Is your power system truly ready for anything, or are you relying on assumptions? Read our complete guide to discover how load banks are essential for revealing hidden faults and ensuring your critical power infrastructure performs when it matters most.
Keep your power systems ready for anything: data centres, remote mines, and every site in-between
Whether you manage a data centre or a remote mine, your challenge is simple: make sure your power performs when it matters.
If your system hasn’t been proven under full load, you’re relying on assumptions, not evidence.
Enter the load bank. A simple way to take control. A load bank applies a controlled electrical load to your power source to simulate real-world demand for commissioning, maintenance and performance testing.
It reveals hidden faults, confirms performance and keeps your power ready. When you need it.
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What is a load bank?
A load bank is an electrical testing device that draws power in a controlled way from your source (e.g., generator, UPS, turbine, BESS). It safely converts this power to heat, mimicking real operating conditions.
It lets you validate capacity, stability, and system behaviour across the full operating range. Without interrupting your operations. This prevents wet stacking, reveals hidden faults, and makes sure backup power works when you need it.
So, with a load bank, you can test how your equipment performs before it is asked to deliver for real.
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Loadbank capabilities
With a load bank, you can test how your equipment performs before it is asked to deliver for real. Here are the core capabilities that make them indispensable:
Load simulation
Mimic real-world electrical demand without risking critical operations. This allows operators to test power sources under controlled conditions, ensuring readiness before live deployment.
Performance verification
Measure essential parameters such as voltage, frequency, fuel consumption, alternator temperature rise, and harmonics. This confirms that power assets meet design specifications and respond correctly to step or ramp loads.
Preventive maintenance
Exercise diesel generators at rated capacity to burn off unburnt fuel and moisture. This helps in preventing wet stacking, improves combustion efficiency, and extends engine life.
System integration testing
Demonstrate that switchgear, protection relays, and automation sequences operate correctly when loads shift. This reduces the risk of failure during real-world transitions.
What are the different types of load banks?
Different load banks serve different purposes. Here's how to choose the right one.
Resistive Load Banks
Resistive load banks simulate pure resistive loads, where electrical energy is directly converted into heat. They operate at a unity power factor (1.0), meaning the current and voltage are perfectly in phase.
They are widely used to test a generator’s ability to produce real power (kW) and verify voltage regulation, frequency stability, and governor response. These load banks are ideal for functional testing of generators and UPS systems, as well as preventive maintenance tasks like burning off unburned fuel deposits in diesel engines to prevent wet stacking. However, it’s important to note that resistive-only testing does not simulate reactive power or how the system behaves under non-unity power factors, which are common in most real-world electrical systems.
Reactive Load Banks (inductive/capacitive)
Reactive load banks impose kVAR loads to mimic conditions created by motors (inductive) or power factor correction systems (capacitive).
They are essential for validating generator alternator performance, voltage stability, and power factor correction under reactive loads. These are ideal for testing systems in industrial environments where large motors or capacitive elements are common.
The main limitation is that reactive load banks alone do not test real power output (kW), so they are often paired with resistive units for comprehensive testing.
Combined (resistive–reactive) Load Banks
Resistive-reactive load banks integrate both resistive and reactive elements, enabling simultaneous kW and kVAR testing. This makes them perfect for simulating real-world load profiles, such as those found in data centers or complex industrial facilities where power factors vary significantly. They provide a more accurate representation of operational conditions compared to resistive-only testing.
The limitation is that combined units are typically larger, more complex, and costlier than single-type load banks, which may not be necessary for simpler applications.
Capacitive Load Banks
Capacitive load banks are less common and are primarily used to evaluate systems exposed to leading power factor conditions, such as those with extensive power factor correction or certain renewable energy setups. They help ensure stability and proper operation under these unique conditions.
Their limitation lies in their niche application. They are rarely needed outside specialized environments and do not provide comprehensive testing for general generator or UPS performance.
Type
Why Used
Key Applications
Resistive Load Banks
Simulate real power (kW) at unity power factor to test capacity and stability.
Generator and UPS functional testing, preventive maintenance (burn off wet stacking).
Reactive Load Banks
Mimic inductive or capacitive loads to validate power factor and voltage stability.
Industrial environments with large motors, power factor correction systems.
Combined (Resistive-Reactive) Load Banks
Provide simultaneous kW and kVAR testing for realistic load profiles.
Data centers, complex industrial facilities, commissioning integrated systems.
Capacitive Load Banks
Evaluate systems under leading power factor conditions for stability.
Specialised setups with extensive power factor correction or renewable energy systems.
We have the load banks you need. Resistive, resistive-reactive, and capacitive units ready to hire in your region. Our engineering specialists handle everything: sizing, commissioning, ongoing support. Contact us to learn how we can support your operations.
Why are load banks important?
Load bank testing gives you confidence in your power. Backed by evidence, not assumptions. Here’s how it helps you protect uptime and performance.
Benefits of load bank testing:
Cuts downtime
Hidden faults are revealed in a controlled window, not during live production.
Operators witness real fault responses—trips, alarms, change-over—before personnel are exposed.
Meets compliance
Delivers documented proof for Uptime Institute, IEC, AS/NZS, insurer or statutory audits.
Boosts efficiency
Accurate fuel-burn and heat-rejection data allow right-sizing, lowering carbon and OPEX.
Heat management and cooling of load banks
Load banks convert electrical energy into heat during testing and commissioning. This makes effective thermal management essential for safe and reliable operation. Proper heat dissipation helps maintain performance, protects equipment from overheating, and ensures accurate test results. Load banks manage this heat in two ways: air cooling or liquid cooling.
What are Air-Cooled Load Banks?
Air-cooled load banks use forced-air ventilation with high-capacity fans to dissipate heat generated by resistive elements. This is the most common cooling method because it is simple, cost-effective, and suitable for most standard applications. Air-cooled designs are ideal for portable and containerized load banks used in generator and UPS testing across industries like data centres, healthcare, and manufacturing.
They are easy to deploy, cost less and are widely available. However, they require adequate airflow and space, cause higher noise levels and are less efficient for very high power densities.
What are Liquid-Cooled Load Banks?
Liquid-cooled load banks use water or a water-glycol mixture to absorb and transfer heat away from resistive elements. This method is preferred for high-capacity testing environments for large, high-power load banks. Typically, in such scenarios, air cooling would be impractical due to the amount of heat generated or where space and noise constraints exist.
Liquid cooling enables compact designs, quieter operation, and better thermal stability, making it ideal for data centres, marine applications, military installations, and large-scale industrial facilities.
Why use liquid cooling?
Allows for more compact and powerful load banks because liquid cooling is more efficient at removing heat.
Useful in indoor or confined spaces where air cooling would cause overheating or require large ventilation.
Enables longer continuous testing without overheating.
Key Consideration:
Whether air or liquid cooling is used, proper heat management ensures accurate load simulation, protects equipment, and maintains safe operating conditions during extended tests.
Loadbanks in action: key applications
Load banks keep power systems running across every sector. From data canters to remote mines. Here's how they deliver results.
1. Data Centres
Commissioning & IST (Integrated System Testing): Verify generator, UPS, and electrical systems before go-live.
Backup Power Testing: Validate N+1/N+N redundancy and UPS runtime under load.
Cooling Validation: Test HVAC performance and cooling under realistic heat loads.
Maintenance Testing: Verify system reliability during routine maintenance and upgrades.
Remote sites rely on hybrid power (diesel + solar + battery).
Use load banks for commissioning, island mode stability, and validating spinning reserve and microgrid controls—from exploration camps to full-production sites and reclamation/closure phases.
Key applications (continued)
4. Oil and Gas (onshore/offshore)
Commission and maintain generator packages, ESP power, and microgrids.
Validate breakers, protection, and fault ride-through under transient conditions.
Confirm performance for broadcast, staging, and critical live systems.
Aggreko load bank solutions
Aggreko designs, deploys and optimises load bank solutions to match your site, sector and challenge. We provide portable, mobile and containerised load banks, ready to deploy at pace.
Why choose Aggreko:
1. Get the capacity you need. When you need it.
From small portable units to multi-megawatt containerised systems, our fleet scales with your operation. Routine maintenance or large-scale commissioning – we've got you covered.
2. Test real-world hybrid systems with confidence.
We pair load banks with BESS, solar PV and gas or HVO generators. So, you get accurate, real-world testing for hybrid power setups.
3. Match real operating conditions.
Easily adjust resistive and reactive loads to mirror your real-world power profile, so you see how your system behaves before it goes live.
4. Modular design to help you scale.
Our modular units are quick to transport, install and expand. Combine up to 14 units into a single system for high-capacity testing, without added complexity.
5. Turn data into performance.
Control and monitor your test using handheld devices or laptops. Track, analyse and report on performance with data that supports compliance and optimisation.
6. Adapt testing to your needs.
Programmable auto-load controllers give you full control, so your testing setup fits your site, system and objectives.
7. Rapid deployment. Global reach:
With local equipment and global expertise, we mobilise quickly. Whether its remote, urban or offshore environments, we keep your projects moving.
8. Flexible commercial models.
Short-term hire, long-term projects or turnkey testing packages- we match our approach to your timeline and budget.
How to maximise efficiency & minimise risk with Aggreko
Load bank testing drives everything we do.
We support everything from data centre commissioning to hybrid microgrid optimisation. With the right equipment. And the right people.
A load bank is a device that applies a controlled electrical load to power sources to simulate real operating conditions for commissioning, maintenance, and performance testing.
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It prevents failures, verifies capacity and responsiveness, supports compliance, prevents wet stacking in diesel generators, and provides evidence for audits and insurers.
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Resistive (kW), reactive (kVAR), combined (kW + kVAR), and capacitive- selected based on the power factor and load characteristics you need to simulate.
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Frequency depends on your risk profile and regulatory environment; many critical facilities test annually (with additional tests after major changes, faults, or before high-risk seasons).
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Yes. Aggreko delivers the right load bank(s), manages setup, safety, execution, and reporting, and can integrate tests with your commissioning or maintenance schedule.
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Yes. Load banks validate UPS inverter performance, runtime under load, and battery capacity (within safe protocols), and help commission and verify BESS systems.
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Load banks convert power to heat and use forced-air cooling; tests are planned to manage airflow, temperature, and site HSE requirements.
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A liquid-cooled load bank uses water or a water-glycol mixture to dissipate heat instead of air. This design allows for higher power density in a compact footprint, quieter operation, and better thermal stability. Liquid-cooled load banks are ideal for high-capacity testing environments, such as data centers, marine applications, military installations, and large industrial facilities where space and noise constraints make air cooling impractical.