What is the Temporary Power Unit?
The Temporary Power Unit (TPU) is an optional accessory for the Lumin Smart Panel. If utility power fails and the backup system is slow to transition to battery power, the Temporary Power Unit will keep the Lumin Smart Panel powered long enough to shed undesired circuits in Smart Power Mode. The TPU will keep the Lumin Smart Panel running for 30 seconds or more. This is more than enough time for most battery backups to begin providing power to the Lumin Smart Panel. Even in rare instances where the power transfer takes longer, the TPU will still have given the Lumin Smart Panel sufficient time to shed circuits before it powers down in the correct off-grid state. When the Lumin Smart Panel powers back on, it will be in the same state as when it was powered off.
How do I know if I need a TPU?
A TPU is only necessary if your backup power system takes more than 70 milliseconds to transfer to battery power after the loss of the grid. Most modern battery backup transfer times are much faster than this. The Lumin Smart Panel does not typically lose power during a sub-70 ms transfer. If you have doubts about whether your installation requires a TPU, please contact support@luminsmart.com or call 888-421-0616.
How does the TPU charge?
The Temporary Power Unit charges via the connector cable to the Lumin Smart Panel. It is functioning if the "charged" light is illuminated. The TPU requires about ten minutes of charging time before this light is displayed.
Can any Lumin Smart Panel be retrofitted with a TPU?
Some older Lumin Smart Panels may require a field modification in order to install a special TPU retrofit kit. Newer Lumin Smart Panels are designed with the TPU in mind and only require that the connecting cable be used. Please contact Lumin support if you are unsure about which TPU option you need.
How is the TPU installed?
See the Lumin Smart Panel installation manual for installation instructions for the Temporary Power Unit (Pages 3 and 35 for Generation 7 and Pages 3 and 36 for Outdoor Generation 2.0). To access a digital version of the installation manual, see:
Installation Manuals for the Lumin Smart Panel