GLOSSARY
- Ampere: (Amp) The Si UNIT of electric current. It is defined in terms of force that exists between two wires, each carrying a current of 1 ampere.
- Blackouts: Complete loss of power. Usually caused by faults on the utility power system.
- Boosting: Increasing the voltage when the line voltage is too low.
- Brownouts (or Sags): Periods of time where there are decreases in the amount of voltage coming through a power line.
- Bucking: Reducing the voltage when the line voltage rises too high.
- Current: A movement of electrons through a conductor in the same direction (direct current) or reversing at a particular frequency (alternating current).
- DC (direct current): A continuous flow of electrons through a conductor in the same direction
- Ohm: The Si unit of electrical resistance. A conductor has resistance of 1 ohm if a potential difference of 1 volt applied across it produces a current of 1ampere.
- On-Line Interactive UPS: An on-line interactive UPS constantly provides power from its own inverter, even when the power line is functioning properly.
- Spike: A very strong surge of power, often caused by lightning strikes.
- Standby UPS: A Standby UPS monitors the power line and switches to battery power as soon as it detects a problem.
- Surge: A brief increase in voltage coming through a power line.
- Volt-amperes (VA): Volt-Ampere, or Watt, is the unit used to quantify power.
- Watt: The Si unit of power, equal to the expenditure of 1 joule of energy in 1 second.
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