In short. Bank and insurance branches need backup that is quiet, reliable and nobody’s daily concern. Long-term rental suits them well: the branch pays a predictable rent, the rental company services the set, and when the branch moves or expands the set changes with it. Typical branch loads sit in the 15–62.5 kVA range; the planning points are placement in shared buildings, noise, connection to the branch board, and how outages are handled when the branch is closed.
Who this page is for: For branch, premises and administration teams in banks and insurers: set up dependable branch backup on rental, without buying, maintaining or disposing of a generator.
Our experience
- A national life insurer rented 62.5 kVA acoustic sets for its Hyderabad and Secunderabad branches from April 2008, renewed year after year until 2014, with Vijayawada and Khammam branches added in later years.
- A private bank has rented four 30 kVA sets for Hyderabad branches since November 2017, with further branches added in 2019 and leases extended since.
What a branch generator carries
| Load | Note |
|---|---|
| Computers, network, core banking terminals | Through the branch UPS |
| Lighting and fans | Small, steady |
| Split ACs | Largest load; stagger restarts |
| ATM and its cooling | Often on its own UPS; include in sizing |
| Security: CCTV, alarms, access | Usually battery-backed; include in sizing |
Worked example (hypothetical)
Hypothetical figures. A branch has UPS input 6 kW, lighting 3 kW, four 1.5-ton ACs about 6.4 kW, ATM with cooling 2 kW: about 17.4 kW. At 0.8 PF and 80 % loading: 17.4 ÷ 0.8 ÷ 0.8 ≈ 27 kVA, so a 30 kVA acoustic set — with AC restarts staggered — suits it.
Branch-specific planning
- Placement in shared buildings: agree the location with the landlord and neighbours; keep exhaust away from shopfronts and windows.
- Noise: acoustic canopies are standard for branches in commercial streets.
- Changeover: manual changeover is common for staffed hours; an AMF panel removes the need for staff to act and covers outages when the branch is closed, if any loads must run then.
- Multiple branches: one rental arrangement across branches simplifies servicing and records.
What the long-term rental should cover
| Item | Usually with the rental | Agree in writing |
|---|---|---|
| Generator with canopy | Yes | Rating, rating class, voltage |
| Transport and unloading | Often | Truck or crane access, who arranges lifting |
| Cables and connection | Sometimes | Length, size, termination point, who connects |
| Changeover or AMF | Sometimes | Manual or automatic, existing panel or supplied |
| Earthing | Must be provided | Who installs and tests it |
| Fuel | Varies | Who supplies, how it is measured and billed |
| Operator | Optional | Shift pattern, responsibilities |
| Servicing during hire | Usually | By running hours; who attends breakdowns |
| Demobilisation | Usually | Notice period, site condition on removal |
Branch requirement form
| Item | Your site |
|---|---|
| Site address and access (road width, gate, crane access) | |
| Start date and expected duration | |
| Loads to be run, with kW and largest motor | |
| Voltage and phase required | |
| Connection point (existing panel, temporary board) | |
| Running pattern (standby only / daily hours / continuous) | |
| Fuel arrangement preferred | |
| Operator needed? (Y/N) | |
| Noise or placement constraints |
Manual changeover or AMF for a branch?
| Manual changeover | AMF panel | |
|---|---|---|
| Who acts in an outage | Branch staff start the set and switch over | Automatic |
| Outside branch hours | No backup unless someone attends | Backup for any loads left connected (e.g. ATM, security) |
| Cost | Lower | Higher |
| Suits | Branches where staff are trained and only working hours matter | Branches with ATMs or security loads needing round-the-clock backup |
Running a multi-branch rental programme
- One schedule of sets by branch, with rating, serial number and connection details
- Service visits planned by running hours across all branches
- Monthly running-hours and fuel report per branch
- Single point of contact for breakdowns at any branch
- Renewal dates tracked so leases do not lapse
- Relocation process when a branch moves
What branch staff should do in an outage (manual changeover)
- Confirm the outage is not just the branch’s own breaker.
- Switch the changeover to OFF.
- Start the generator and wait for steady voltage.
- Switch the changeover to GENERATOR.
- Switch ACs on one at a time.
- When mains returns and is steady, reverse the steps and stop the set after a short cool-down.
How the generator and the branch UPS work together
In a branch, the generator rarely feeds the computers directly. It feeds the UPS, and the UPS feeds the counters, servers, network equipment and often the security system. The two machines must be planned together, because each has a gap the other has to cover.
The UPS covers the generator’s gap
Between the mains failing and the generator taking over, the UPS battery carries the IT load alone. With an automatic mains-failure (AMF) panel, that gap is under a minute on a good day. With a manual changeover, it is however long it takes a member of staff to notice, walk to the set, start it and switch over — and in a busy banking hall that can be many minutes. The battery autonomy must be set from the real response time, measured at end-of-life battery capacity, not from the UPS brochure.
The generator must suit the UPS
- Input window. Many UPS units have a generator mode that widens their accepted voltage and frequency range. If it is not set, the UPS may refuse the generator and stay on battery until the battery runs out.
- Charger load. After an outage, the UPS recharges its battery from the generator. That recharge current adds to the branch load for the first part of the run and must be included in sizing.
- Harmonics. UPS rectifiers draw distorted current. Older or larger units may need a larger set than their kW alone suggests; modern low-distortion rectifiers need less margin.
- Neutral and earth. Branch IT equipment can be sensitive to voltage between neutral and earth. The rental set’s neutral earthing must match the branch’s earthing arrangement and be tested at installation.
The engineering of this interface is covered on our UPS + DG integration page.
Security of the set and its fuel
A branch generator usually stands in a rear yard, a parking area or a building’s common space, out of sight of staff. That makes it a target for fuel pilferage, battery and cable theft, and tampering.
- Canopy doors and the fuel filler cap lockable; keys held by a named person, with a duplicate at the regional office
- Set within the branch’s or building’s CCTV view where possible
- Fuel level recorded by dip or gauge at every refill and at month-end; litres per running hour compared month to month
- No loose fuel drums or cans stored inside the branch or near the strongroom
- Battery and earth cables secured so they cannot be removed without tools
- Set placed so it does not obstruct a fire exit, escape route or fire-fighting access
- A suitable fire extinguisher for fuel and electrical fires near the set, inside its inspection date
- Security guards briefed: they report alarms, smells or tampering; they do not open panels or operate switches
- “Generator running” and alarm status visible to staff, or sent to the branch’s alarm system where an AMF panel is fitted
Standardising across a branch network
Banks and insurers with many branches gain most when every branch looks the same from the generator’s point of view. Standardisation reduces spare-part variety, makes staff instructions identical, lets sets move between branches when premises change, and makes audit simple. The table below shows one way to group branches; the ratings are typical bands, to be confirmed by each branch’s measured load.
| Branch profile | Typical load content | Typical rating band | Changeover | Standard points to fix |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Small branch or sales office | UPS for a few counters, lighting, two or three split ACs | 15–25 kVA | Manual, with clear staff card | Canopy colour and labelling, termination box, staff instruction card |
| Standard branch with ATM | Branch UPS, ATM and its cooling, four to six ACs, security | 30–40 kVA | AMF preferred for ATM and security after hours | AMF timers, after-hours load list, alarm reporting |
| Large branch, regional office or currency chest | Larger UPS, server room cooling, many ACs, strongroom security | 62.5 kVA and above | AMF | Load-shedding scheme for ACs, server room priority, service interval by hours |
Within each band, fix one connection interface (cable size, termination type and changeover position), one set of AMF timer settings, one labelling scheme and one reporting format. A branch that moves then needs only its set relocated and terminated, not a new design.
A second worked example: how long must the UPS hold?
Illustrative case. A branch has a manual changeover, a generator in the rear yard and an online UPS carrying 5 kW of IT and security load. Staff timed a mock outage during a working day.
| Stage | Time (illustrative) |
|---|---|
| Staff notice the outage and the UPS alarm, and confirm it is not the branch’s own breaker | 2 min |
| Key collected, walk to the rear yard | 3 min |
| Set started and allowed to stabilise | 1 min |
| Changeover operated; UPS accepts generator supply | 1.5 min |
| Total on battery | 7.5 min |
The battery’s capacity is commonly treated as end-of-life at 80 % of new, so the autonomy needed when new is 7.5 ÷ 0.8 ≈ 9.4 minutes. Allowing one failed start attempt and a slower response at a busy hour, the branch specifies at least 15 minutes at 5 kW.
Generator side: during the first part of the run the UPS draws its load plus recharge. With 5 kW of load at about 94 % efficiency, the input is 5 ÷ 0.94 ≈ 5.3 kW, and a charger drawing about 1.5 kW lifts it to about 6.8 kW. That figure, not 5 kW, goes into the sizing sheet. Fitting an AMF panel would cut the battery time to under a minute and remove the dependence on staff — the stronger choice wherever the ATM or security system must stay powered after hours. Battery autonomy is explained further on our UPS battery autonomy page.
Common mistakes
- Hiring by kVA alone without listing the UPS, servers and air conditioning the branch actually runs.
- Ignoring where the set can stand safely and quietly near a busy street front.
- Leaving the changeover arrangement to be decided by the delivery crew.
- Not agreeing who refuels and records the fuel level during the hire.
What to send us
Send the branch location, the loads to be backed up (UPS rating, servers, air conditioning, lighting), the hire period, where a set could stand, and the distance to the main panel. Use the generator rental enquiry, or WhatsApp the details and photographs.
Questions hirers ask
Why do banks rent generators instead of buying them?
Long-term rental gives predictable cost, includes servicing, and lets the set move or change when a branch relocates or expands.
What size generator does a bank branch need?
Most branches fall in the 15–62.5 kVA range. Add UPS input, lighting, ACs, ATM and security loads, keep the set at no more than about 80 % of rating, and stagger AC restarts.
Can one rental arrangement cover several branches?
Yes. A single arrangement across branches simplifies servicing, records and renewals.
Related pages
Technical content reviewed by D. Srinivas Reddy, Managing Partner and service engineer. Last updated 3 November 2026.