Generators and emergency power systems are essential to enabling hospitals and health care facilities to effectively serve their communities //

NFPA 70: National Electrical Code requires every hospital to have two independent power sources that provide a minimum level of reliability: a normal source (i.e., utility) and an alternate source (i.e., generator, fuel cell system or battery system).

Because most health care facilities have traditionally used generators as their alternate source due to runtime and maintenance advantages, this article will focus on generators and essential electrical system (i.e., “emergency power”) design.

For the purposes of this article, the NEC Article 517 term “essential electrical system” and Article 700 term “emergency power system” are synonymous because emergency systems are defined in NEC Article 700, which is applied specifically to hospitals in NEC Article 517.

An emergency system is defined by the NEC as “those systems legally required and classed as emergency by municipal, state, federal and other codes.”

NFPA 110: Standard for Emergency and Standby Power Systems defines the various components that makeup an emergency power system and comprises the emergency power supply and emergency power supply systems.

The EPS is the alternate power source, which in this case is the generator(s). The EPSS consists of the conductors, distribution equipment, overcurrent protective devices, transfer switches and all control, supervisory and support equipment needed for the system to operate between the generator and the transfer switch. Conductors, distribution equipment and overcurrent protective devices on the load side of the transfer switches are not considered part of the EPSS per NFPA 110, but are considered part of the overall emergency power system (see Figure 1).