Hospitals and healthcare facilities are responsible for the health and safety of patients for the duration of their stay. Patients rely on doctors and nursing staff for quality care, while hospital staff rely on systems, equipment, and communication protocols to deliver a positive patient experience. In today’s world of advancing technologies, state-of-the-art medical equipment, and ventilation and filtration systems are designed to prevent infection and airborne viral spread. Everything relies on quality power and resilient electricity to operate efficiently, including critical procedural room equipment, automated dispensing cabinets, and nurse call systems.
Because of this, reliable backup and emergency power systems are essential for avoiding power disruptions. Especially in the healthcare industry where every millisecond matters.
National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) Codes and Standards
The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) publishes the codes and standards that help healthcare facilities protect patients, staff, and operations. For hospitals and other care environments, key requirements come from NFPA 70, National Electrical Code (NEC), and NFPA 110, Standard for Emergency and Standby Power Systems. Recent updates place a stronger focus on emergency power supply system (EPSS) resiliency, including enhanced protection for certain emergency circuits, required surge protective devices in applicable systems, and broader energy storage options such as lithium-ion batteries.
What These Updates Mean for Healthcare Facilities
For healthcare leaders, these code changes signal a broader shift toward stronger resiliency, greater system protection, and more flexible planning for backup power. In practical terms, that means facilities may need to evaluate circuit protection methods, surge protection strategies, battery technology options, and maintenance programs to ensure their emergency power systems can support critical operations when the grid is disrupted.
Installation: Resiliency and Compliance
To successfully install and maintain resilient and compliant emergency power supply systems (EPSS), factors such as location (indoor vs. outdoor), protection, lighting, noise, and fuel storage should be taken into consideration.
Recent code updates for healthcare facilities raise the bar for circuit protection and system continuity. For example, the 2026 NEC introduces a 5-inch concrete encasement requirement for certain protected emergency and standby circuit installations to meet fire-rating requirements. At the same time, greater emphasis on surge protection and system survivability helps critical healthcare operations stay powered through utility disturbances and fault events.
Inspections, Testing, and Maintenance
Each emergency power system is designed with several components including power sources, transfer switch equipment, load terminals, and fuel storage tanks. Every component that makes up these systems is required to run properly for reliable power. Running proactive maintenance on these systems, including routine inspections and system testing, is required for proper performance. It is important to follow all of the manufacturer’s instructions as well as any specific requirements when performing inspections, testing, and maintenance (ITM).
In general, emergency power systems should be inspected weekly, exercised monthly, and tested at least once every 36 months. For readers who want a deeper look at recent code developments, NFPA offers additional standards information and related resources.
Digitization: Electrical Distribution Network
Monitoring the power quality of the electrical distribution network within hospital infrastructure is critical to understanding the resiliency and reliability of the power distribution within the facility. Power Monitoring can help maximize the reliability of your network and achieve operational efficiencies while maintaining the highest level of patient care.
Monitoring power quality helps facilities analyze, troubleshoot, and make informed decisions through data collection from generation and transmission using a smart grid, which can control and automate demand response and energy efficiency.
Stark Tech helps healthcare organizations strengthen critical power resilience with solutions tailored to complex, mission-critical environments. Our team works alongside healthcare leaders, engineers, and facility teams to design and implement the hardware, software, and professional services needed to support reliable performance across the full lifecycle of critical power systems. From improving business continuity and simplifying compliance to helping protect occupants, operations, and assets, we focus on delivering practical solutions backed by local service and long-term support.
