New Award-winning Technology Maintains Home Connectivity During Power Blackouts

The notion that people can use technology in a simple way to manage their comfort, connectivity, and safety at home is gaining rapid acceptance. New smart technology innovation in home automation is now providing homeowners with much more personalized control over their physical environments. The popularity of these technologies has helped accelerate the number of smart devices in homes. According to Memoori, a smart building research firm, the numbers are projected to grow to 1.8 billion devices in 2019, a 13x increase over 2014.[1]

One category of these smart devices is power management, conditioning and backup equipment. Commonly known as uninterruptible power supplies (UPS), these devices contain software and powerful batteries that take over when the electricity to the home is cut off. Unpredictable events, like storms, unstable utility power, and nearby construction projects (where power lines can inadvertently get cut) all lead to power outages. For homeowners or individuals who work out of their homes, a steady and stable supply of power is a must, and therefore, appropriate power back-up and surge protection solutions deliver “Certainty in a Connected World” and ensure that lines of communication remain open when the unexpected happens.

Electronic House is a magazine and web site that has been providing readers with “connected home” information for more than 20 years. As a leading information site for people passionate about smart home technology innovation, Electronic House scours the industry for smart home products, evaluates them and then issues an annual award to the best of those products.

This year’s winner of the Best Home Automation Systems of 2017 award in the Power Management, Conditioning & Backup category is the APC by Schneider Electric Back-UPS BE850M2. This device is designed to power and protect critical home electronics such as computers and networking devices during prolonged power outages.

What did the judges like about the Back-UPS solution? Below are a few points they highlighted when justifying their decision for granting the award:

• Extended runtime – The Back-UPS powers wireless home and small business networking equipment for up to six hours after safely shutting down, via PowerChute Personal Edition software, connected PCs and other high-powered devices. Therefore, when utility power is out, devices attached to the Back-UPS continue to run, allowing the occupant of the home to still check email, stream movies and TV shows, make phone/video calls and maintain home automation and security systems.
• Versatility – The system provides battery backup and surge protected outlets and conveniently-located USB charging ports to ensure emergency power for any device, including smartphones and tablets. That means more convenience and connectivity security when the power goes out.
• Mobility – The Back-UPS BE850M2 is smaller and lighter in design than previous models, and can be easily relocated and positioned in nearly any environment. This innovation is critical for homeowners who want to protect numerous devices in various locations throughout the home.
• Modest price point – The price of the solution is very affordable. For the value received in return, this UPS represents a sound investment, particularly for individuals who use devices such as laptop computers to support job-related activities.

APC by Schneider Electric home products have developed a reputation over the years for quality and reliability. The Back-UPS BE850M2, for instance, comes with a 3-year return or replace warranty. The products are built to last long. Back-up power protection is not just an appliance for the home, but it has also now evolved as a piece of the essential infrastructure of a smart home. To learn more about how the Back-UPS BE850M2 can help to power your connected home, click here.

[1] Memoori, “The Internet of Things in Smart Buildings 2014 to 2020”, Oct 2014