In July of 2014, I authored the Engineered Systems article “Size Matters – Trends in Standby Power Systems for Health Care Facilities.” In that article, I explained the factors driving the trend for multibuilding health care campuses to use central standby generator installations consisting of large units with medium-voltage distribution. That article focused on issues to be considered during the design of such systems. In this article, I will pivot to an operations and maintenance perspective with a discussion of how testing may differ from what you’re used to for smaller, less-complex systems.
In this article, I will use the word “essential” instead of “emergency” or “standby” to refer to these power systems because it aligns with the current language used in the National Electrical Code and in National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) Standard 99, “Health Care Facilities.”