Uninterruptible Power Supply

What a UPS actually does

Three jobs in one box:

• Battery backup on mains failure. When the mains drops, the UPS switches the load to its internal battery in under 10 milliseconds — fast enough that connected equipment doesn't see an outage. Run-time is finite (typically 5–30 minutes at typical CCTV / IT loads, longer on extended-battery models) — the UPS rides through short outages and gives you time for graceful shutdown on longer ones.
• Surge and brownout protection. Lightning strikes, switching transients on the local grid, and large appliances cycling on the same circuit can spike or sag the voltage. A UPS clips spikes and pushes through brief sags so the load sees clean power.
• Sustained voltage regulation (AVR). On line-interactive and online UPSs, automatic voltage regulation brings sustained low or high voltage back into spec without needing to draw battery. Useful in rural Australia where mains voltage can sit consistently above or below 230 V nominal.

How to size a UPS — the four decisions

1. Capacity — and why VA isn't the same as Watts

UPS capacity is rated in two units: VA (volt-amps, apparent power) and Watts (real power). They're related by power factor — modern electronics with PFC (power factor correction) typically run at PF 0.95–1.0, but older switching power supplies can run as low as PF 0.6, and the UPS has to handle both. Practically: care about Watts, not VA. Add up the wattage of every device you're plugging in, add 25% headroom, and choose a UPS with at least that Watt rating.

Concrete numbers: a typical 4–8 channel NVR + 8-port PoE switch + cable modem + router consumes around 100–300 W under normal recording load. A 16-channel NVR with multiple cameras on PoE can push 300–500 W. A small commercial install (32-channel NVR, multiple switches, network gear) often sits at 500–1,000 W. Add 25% headroom on top.

2. Run-time — what you actually need

How long does the UPS need to run the load? In urban Australia, mains outages are typically under 5 minutes — a small UPS riding through is enough. In rural areas, regional storms, or sites with grid issues, outages of 30–60 minutes happen and the UPS needs the battery capacity to match (or the load needs to shut down gracefully before the battery dies).

The trade-off is direct: more run-time = more battery = bigger, heavier, more expensive UPS. Most CCTV and small-IT installs are well-served by 5–15 minute run-time at full load. Extended-battery UPSs (additional battery packs daisy-chained) push run-time to 30–90+ minutes at the cost of cabinet space and price. Be honest about what you need before paying for what you don't.

3. Topology — standby, line-interactive, or online

• Standby (offline) — cheapest, basic surge protection plus battery switch on mains failure. Switch time around 5–10 ms. Fine for home NVR + modem at the value end. Typical models: APC Back-UPS, basic PowerShield.
• Line-interactive — the standard choice for most CCTV and small commercial installs. Adds AVR for sustained voltage regulation without needing battery. Switch time around 2–5 ms. The default recommendation for SMB sites. Typical models: APC Smart-UPS, Eaton 5P, PowerShield Defender.
• Online double-conversion — the load is always running off the inverter, fully isolated from mains. Zero switch time, complete isolation from mains-side issues, but cost roughly 2–3× a comparable line-interactive. The standard for enterprise data centres, medical, broadcast, and any site where any switch time is unacceptable. Typical models: Eaton 9PX, APC Symmetra, larger PowerShield Centurion.

4. Phase — almost always single

Single-phase (standard 230 V AU outlet) covers every CCTV and most IT installs. Three-phase UPSs are for large industrial, full-floor commercial, data-centre, and high-power industrial loads — if you don't know whether you need three-phase, you almost certainly don't.

What to plug into a UPS

Plug in:

• NVR or DVR (the recording is the critical load).
• Network switch — especially PoE switches powering cameras. Without the switch on UPS, the cameras lose power and the NVR has nothing to record.
• Modem and router (internet connectivity for remote access and ARC monitoring signalling).
• Recorder hard drives if external (most NVRs have internal HDDs that share UPS protection automatically).

Don't plug in:

• Laser printers and photocopiers — huge peak draws on warm-up can trip small UPSs.
• Space heaters, kettles, air conditioners — entirely too high power for a small CCTV UPS.
• Cameras directly — PoE cameras draw from the switch, which is already on the UPS. Separate dedicated camera UPSs are rarely needed.

Which UPS brand for your install

• APC — the global default. Broadest range from small Back-UPS to large Symmetra modular, best parts availability in Australia, broad installer familiarity. Default recommendation for most installs unless there's a specific reason to choose otherwise.
• Eaton — the enterprise / data-centre / medical default. Strong line-interactive (5P) through to online double-conversion (9PX) and three-phase (93PM). Pick Eaton when the install warrants it: medical-grade, telecoms, data-centre, or you have an existing Eaton-standardised estate.
• PowerShield — Australian-engineered with strong local support. Defender (standby), Centurion (online double-conversion), and rack-mount options. Pick PowerShield when local engineering support is important or you're standardising on an AU brand.
• Hikvision UPS — small UPS units bundled with Hikvision CCTV kits for matched warranty and one-purchase simplicity. See the kit collections with UPS bundles for these.

Battery replacement reality

UPS batteries are consumables, not lifetime components. Typical service life:

• Standby and small line-interactive — 3–5 years in normal Australian conditions, less in hot environments (servers rooms without cooling, sun-exposed wall mounts).
• Larger line-interactive and online double-conversion — 5–7 years on the larger sealed-lead-acid batteries; some lithium-battery UPSs (newer models) reach 8–10 years.

Most modern UPSs report battery state in the management app or via SNMP — they'll flag declining capacity before failure. Plan a 4-year replacement cycle for small UPSs, 6 years for larger units, and budget the battery cost into the install's lifecycle.

Is a UPS the right call for your install?

Yes when: the install records continuously (commercial premises, monitored security), the site has unreliable mains (rural, regional, storm-prone), the equipment must keep running through brief outages (NVR + monitoring), or you've got insurance requirements that mandate continuous recording.

No, or "not urgent" when: single-camera Wi-Fi installs with cloud backup (the Wi-Fi camera's microSD will resume after a brief outage anyway), well-served urban sites with very rare outages, or sites with no continuous-recording requirement.

Why buy from Security Cameras Australia

• Authorised Australian dealer — genuine UPS units with full manufacturer warranty across all brands.
• Expert sizing support — pre-purchase advice on capacity, run-time and topology against your actual load.
• Price-match guarantee — competitive pricing across the range.
• Free shipping — fast Australian delivery.
• 30-day returns — satisfaction guarantee on the standard range.

Shop the UPS range

Browse the full UPS range below, or jump to a brand collection — APC, Eaton, PowerShield. If you'd like a UPS sized against your specific load, talk to us — tell us what you're plugging in and the run-time you want, and we'll spec a unit and brand.