Description

Comprehensive commissioning procedures and the regular testing and maintenance of UPS systems and batteries go a long way towards ensuring the integrity of a power protection system. However, there is only one certain way of establishing that all the components of the system will function correctly together and perform as intended when required – load bank testing.

Fully loading the power support system stresses all components. It is clearly preferable to identify potential weaknesses under controlled conditions rather than to wait until the system is supporting a critical load. It is also cost effective to acquire this service and the expertise and experience of a professional, specialist service provider.

Load bank testing is the provision and connection of an electrical load to a power supply, often a UPS, in order to simulate the client’s load and prove the integrity of the overall system. Load bank testing ascertains the performance of the UPS, and of the entire electrical supply infrastructure including cabling, switchgear, generator and fuses. A load bank can also be used to discharge batteries as an effective, accurately and relatively low cost method of determining battery autonomy.