipped with a “static bypass” path, which provides multiple features including acting as a source of redundancy for the UPS power inverter.

Thanks for  the reply. 

But, if Eco-mode is "very similar to the basic mode of operation used in an offline UPS where it is called “standby” or “line interactive”", why it has been implemented in "Line interactive" models?

Reading your reply, it seems that Eco mode has more disadvantages in protection. Isn't the load protection the mainly purpose of the Ups itself?

[voidstar_apc]

On 5/25/2018 7:07 AM, Mario said:

But, if Eco-mode is "very similar to the basic mode of operation used in an offline UPS where it is called “standby” or “line interactive”", why it has been implemented in "Line interactive" models?

Daniyal is quoting White Paper #157:

http://www.apc.com/salestools/NRAN-8CU665/NRAN-8CU665_R3_EN.pdf

The white-paper focuses on online double-conversion UPS models which are less efficient than the line-interactive UPS you have and benefit more from eco-mode. In line-interactive UPSes, eco-mode avoids the AVR transformer which provides a small efficiency improvement.

Reading your reply, it seems that Eco mode has more disadvantages in protection. Isn't the load protection the mainly purpose of the Ups itself?

Indeed. APC designs the UPS to ensure eco-mode doesn't sacrifice protection, but if you're paying extra to get a double-conversion online UPS, saving energy might not be a top priority. Some of these customers measure downtime in millions of dollars.

On the other hand, others might buy them for greater power levels, greater ability to tolerate bad power without going to battery, or in the case of Symmetra, hot swappable components. For these customers saving more energy can be attractive.

It seems that filtering noise is activated same on Eco Mode. So, it isn't a total bypass, right?

There is surge-protection inline. And the UPS will switch away from eco-mode in the event of an electrical anomaly.

When Avr activates, should appear on my LCD or Avr activates only with a click and no message on display?

There should be an overvoltage/undervoltage warning.

Does exist a way, if wanting necessary, to disable Eco mode from Lcd menù?

Some UPSes have a configuration menu item for that and some don't. I don't believe yours does. You may be able to change it using a network management card.

[Anonymous user]

Hello. I have similar questions about SMT1500I ups. I don't need any filtering for my equipment and want real bypass operation mode. So, Eco mode and normal/AVR operation is filtering free, only simple surge protection, right? And "clean power with filtering" is applied to power failure when UPS is on battery?

From its specs: "Full time multi-pole noise filtering : 0.3% IEEE surge let-through : zero clamping response time : meets UL 1449"

On 5/23/2018 1:31 AM, voidstar said:

Yes, when in Eco/Green mode, the input is exactly the same as the output. Keep in mind your UPS is "line-interactive" so the only time it makes its own clean power is when on battery. Otherwise the output is being fed from the input either directly (Eco/Green mode) or through the AVR boost/trim transformer.