Using battery power to go off the City's power grid

Some of you could skip over all of the hassle of setting up separate components of batteries and inverters by simply purchasing UPS' which contain both of these components all in one package. Many models include metering too. Here's the thing about UPS' - there are typically two types; standard (or line interactive), and double-conversion. A standard UPS only transfers power to batteries when a power outage is experienced. In this situation, one specification to note is transfer time. That is the time it takes for a standard UPS to switch from utility power, to battery power. Sometimes that time can be 10 milliseconds, or higher. In a typical broadcast application (I'm a former Radio Broadcast Engineer), I used UPS' in many broadcast situations to momentarily supply power to broadcast gear, until a generator kicked in (after the loss of utility power) and took over. Sometimes this 10 millisecond (ms) transfer time was not quick enough, so many pieces of electronic microprocessor based equipment would lock up. What a pain. I then began using double-conversion type UPS'. This is a type of UPS that is *always* on battery power, with no transfer time. It sounds like with all of the batteries and inverters you're setting up, you're in a way creating a double-conversion UPS. Lead-acid batteries were the norm with UPS', but now many are utilizing Lithium Ion batteries. Here's an example of a double-conversion UPS:

UPS' come in a wide range of volt-amp outputs (easily converted to watts via website volt-amps to watts calculators). Another added plus of a double-conversion UPS is since it's always on line, it protects your equipment during momentary (and longer) utility power outages. All of my home audio equipment (TV's too) has been on a double-conversion UPS for years now. A word of caution though if you go searching for a double-conversion UPS; make sure to read the fine print. Some manufacturers use different terms for double-conversion. Key words being - no transfer time. 

@jollygreenaudiophile2 mentioned a flywheel type system. Just in case some of you wanted to take a look at this type of energy storage system, here's one that I'm aware of (BTW, you can click on the link on the right hand side for a tutorial):

https://vyconenergy.com/products/ups/vdc-products/

I believe these are mainly used in data centers (and other broadcast applications) to cover the building load, while a generator is ramping up to full voltage, which will then take over the building load. I've never used one, or been part of a facility that had one, but it looks like they can take the place of many UPS'.

When you're really serious about power quality:

Fluke 43B/003 Power Quality Analyzer

Even though this model is now discontinued, you can still find them used on ebay. This unit will display the 60 Hz waveform (in addition to many other things), AND, give you a THD figure. With this meter (I've had one in the past), you might be surprised to find out that your home/apartment/condo utilityAC power is cleaner than you think it is. As many of you are already aware, AC line THD is a good indication of how clean your power is. 

Here's another picture of the Fluke 43B:

Fluke 43B

ricevs,

Here's a perspective on how stupid audio expenditures can be.  Is $2K a trivial amount of money for an audio item that you cannot try before you buy?  NO.  If you buy it after your own listening for a week when you are working with a reputable local dealer, and you like the improvement in the sound, then it is worth every penny, even if you spent $10K.  

But $1K buys a medium intensity PEMF (pulsed electromagnetic field) unit which can be used for numerous health problems.  $10K buys a powerful PEMF unit which can heal major neurological diseases like Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, chronic fatigue, cardiac disease, prostate enlargement and others for which mainstream medicine merely uses drugs and invasive procedures.  Since I know you are interested in alternative health methods, I think you will be interested in this.  Read the writings of Dr. William Pawluk, a major expert in this field.  Look at his site drpawluk (dot) com.  

Wanna be happy?  That comes from achieving the best health and well being possible, which is much more valuable than fleeting audiophile satisfaction.  Most sane people who have good but not perfect health are happy, but many audiophiles who are seeking perfection are never happy.  You can have both, and it is necessary to have a perspective on what is really important so you can justify whatever money you spend on both pursuits.