The Ideal Battery for Backup: Nickel-zinc battery technology improves TCO, safety and sustainability in data centers

Nickel-zinc (NiZn) is the world’s only high-power, fail-safe, fully recyclable battery technology which makes it an ideal choice for uninterruptible power supply (UPS) battery backup. Key attributes to consider with any battery chemistry utilized in UPS applications include power density, safety, reliability, sustainability and total cost of ownership (TCO). NiZn batteries are high power density batteries with rapid charge/discharge capabilities across a wide temperature range without the threat of thermal runaway. Their high-power density significantly reduces battery footprint and weight for any given class of backup, compared to common lead-acid solutions. NiZn batteries achieve greater than 10-year operating life with minimal maintenance requirements, contributing to a low TCO relative to short-lived lead-acid batteries with high annual maintenance costs. In fact, NiZn batteries have proven reliability, with tens of millions of operating hours for UPS backup power in challenging outdoor, mission-critical applications. Sustainability and safety are also priorities for data center design and operation, and NiZn technology is manufactured with non-hazardous, widely available materials that are easily recycled, making it less hazardous for the workforce and the environment. As a result of these attributes, UPS solutions using NiZn batteries are a better choice than lithium-ion batteries to replace older lead-acid batteries, and thereby optimize performance, TCO, safety and sustainability.