The provisioning of back-up power systems or uninterruptible power supplies (UPS) is often a "last line of defense" for Facility, Maintenance, or Operations Managers to ensure business continuity. Oftentimes, these systems are installed and placed "on-line" without much thought or consideration placed on the fact that most system options include battery systems as the primary means for storage of electrical energy. Because of the growth of communications systems, electronic commerce opportunities, and an "information on demand" culture, more and more UPS systems, and therefore stationary batteries have been deployed in ever increasing numbers by a wide variety of organizations. This increasing population of batteries has created a tremendous need for effective training, methods and tools to ensure that battery performance, and thereby system performance meets the designed requirements. This growth, as well as the introduction of a wide number of variables (including environmental fluctuations, application variations, and design inconsistencies), has generated a demand for more advanced, effective and efficient approaches to ensure continued reliability from stationary batteries. Most organizations that rely on stationary batteries for back-up power recognize that proper consistent, and effective testing or monitoring of the stationary batteries within the systems (including detailed testing to the individual battery cell level) is essential for effective system cost management and power assurance. As a result of this, battery testing has become a necessary element of a power maintenance regime. In the past, this routine has included regular battery discharge (also known as load or rundown) testing. This testing, while quite conclusive in terms of evaluating the battery systems' ability to deliver its designed power at that given moment, can be somewhat impractical for modern operations given the logistics, time and resources required (not to mention the expertise and safety precautions). To address these weaknesses, electronic test technology (with roots and a proven history back to the 1970s) has been enhanced with cutting edge electronics to offer an effective alternative to the burdensome qualities of battery discharge testing. A leader among this electronic technology has been the measurement of electrical conductance to determine the battery's ability to deliver power.
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