FAQs

To get the answers to all your questions about our load bank rental services, here is a list of frequently asked questions that you may also ask yourself.

Our load banks can test different types of electrical and thermal equipment:

  • generators,
  • inverters,
  • batteries,
  • electric chains,
  • air conditioning systems.

They can also be used in different sectors of activity: datacentre, health/hospitals, maritime/naval, industrial, tertiary…

Fortunately, EDF network cuts are not frequent. The emergency generator is therefore rarely used. However, when the group is really needed, it must be available without fail. To be sure that it is in working order at all times, it is necessary to start it regularly and to make it debit a load corresponding to the real load of the network. Moreover, it is preferable for the life of the group that it operates regularly.

A network rarely consumes pure active power. Devices such as motors, discharge lamps, computers, etc. have a power factor of less than 1. The network consumes, in addition to active power, more or less reactive power. A resistive load bank only simulates the active power of the network. The combined use of a reactive load bank and a resistive load bank makes it possible to faithfully simulate the load of a network.

To avoid disturbing the user network due to micro cuts when starting and stopping the test. And above all because if the test goes badly (the group does not pick up the load well), the user network will no longer be supplied with the consequences that this entails… in hospitals, nuclear power plants, data centres, etc. The test with a load bank is safer and also more flexible in the organization.

Active power is used to generate work (that of a motor, for example) or heat. The reactive power consumed corresponds for example to the establishment of a magnetic field in a transformer. Reactive power has a real impact on the network because it causes thermal losses, overloads of distribution transformers, heating of power cables and voltage drops. In a network, we always try to limit the reactive power, in particular by composing it.

The load bank can detect a wide range of faults on the equipment it is testing. The primary purpose of testing with a load bank is to ensure that your equipment’s power system is reliable. The underlying objective is to know if during the setting in operational condition, your equipment will have a sufficient power supply to hold the requested power. The benches thus make it possible to verify that the equipment is not defective, that there are no design and manufacturing errors, that natural aging is compliant, that the components are reliable, that there is no there is no breakdown or premature wear. The bench also makes it possible to check that the product delivers power in accordance with the specifications.

The data centre environment is an environment where technology is constantly evolving and where the requirements for monitoring installations are increasingly stringent. Consequently, the test means and processes follow the same trend (evolution of technologies, standards, test specifications, etc.). Thus, to follow these developments, it is necessary to have test equipment with new functionalities such as our Rentaload load banks:

  • connected rack load banks
  • load banks with Delta T close to that of future servers

There is therefore a need to constantly upgrade the fleet of load banks. And only the rental business model makes it possible to make these regular investments or else it takes a recurrence of “big projects” to amortise a huge investment in a short time.

The advantages of renting are therefore multiple:

  • Hardware always in line with the latest IST Commissioning test specification for data centres
  • Equipment tested between two projects + preventive maintenance
  • Equipment stored in a dry place avoiding premature aging of equipment. Renting will thus save you two types of costs: equipment maintenance costs and storage costs, which today are not negligible.
  • A whole range of services associated with rental: delivery anywhere in Europe, installation of equipment, connection if necessary, assistance with tests or complete commissioning

The investment for the purchase of a load bank is greater than that of a rental and the Rentaload service allows you to benefit from more advantages as you have seen. Our technical advisors available during your tests can assist you if necessary. You also have a detailed user manual, relatively simple and easy to understand. Finally, choosing rental means choosing simplicity and efficiency. The logistics are managed by Rentaload from drop-off to pick-up on site as well as all the details. You can free yourself of time and mind, we ensure the availability of benches.

It all depends on your needs, your budget and the skills of your human resources present on site. We can of course take care of installing and connecting the load banks you have rented, but you can also decide to do it yourself, if the conditions allow it.

However, “electrical” skills are essential if you wish to connect the load banks. Rentaload technicians have this electrical accreditation.

Customer satisfaction is our priority. Rentaload provides its customers with technical advisers before, during and after the tests to help and guide them in their choices.

Contact us by phone or email, we will do our best to help you with your project and redirect you to the right person.

A load bank can be purchased or rented. The purchase is preferred by professionals because they make daily use of the bench, at their customers’ or in their workshops. Rental is ideal for end users because they don’t have to worry about load bank maintenance or storage. A suitable bench, overhauled and in perfect working order, is delivered to them on request. Moreover, in case of change of generator (more or less power for example), no need to buy a bench, the lessor adapts to the request of his client.

Testing your equipment with a load bank will save you time and money in the long run! The challenge is to know the reliability of your equipment and whether in the medium term the replacement of equipment will always cost you more than maintenance with a load bank. The load bank is also the only way to ensure the proper functioning of your equipment (generator, UPS, etc.) the day you need it in operational conditions. Testing with a bench above all makes it possible to carry out preventive maintenance and makes it possible to avoid costly corrective maintenance which immobilises your resources. Moreover, the use of benches is even recommended by the regulations during the testing of strategic equipment in public buildings (hospitals, prisons, shopping centers, etc.)

In France, to prevent any incident and guarantee the safety of people housed in social and medico-social establishments, a regulatory system (cf. Circular DHOS/E4 n – 2008-114 – of April 7, 2008 relating to the prevention of power cuts in health establishments ) requires each structure to ensure, in the event of absence from the national network, continuity of service for at least 48 time.

The law stipulates that these installations must be powered by a Safety Power Supply (AES) in accordance with standard NF S 61-940. These AES can be with accumulator batteries, according to appendix A of standard NF S 61-940, or with generating sets compliant with standard NF E 37 312. The load bank is therefore the best way to ensure the proper functioning of this emergency equipment (batteries, inverters, generators). It ensures that this backup equipment is able to take over in the event of a failure of the main network.

Rentaload offers its load bank rental services throughout Europe thanks to our various warehouses and partners. Consequently, we can offer you load bank rental as well as a whole range of associated services on site: delivery, installation, connection, assistance with tests and control of the banks or complete commissioning.

Our experience allows us to get reliable benches to your site as quickly as possible.

  • A wide choice of products and accessories (more than 120 MW of power available to meet all your needs);
  • Innovative products, at the cutting edge of technology (connected load banks and Low Delta T);
  • Reliable and quality products – manufactured and tested in France;
  • Extremely precise measurement feedback to bring added value to your tests;
  • A 20% time saving in carrying out your tests thanks to connected load banks;
  • Deliveries and service throughout Europe (thanks to our 7 warehouses and partners: in USA (Cincinnati, Indianapolis) and in EUROPE (France, Germany, England, Netherlands, Spain & Portugal);
  • One support from A to Z by our teams, if you wish and therefore the possibility of benefiting from a turnkey service including installation, connection, assistance with tests or complete commissioning (development of the test protocol, performance of on-site tests, recording and analysis of data and development of the final test report) + the assurance of having a qualified technician at the end of the telephone at any time;
  • Great responsiveness , approved by our customers ”We faced an extremely professional team that was able to demonstrate flexibility and responsiveness […]”ERT TECHNOLOGIES;
  • Rental request 7 days a week – 24 hours a day and response within 48 hours.