Load bank rental or purchase?

For many critical industries, interruptions in power supply can have a significant impact on revenue through lost productivity and damage to equipment – in some sectors, a loss of power could even pose a significant risk to health and safety with potentially fatal results.

Backup power systems are a common way to mitigate these risks, and to make sure backup power is available when you need it most, the maintenance and testing of these reserve systems is an important process – that’s where load banks come in.

Load banks test the efficiency and performance of a backup generator by imitating the operational or ‘real’ load that a generator would use should the primary power source fail. By testing your backup power system regularly, you can rest assured that should there be a power outage, the backup supply will provide adequate protection for your facility until the problem is resolved.

Like all critical equipment, the specification of load banks should be carefully considered, and one of the key deciding factors should be whether to purchase a load bank outright or rent the equipment as and when it is required throughout the year. As you can imagine, there are pros and cons to both options, and Crestchic is here to help you make the right choice for your business.

When is load bank rental right?

Right load bank, right time, right place: Rental can be right for many reasons. If you own, or are contracted to manage or maintain, generator assets across multiple sites or need a range of voltages and power factors to complete your tests, load bank rental will be logistically and financially more viable for you. It will enable you to access the right load bank for the right tests, in the right location each and every time.

Real-estate: Space is an important consideration too – if you are tight on space, it can be easier to clear an area for a few weeks at a time, knowing that you will regain that square footage once the back up generators have been tested, rather than lose space permanently to a purchased load bank.

Power testing expertise: You should consider expertise too; do you have the right expertise in house, or would you benefit from the experience and knowledge of a dedicated technician? Renting your load back will give you access to a team of specialists that can support you in the early days.

Affordability: Lastly, rental works well for new or smaller businesses that cannot afford the initial outlay to purchase a load bank, allowing them to spread the cost of testing throughout the year.

 When is buying a load bank right?

There is a fairly easy rule of thumb that applies for most applications when it comes to purchasing a load bank rather than renting one. If you answer yes to the following questions, purchasing a load bank will be financially and logistically the right option for you:

  • Will you always use it at the same voltage?
  • Do you only need a load bank at one location?
  • Will you use it for two or three weeks at a time?
  • Will you use it multiple times per year?

There are many benefits to owning a load bank outright, including the convenience of knowing it’s always on hand should you want to run tests on your back-up generator, something which is of particular interest to mission critical environments such as data centres and hospitals. You’ll enjoy less admin and reduced OPEX costs too.

Combining the best of both worlds

Whether you want to rent or purchase your load bank equipment, choosing a provider that has a dedicated team for both can be beneficial in the longer term. Let’s say you purchase equipment in the first instance, but then open a second or third facility and would benefit from a rental option too?

Or the opposite, perhaps you want to rent for now because you cannot afford the financial outlay, but hope to buy a container load bank further down the line? Buying from the manufacturer you have rented from will mean the equipment is familiar to you and results will be consistent.

When it comes to the safety and performance of your back-up power supply, choosing a partner that can offer a combination approach, plus the expertise to support you whichever method you choose, will pay dividends.

Click the link to find out more about Crestchic’s rental load bank offering, or for help specifying a Crestchic load bank to purchase.