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Frequently
Asked Questions
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| Table
of Content |
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Solar
Energy System |
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UPS
(Uninterruptible Power System) |
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| What
is a solar energy system? |
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Exposed
to sunlight, some semiconducting materials
can emit electrons. Solar energy systems use photovoltaic panels (PV modules)
to convert light energy to electricity. This electricity can then be used to
provide power for homes and businesses.
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| What
components make a solar system? |
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There
are different varieties of solar systems. Powercom solar systems
consist of a PV panel array, inverter, and battery group, charger,
logger (containing system operation data), and monitor software.
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| Will
a solar system operate when the utility has an outage? |
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Normally solar systems
stop producing power when the electric grid is down and resume automatically
when the grid comes back up. If a solar system has batteries, battery backup
will be available during a power outage.
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| Does
a solar system use software? |
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With
the software, the status of your solar system can be monitored via
computer or mobile phone. However, you may choose to not use software
if that isn't your cup of tea.
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| Can
I add a solar system to my house? |
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Yes.
In fact, you're encouraged to do so. There are a number of state
and federal financing incentives that offer sizable rebates and
credits to those who go solar. Solar systems have also been shown
to significantly improve property value.
The most effective systems are on homes with a south-facing roof and
no shade from other buildings or trees. East and west orientations also provide
significant solar energy. If roof space is limited or shaded, ground mounts offer
an excellent alternative.
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| Should
I worry about roof safety with solar system? |
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Professional
installers have been installing solar panels for 30 years.
They can prepare plans to ensure that PV will have no negative impact
on your home's ability to withstand adverse weather and that
the solar system will be as resilient as the rest of your home. You
would ideally replace your shingles before you put in solar panel
mounts, although this is not absolutely necessary.
Also, your insurance companies will be obligated to insure your
system, just as they insure the rest of your household items.
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| Can
I install a solar system myself? |
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DIY
is very attractive option for many people. However solar systems
are very sophisticated. Experience shows that most problems with
solar systems are the result of poor installation. Hiring a
professional contractor experienced with solar technology will
help you avoid these problems.
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| What
is the lifetime of a solar system? |
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PV
panels can last about 30 years if they are installed and maintained properly.
However, after 10 years, the power output will drop to 90%, and 80% after 25 years.
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| How
much does a solar system cost? |
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The
total cost includes the solar system components and installation.
The cost of the solar components depends primarily on the size
and rating of the system. For details, please contact our sales
representatives.
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| Should
solar panels be cleaned periodically? |
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Normally,
rain is sufficient to clean the panels. However, if the panels are
located in an especially dusty area, spraying them with a hose
while cool will keep them in good condition.
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| Why
do I need a UPS (uninterruptible power supply)? |
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If
you need optimum performance and longevity from your electronic
equipment and if you need a reliable short-term backup power
source in the event of a blackout, then you need a UPS to protect
your equipment.
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| What
is a "Smart" UPS? |
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The
real meaning of “smart” UPS is one, which has a built-in
microprocessor and an RS-232 interface port. In addition to
automatic shutdown capability, a "Smart" UPS is able
to monitor more operating parameters, such as: Input & Output
Voltage and frequency, Load Level, Battery level, and more.
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| How
do I determine what size UPS to get? |
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UPSs
are sized by their volt-amp (VA) load. To calculate the VA load
of your system check the UL label for the operating voltage
and amperage drawn. Add the amperages of each component to be
powered by the UPS and multiply the number by the voltage (120V
for US applications). This number is your VA load and the minimum
size required. It is good idea to size your UPS at least 30%
larger than the minimum VA load to leave room for future needs.
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| Should
I put a UPS at each workstation? |
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Yes,
it is a good idea because this is where the most recent work
is being done, and this data is most vulnerable to loss or corruption
in the event of power outage.
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| Is
there any equipment I should not connect to my UPS? |
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In
general, you shouldn't connect a laser printer to your UPS because
a laser printer draws a tremendous amount of power and will
likely overload your UPS and cause the UPS fuse to blow. Most
of the office equipment, such as computers, monitors, fax machines,
and networking equipment, should work fine with most UPSs. Do
bear in mind that larger size monitors consume much more power
than smaller monitors and will likely reduce battery runtime
significantly. Also you should not connect a surge suppressor
at the output of UPS, in case the surge suppressor creates a
short circuit and damages your UPS.
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| Why
do I need UPSMON (the power monitoring and automatic shutdown
software)? |
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During
a power interruption, a decision must be made when and if
to gracefully shutdown the computer system. On a computer
system that always has someone within earshot and eyeshot,
this is usually done manually – when the UPS kicks on during
a power failure, the administrator decides whether to ride
it out on battery power or to save files and close programs.
However, on an unattended computer system, nobody is around
to make that decision. In that case, during a power failure,
the UPS will kick on and run the computer system, but only
until its battery is depleted. Therefore, it is important
to have automatic shutdown software that will safely shut
down the computer system after a pre-configured time period
of when the computer receives a low battery signal from the
UPS. UPS monitoring and automatic shutdown software also can
broadcast power fail messages to network workstations, keep
an historical log of abnormal power conditions, and alert
the system to page the administrator.
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| How
does my UPS conflict with other devices? |
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If
your mouse uses COM1 and your UPS uses COM2, the default hardware
interrupt (IRQ) settings for COM1 and COM2 are IRQ4 and IRQ3
respectively. If your modem on COM3 is also using IRQ3 there
will be a conflict with the UPS on COM2. Since serial devices
can not share a communication port or its hardware interrupt,
the interrupt for the modem must be altered. Check with the
modem manual to find out how to change the IRQ setting. Suggested
IRQ includes 5 and 10. If these two IRQs are not free in your
system, you can use IRQ7 since LPT1 is capable of sharing it.
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| The
charge light (Yellow) on my King Office UPS is always illuminated.
Is this unit bad? |
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The
charging light indicator is normally illuminated on the King
Office Models (KOF-280, KOF-300S, KOF-500S).
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| I
plugged the UPS into wall outlet, but there is no power from
the UPS. Why? |
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You
have not turned your UPS on. The power switch on King
Office Series UPS have button switch located on the top of the
unit and labeled "on/test". To turn the UPS on, depress the
button and hold it down until the green LED light " Line OK"
turns on and stay on. When the unit is activated, it performs
a self test for short period of time. During this process, the
Line OK light will turn off momentarily and the Backup LED will
turn on. After approximately 2 seconds, the Backup LED turns
off and the LINE OK LED will turn on and remain steady on.
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| What
should I do with my non working UPS. The company I bought the
unit from is closed? |
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You
can call the RMA Department at Powercom at (714)526-5888 to
obtain an RMA number. You need to provide the technician information
regarding your device and a copy of the invoice.
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