Questions about battery backup

It stores energy the way a lithium-ion battery does, by moving ions between two electrodes, but the moving ion is sodium instead of lithium. Sodium is abundant, and these cells do not need cobalt or nickel. For backup power the practical points are a sealed battery with no water top-ups, a wide working temperature range and a long cycle life.

For most backup jobs, yes on running cost and effort: no water top-ups, no acid handling, far more charge cycles and less weight for the same usable energy. Lead-acid still costs less to buy, so for a rarely used backup with a small load it can be the sensible choice. Our sizing call covers both.

They suit different jobs. Lithium iron phosphate packs store more energy in less space and have a longer track record. Sodium-ion packs are heavier and bulkier for the same energy, but are designed to tolerate a wider temperature range and avoid lithium supply issues. If space is tight, lithium usually wins; if the room gets very hot or very cold, sodium-ion is worth a look.

Divide the usable battery energy (kWh) by your load (kW). A battery with 5 kWh usable running a 0.5 kW load lasts about 10 hours, a little less after inverter losses. Use the sizing calculator to add up your own loads.

An inverter air conditioner can run from a correctly sized system; its compressor starts gently, so the surge is modest. A non-inverter air conditioner or a pump draws a much larger surge when it starts, so the inverter has to be sized for that peak, not just the running figure. We check the nameplate before we quote.

Yes, if the system has a solar charge input (many all-in-one units do). We size the inverter and wiring for the panels you plan to add, so adding them later means panels and mounting only.

There is no water to top up and no acid to handle. We still recommend a yearly visit to check connections, ventilation, the software version and the battery's reported health.

Install location, clearances and ventilation follow the manufacturer's instructions for the exact unit. Some chemistries, including sodium-ion, are described by their makers as non-flammable; we still treat every battery as stored energy, and we do not mount one where the maker's instructions say not to.

Warranty terms depend on the make and model supplied and are stated in your written quote, including what counts as covered (years, cycles or energy throughput) and how a claim is handled.

The price depends on the size, the make, the wiring and the site. We give a written quote after a load check, with the make and model, the usable capacity and the warranty listed, so two quotes can be compared fairly.

Yes. We survey, size, install, commission and support the system, and we label the circuits and hand over a one-page guide so anyone at your site knows what to do in a power cut.

Nationwide (India) and the GCC. Tell us your city when you enquire and we confirm how the survey and installation will be handled.

Sometimes. We check what you have: its age, its capacity and whether the inverter suits the new battery. If it does not, we say so and show the cost of replacing only the part that needs replacing.