POWER AND ENERGY
UPS systems: should Trusts purchase or rent?
Should NHS Trusts buy or rent their uninterruptible power systems (UPS)? Power Continuity critical projects director John East examines the operational, financial, and resilience implications of both CapEX (Capital Expenditure) and OpEx (Operational Expenditure) approaches, and explains how proactive maintenance can safeguard critical hospital expenditure.
Every hospital campus is dependent on the integrity of its site-wide Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) systems. IT comms usually control and run all the IT systems, digital processing programmes, telephony etc. These will have an N+1 UPS system with 30 minutes battery autonomy that is backed up by an emergency generator. Regular preventative maintenance inspections ensure
that you are in control of your own power destiny. Every UPS is crammed full of electrical components then must be serviced regularly to ensure they support your mission crucial load during any and every power outage. Preventative service maintenance visits need to be carried out every six months within a service contract, to each UPS, confirmed by a hard copy engineers report. Each aspect of your UPS should be checked and tested to ensure 100 per cent uptime for your critical operations. When UPS service reports are overlooked or misplaced, areas of concern can be missed. Most UPS have 24-7 ‘remote’ monitoring with visual
displays showing UPS status: n UPS load: Check the load is balanced across the three
phases. Each must be carefully balanced to ensure that all the load is not concentrated on one phase.
n UPS batteries: Check for signs of leakage or corroded terminals.
n Battery impedance test: Check that the batteries are fully operational. Holding charge ready for any instantaneous discharge. Record the weekly impedance.
n UPS display: Check the display is functional and visible, no signs of age.
n UPS bypass: Check the UPS bypass is operational. n UPS load profile: Ensure that no additional load has been added that may have reduced the UPS capacity. Any load changes will appear of the display.
n Environment: UPS environment ambient temperature of 22C, operational air conditoning, ventilation, any signs of dampness or dust that would damage the UPS.
Often, UPS service and maintenance contracts are viewed as a ‘cut back’ cost that can be neglected and hence provide the Trust with a cost saving. But every UPS has a life cycle and once it reaches end of life, it will fail – and by that we mean catastrophically fail unexpectedly when it is run past its replacement date. Same is true of battery life. Five year or 10 year design life batteries are as ‘stated’ in perfect laboratory conditions. In the real world, we advise replacement before the
stated life cycle. You may gain some weeks or months but the inevitable will take place. Batteries will swell and thereafter leak acid. Better to replace at least the year before the ‘sell by date’ as a minimum.
Ownership – CapEx v OpEx UPS long term rental means that you have a fixed cost. The batteries will be replaced within the contract period at no additional cost. The UPS will likewise be replaced, again at no additional cost, and all services visits will be included. These can be ‘stand alone’ UPS scattered around the campus or centralised UPS systems of 150kVA, 200kVA, 250kVA or larger all N+1 resilient solutions. Each site purpose can have its own UPS solution. For
example, UPS containerised systems are particularly advantageous.
March 2026 Health Estate Journal 65 Containerised UPS system.
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80
