Simplex Saturn Version 2.0

Simplex 1,400 to 3,200 kW resistive stationary load bank, Type 3R rated outdoors end to end

Simplex Saturn Version 2.0 is one of 16 load banks tracked in the SecondWatt catalogue, each with specifications, lead times and indicative secondary-market pricing.

Simplex Saturn Version 2.0 resistive load bank, 1,400 to 3,200 kW, Type 3R outdoor, 25 kW step. Specs, inspection points, failure modes and pricing.

The Saturn Version 2.0 is Simplex's large stationary resistive load bank, built in ten discrete ratings from 1,400 kW to 3,200 kW. Version 2.0 is Simplex's own designation rather than a reseller tag, carried on the product page and on a Simplex-hosted Saturn-V2.0 connection diagram that matches the same Mars and Neptune V2.0 document pattern. The unit is resistive only, so every capacity figure is kW at unity power factor. There is no kVA rating and no power-factor caveat to read. Type 3R covers the power section and the control section alike, and that pairing is the buying argument. An outdoor-rated control section means a pad or roof install with no interior heat load, no ducting and no separate indoor control room. A 3,200 kW resistive load rejects 3,200 kW of heat, so the alternative is finding somewhere inside the building to put it. Cooling is integral forced air at 60,000 CFM behind a 30 HP direct-drive motor turning a cast aluminium blade. Load resolution is 25 kW standard, sequenced 25-25-50-100-100-250 kW, with branch contactors capped at a 50 kW circuit maximum. At the top rating that is 0.78 percent of full scale, from 25 divided by 3,200, and 1.79 percent at 1,400 kW. Simplex publishes no finer optional resolution for the Saturn, which is a real gap against its own Mars-HV in the same catalogue.

Why it matters

A standby generator that has never seen real load is an unproven asset. The Saturn puts the whole plant under controlled resistive load at 25 kW granularity, outdoors, whenever the schedule calls for it. Because it is resistive and rated in kW, dollars per kW compares directly against an Avtron 4900 or any other resistive unit in the class, which is rare at this size where most machines are quoted in kVA at a stated power factor.

Who buys it

Sites with a standby plant in the 1.4 to 3.2 MW class that want a permanently wired load for periodic full-load exercise, so the monthly and annual loaded runs happen without mobilising rental iron or trailing cable through a live building. Data centre operators, hospitals and campus utilities are the core buyers. Generator test cells running continuous full-load acceptance buy it too.

Role in the data center

Permanently installed generator exercise at plant scale. Wired to the emergency bus so monthly and annual loaded runs happen without rental mobilisation or cable through a live building. It also serves integrated systems testing during commissioning, where a fixed outdoor bank can hold a full-load block for hours while the rest of the campaign moves around it. The 25 kW step is appropriate for loading a generator through its rated points but coarse for fine UPS work, where the Mars-HV optional 1 kW resolution is the better tool.

Key specifications

Technical summary

Rating type: resistive only, kW at unity power factor. Capacity: 1,400 / 1,500 / 1,600 / 1,700 / 1,800 / 2,000 / 2,250 / 2,500 / 3,000 / 3,200 kW. Load step: 25 kW standard, sequence 25-25-50-100-100-250 kW. Branch circuits: 50 kW maximum per branch, 200 kAIC current-limiting fuses. Voltages 60 Hz: 208, 220, 240, 416, 440, 450, 460, 480, 575, 600 V. Voltages 50 Hz: 190, 200, 208, 380, 400, 416 V. Cooling: integral forced air, 60,000 CFM, 30 HP direct-drive motor. Enclosure: Type 3R rainproof power section plus Type 3R control section. Elements: Powr-Web open wire, helically wound, chromium alloy. Control: on-board PLC with touchscreen HMI, manual keypad entry standard. Control fusing: 100,000 AIC, 600 V rated. Listing: UL and CUL Listed, File E151624.

Major variations

Saturn Version 2.0 is the base outdoor Type 3R unit at 1,400 to 3,200 kW. Saturn-HV is the medium-voltage sibling at 1,500 to 3,000 kW behind a 1,500 to 3,000 kVA dry-type step-down transformer with a high-voltage delta three-wire primary and a 480 V wye four-wire secondary. Simplex also documents a sound-attenuated variant it calls the Quiet Saturn, rated 1,500 to 3,200 kW, offered up to 690 VAC low voltage and up to 15 kV medium voltage, with published sound levels of 65.5 to 82 dBA across measurement points. Its document filename reads Saturn-XQ while the body text reads Quiet Saturn, so treat XQ as an internal document code. The base product page separately lists an indoor and sound attenuation enclosure option, and Simplex does not state whether that option and the Quiet Saturn are the same thing.

Configurations and options

Published options are auto-load regulation, regenerative power protection, building management system control, Modbus TCP, multiple remote stations, and an indoor or sound attenuation enclosure. Construction is modular three-part with a powder-coated dark grey finish. Control is the D-Series digital controller, which Simplex describes as standard across its entire stationary load bank line, using Modbus RTU over RS-485 or Ethernet with a colour TFT touch panel. Optional Auto-Test software adds automated testing with data acquisition, report generation and pass-fail results.

Compatibility and dependencies

Low-voltage connection only, at one of the published 50 Hz or 60 Hz voltages; a medium-voltage bus needs the Saturn-HV instead. Branch fusing must be 200 kAIC current-limiting at each 50 kW branch and control fusing 100,000 AIC at 600 V. Siting drives the rest. Vertical airflow at 60,000 CFM needs clearance at the bottom intake and above the exhaust hood, and recirculation into the intake derates the unit immediately. Automatic load levelling depends entirely on kW feedback from the metering package, so metering faults disable it.

Pricing and availability

Comparable secondary-market band: 49.78–70.54 $ per kW. Trend: stable No Saturn price history exists to trend. Load banks above roughly 250 kW are sold entirely by quotation, and every dealer carrying the Saturn quotes contact for pricing as of 31 August 2026. One structural pattern is worth carrying. New dollars per kW falls steeply with size while used dollars per kW does not, so in the 1.5 to 3 MW class the two overlap and a buyer shopping a 2 MW unit can find used asking prices above new list. Verify a used ask against a fresh new quote before treating it as a saving. Lead time, new: Simplex runs a Quick Ship stock list that tops out at the 700 kW Electra in stock and the 650 kW Neptune at 4 to 6 weeks, and the Saturn appears in neither tier, which is consistent with build to order. Quotations are firm for 60 days, delivery dates are estimates only at issue, and non-standard equipment carries a minimum 10 percent non-refundable down payment with progress payments of 10 percent at engineering and 25 percent at production release.. Lead time, used or refurbished: Simplex's factory-certified used equipment list covers six models and does not include the Saturn, so there is no manufacturer refurbished route with a stated delivery time. Power Generation Enterprises has moved a pre-owned Saturn 2000 kW, item A8504, now marked sold.. Warranty, new: 12 months from date of shipment from the factory, covering repair or replacement of parts defective in material or workmanship under normal service. An optional two-year field service warranty runs 24 months, includes materials and labour by Simplex technicians, is limited to the 48 contiguous states and excludes start-up services.. Warranty, used: Simplex's standard warranty runs from date of factory shipment, so a resold unit carries no manufacturer term unless one is negotiated separately..

Lifecycle and maintenance

Simplex publishes no MTBF, no design life in hours and no element life figure for the Saturn. Warranty is 12 months from factory shipment, with an optional two-year field service warranty running 24 months, available in the 48 contiguous states only and excluding start-up services. The published schedule is short. Each operation: check intake, fan, cooling chamber and exhaust for obstruction, inspect blades for stress fractures, check branches for blown fuses or open resistors, and confirm the three line currents are essentially equal. Every 50 hours or 6 months: tighten all electrical connections and lubricate fan bearings, sooner on units moved over the road. Grease is polyurea NGLI grade 2, relubricated between 3 years and 3 months standard and 1 year to 1 month in severe service. A 3,200 kW run held four hours moves 12,800 kWh through the elements at 60,000 CFM of vertical airflow.

Thermal and emissions profile

No on-site combustion and no direct emissions. Permanently installed outdoors and rated 1,400–3,200 kW, it rejects the full applied load as heat to atmosphere through vertical discharge. Because the unit exists to exercise generators at full load on a schedule, the recurring emissions of the programme are the generator's fuel burn, not the load bank.

Common failure points

• Resistor elements — Output more than 5 percent below rated, or phase imbalance across A-B, B-C and C-A
• Cooling fan and overload relay — Fan failure or fan overload indicated, or fan will not run
• Exhaust and intake temperature — High exhaust or high intake temperature alarm during a run
• Branch circuit fuses — One or more 50 kW steps contribute nothing when called
• Thermocouples — Open thermocouple indicated on the HMI
• Metering and current transformers — Voltage zero or imbalanced, current zero, kW low or negative
• PLC and touchscreen HMI — Dark screen, PLC-prefixed error codes, or run-time errors such as SRAM checksum failure

Inspection checklist

Phase-to-phase resistance: measure A-B, B-C and C-A; Simplex requires all 3 readings balanced, and an outlier means open elements. Delivered kW against nameplate: Simplex flags anything more than 5 percent below rated as a defect to investigate. Voltage correction before judging output: apply kW rated multiplied by input volts over rated volts squared; 460 V on a 480 V unit gives 91.8 percent legitimately. Branch circuit fuses: confirm every 50 kW branch carries 200 kAIC current-limiting fuses, not a fitting substitute. Control circuit fuses: verify 100,000 AIC at 600 V rating on the control side. Fan motor nameplate: must read 30 HP for a Saturn; a different motor means the unit was rebuilt. Airflow path: confirm 60,000 CFM is unobstructed at both the bottom intake and the top exhaust hood.

Procurement channels

New through Simplex and its distributors. SteadyPower carries the full Simplex line including Saturn 1400-3200kW and publishes no figure for any of it. The used channel exists but publishes almost nothing at this size. Power Generation Enterprises has moved a pre-owned Saturn 2000 kW, item A8504, now marked sold with no price shown, Surplus Record also carries a Saturn-1050. Simplex's own factory-certified used equipment list does not include the Saturn, so there is no manufacturer refurbished path for this model. Rental is a genuine alternative at this size.

Regional notes

Built in Springfield, Illinois, and sold f.o.b. Springfield with the buyer paying freight. Storage and handling charges accrue to the purchaser on material held past the original ship date. The extended two-year field service warranty is limited to the 48 contiguous states, so Alaska, Hawaii and export buyers get the standard 12-month term only. Both 50 Hz and 60 Hz voltage sets are published, so the unit is specifiable outside North America.