Inverter
Also known as: home inverter, battery inverter
A battery-backed power device that provides longer-duration backup for household lights, fans, and small appliances during a power cut, common in Indian homes.
An inverter is a household backup power system widely used in India and other regions with frequent grid outages. It converts the DC current from a connected battery (or bank of batteries) into AC current suitable for household lighting, fans, televisions, and small appliances. When the mains power fails, the inverter switches over and runs the connected circuits for hours rather than minutes.
Inverter capacity is rated in VA (volt-amperes) — common home units range from 600VA to 2000VA. Backup duration depends on the battery capacity (Ah rating) and the connected load. A 150Ah lead-acid battery powering a 600VA load typically runs essential lighting and fans for 4-8 hours.
Inverters differ from UPS units in two ways: the switchover takes 10-50 milliseconds (visible as a blink — fine for a fan, not for a computer), and they are sized for longer runtimes at lower switching precision. For sensitive electronics like desktop PCs, pair the inverter with a small UPS that handles the switchover gap and then runs off the inverter-fed mains.