Vertiv Liebert FPC
Manufacturer: Vertiv
Vertiv's floor-mount 15-300 kVA distribution cabinet with a double-shielded isolation transformer and 42-pole panelboards.
This model is part of SecondWatt’s pdu research catalogue. Specifications and price observations are included where supported by sources. Equipment availability and commercial terms require confirmation.
Vertiv Liebert FPC power distribution cabinet: 15-300 kVA, isolation transformer, 42-pole panelboards, VPMP monitoring, weights and the Liebert TFX successor.
The Liebert FPC is a floor-mount power distribution unit: one factory-assembled cabinet holding a dry-type double-shielded isolation transformer, a main input breaker with shunt trip, output panelboards and a monitoring panel. Vertiv's guide specification covers 15, 30, 50, 75, 100, 125, 150, 200, 225 and 300 kVA, taking 208, 240, 380, 400, 415, 480 or 600 V AC three-phase input at 50 or 60 Hz and delivering a 208/120, 380/220, 400/230 or 415/240 V AC four-wire-plus-ground wye output. The 15-125 kVA cabinet carries two output panelboards and the 150-300 kVA cabinet four, each 42 positions at 225 A behind a 22 kA main. Subfeed breakers of up to three 225 A or 400 A are offered on the 150-300 kVA models.
Naming is where this unit gets filed wrongly. Vertiv catalogues the FPC under power distribution as a power distribution cabinet, and the transformer inside it is what settles the question: the cabinet performs the 480 V to 208/120 V step itself, which is the upstream primary-distribution role, while a remote power panel is defined by manufacturers in this market as a downstream panel that receives power from upstream equipment and splits it into branch circuits. Vertiv's other cabinets in this family carry different letters: the FDC, the rack-oriented RDC, and the panelboard-style Liebert RX, RXA and RXV. On the RPP-versus-PDU line the FPC belongs on the PDU side.
Vertiv marks the FPC discontinued on its US product pages and names the Liebert TFX as the replacement, and catalogues the TFX as a Power Distribution Unit. That matters to a buyer: the FPC now moves through the secondary market and decommissioning channels rather than as a new order, and the TFX is a different machine with a 9-inch touchscreen, up to three 42-pole panelboards, five 600 AF or twelve 250 AF subfeeds and listing to UL 60950-1 and UL 62368-1. The FPC's own guide specification cites UL 1561 for the transformer and UL 60950 for 60 Hz units, with CE marking on the 50 Hz build.
Why it matters
The decision is the transformer. Where the design already presents 415/240 V or 400/230 V at the UPS output, a transformerless cabinet is the right buy and the FPC's isolation transformer is added loss and added weight. Where the design steps 480 V down on the floor, the FPC does that step, provides computer-grade grounding and gives 84 output poles at 15-125 kVA or 168 at 150-300 kVA behind a 22 kA panelboard main, in a 23.5 or 47 inch wide footprint. Vertiv publishes transformer efficiency from 96.3 percent at 15 kVA to 98.2 percent at 300 kVA under the 2016 TP-1 standard.
Who buys it
Data center operators, colocation providers and the contractors serving them, buying the transformer and the branch distribution as a single factory-tested cabinet rather than as a separate transformer, panelboard and monitoring package. The load driving the purchase is rack-level 208/120 V distribution downstream of a 480 V UPS output. Because Vertiv lists the FPC as discontinued, the current buyer is usually matching an installed base, buying spares, or moving a decommissioned cabinet into a second site.
Role in the data center
Floor-standing power distribution cabinet placed downstream of the UPS output distribution or facility LV switchboard and upstream of rack PDUs. It performs voltage transformation/isolation (e.g. 480 V to 208Y/120 V), branch-circuit distribution and metering at the end of, or within, a row of racks. The FPC includes an internal isolation transformer, so it functions as a compact PDU rather than a pure transformerless remote power panel; the transformerless RPP counterpart in the same family is the Liebert FDC, which requires a 4-wire-plus-ground feed from an FPC, PPC or other transformer source.
Key specifications
| kVA ratings | 15, 30, 50, 75, 100, 125, 150, 200, 225, 300 kVA |
|---|---|
| Input voltage options | 208, 240, 380, 400, 415, 480, 600, three-phase V AC |
| Output voltage options | 208/120, 380/220, 400/230, 415/240, three-phase four-wire plus ground, wye V AC |
| Frequency | 50 or 60 Hz |
| Transformer type | Dry-type, double-shielded, three-phase, common-core, convection air-cooled, to UL 1561 |
| Transformer maximum temperature rise | 302 deg F (150 deg C) |
| Transformer impedance | 3.3 to 5.3 percent |
| Transformer efficiency, TP-1 2016 | 96.3 at 15 kVA to 98.2 at 300 kVA percent |
| Main input breaker | Three-pole molded case, sized for 125 percent of full load input current, with shunt trip |
| Main breaker interrupting rating at 480 V AC | 65,000 A RMS symmetrical |
| Output panelboard count | 2 on 15-125 kVA; 4 on 150-300 kVA |
| Output panelboard positions and rating | 42 positions, 225 A, 22 kA short-circuit rating |
| Subfeed breakers, 150-300 kVA | Up to three 225 A or 400 A |
| Cabinet dimensions, brochure | 23.5 W x 38 D x 78.5 H at 15-125 kVA; 47 W x 38 D x 78.5 H at 150-300 kVA in |
| Cabinet dimensions, guide specification | 23.5 W at 15-125 kVA or 47 W at 150-300 kVA, by 39.5 D by 78.5 H in |
| Unit weight, 23-inch cabinet, 60 Hz | 1,010 at 15 kVA; 1,250 at 50 kVA; 1,790 at 125 kVA lb |
| Unit weight, 47-inch cabinet, 60 Hz | 1,900 at 50 kVA; 3,190 at 300 kVA lb |
| Heat rejection at full load | 1,915 at 15 kVA; 7,680 at 100 kVA; 19,400 at 300 kVA BTU/hr |
| Transformer overtemperature alarm and shutdown | 356 deg F (180 deg C) alarm; 392 deg F (200 deg C) automatic shutdown |
| Ground overcurrent alarm, factory default, 15-125 kVA | 5 A |
| Communications | Up to three Liebert IntelliSlot cards; SNMP and Web, Modbus 485, Modbus IP, BACnet IP and MSTP |
| Agency listing | UL 1561 transformer; UL 60950 for 60 Hz units; CE marked for 50 Hz units |
| Operating ambient | 32 to 104 deg F (0 to 40 deg C), 0 to 95 percent relative humidity |
| Convection cooling limit | Convection cooled to 225 kVA |
| Product status | Discontinued, replaced by the Vertiv Liebert TFX |
Technical summary
Capacity range 15 kVA to 300 kVA, 50 Hz or 60 Hz models. Input voltage options 208, 380, 400, 415, 480 and 600 VAC; output options 208Y/120, 380Y/220, 400Y/230 and 415Y/240 VAC. Double-shielded isolation transformer listed to DOE TP-1 efficiency levels. Three-pole molded-case main input breaker with shunt trip, sized at 125 percent of full-load input current, rated 600 VAC, with minimum UL-listed interrupting rating of 65 kA RMS symmetrical at 480 V. One or more individually enclosed 42-pole output panelboards with isolated neutral and ground bus; sub-feed breakers up to three 225 A or 400 A on 150-300 kVA units. Cabinet widths 23.5 in. (584 mm) and 47 in. (1194 mm); the companion FDC cabinet shares the 23.5 in. base footprint. Service access clearance 36 in. (914 mm) for units up to 150 V to ground and 42 in. (1067 mm) for units above 150 V to ground; additional left-side access required when the distribution monitoring option is fitted. Microprocessor power monitor panel with DB-9 setup port and three Liebert IntelliSlot ports; monitoring communication to a centralized Liebert monitoring system over twisted pair up to 3280 ft (1000 m). Transformer overtemperature alarm at 356 F (180 C) with automatic main breaker trip at 392 F (200 C). Convection/natural cooling of the cabinet with published full-load heat output tables per kVA rating. Exact per-model weights and heat rejection figures are in the model-specific datasheet.
Major variations
Liebert FPC family is segmented by capacity band and cabinet size: FPC 15-50 kVA, FPC 50-125 kVA, and FPC 150-300 kVA (all 50/60 Hz variants). Cabinet options are a 23.5 in. wide enclosure and a 47 in. wide enclosure. Distribution variants include inline 42-pole panelboard configurations, Square D I-Line panelboard configurations, and sub-feed breaker configurations (up to three 225 A or 400 A sub-feeds on 150-300 kVA units). Legacy part-number examples seen on the secondary market include FPA22 (150 kVA) and FPA30C150P (300 kVA, 480 V to 208Y/120 V). The companion transformerless remote distribution cabinet is the Liebert FDC; related Vertiv RPP-class products are Liebert RX, RXA and RXV.
Configurations and options
Square D bolt-in or plug-in inline panelboards; GE bolt-in or plug-in inline panelboards; Square D I-Line panelboards; sub-feed breakers (225 A / 400 A classes on larger units); remote emergency power off (EPO) switch with factory removal of the local EPO button; low-voltage control junction box with cable; lightning/surge arrester; floor pedestals for bottom cable entry on non-raised-floor installations; Liebert distribution monitoring (LDM/LDMF) for main and branch circuit monitoring; Current Plus Monitoring (CPM); Vertiv Power Monitoring Panel (VPMP); IntelliSlot Unity communications card supporting SNMP, Modbus and BACnet; top or bottom cable exit (I-Line panelboard with LDMF branch monitoring is bottom exit standard, top exit by special request).
Compatibility and dependencies
Upstream: UPS output distribution, LV switchgear or switchboard providing a dedicated 3-phase feeder sized per NEC and local codes. Downstream: rack PDUs, busway taps and IT loads; can be extended with Liebert FDC cabinets when more than four panelboards are required (additional panelboards ship in separate FDC enclosures). Uses off-the-shelf, industry-standard branch breakers from Square D or GE panelboard lines. Applicable standards and references cited in Vertiv literature include UL listing for the main input breaker interrupting rating, DOE TP-1 transformer efficiency, NEC grounding requirements for computer-grade single-point grounding, and OSHA 29 CFR 1910.333 procedures for energized work. Monitoring integrates with Vertiv/Liebert centralized monitoring and BMS via IntelliSlot cards.
Pricing and availability
Published price range: No OEM list price is published; Vertiv sells the FPC through configured quotation. Observed secondary-market asking prices for used Liebert transformer-based PDUs in the 100-300 kVA class on Surplus Record and similar resale venues generally fall in the approximate range of USD 1,350 to USD 3,500 per unit as-is, with larger or better-equipped units listed higher; these are used, uninstalled, as-is asking prices and are not comparable to new equipment cost. New configured units are widely understood in the trade to be an order of magnitude above used pricing, but no new-unit price range is published.. Directionally upward over the past five years. Drivers documented for this equipment class are copper, steel and electrical-steel input cost inflation, breaker and panelboard component lead-time constraints, and demand pressure from data center construction; Vertiv/Liebert has historically issued list price increases tied to raw material cost movements, an example being a prior Liebert line increase averaging about 5.5 percent attributed to rising material costs. No FPC-specific published price index exists.
Lifecycle and maintenance
Vertiv does not publish an MTBF figure for the FPC in publicly accessible literature. Typical service practice for transformer-based data center PDUs is annual or semi-annual preventive maintenance covering thermographic scanning, torque checks on bus and terminations, breaker exercising, transformer temperature sensor verification and monitoring calibration; Vertiv offers preventive maintenance and performance optimization service contracts covering the FPC. Standard factory warranty for Vertiv power conditioning and distribution products is a limited warranty against defects in material and workmanship; term should be confirmed on the current warranty document. Expected service life for this equipment class is commonly cited in industry practice as 15-25 years for the transformer and enclosure, with monitoring electronics and breakers as the shorter-lived elements; this lifespan figure is not stated by the OEM. Circuit additions require de-energization or documented energized-work procedures per OSHA and local code.
Common failure points
- Isolation transformer windings — Overtemperature alarm at 356 deg F (180 deg C) and automatic shutdown at 392 deg F (200 deg C)
- Ventilation openings and grilles — Restricted convection airflow on a cabinet that Vertiv convection cools to 225 kVA
- VPMP monitoring panel and LCD — Blank or partially failed display, or metering that no longer reports output kWh and power factor
- Liebert IntelliSlot communication cards — Cards removed at decommissioning, leaving no path to the site SNMP, Modbus or BACnet head end
- Main input breaker under the Manual Restart setting — Breaker trips automatically on loss of power, which is configured behaviour rather than a fault
- Panelboard branch terminations — Loose branch breaker and terminal block connections after transport
Inspection checklist
Read the kVA rating, input and output voltage and frequency off the nameplate; the cabinet is built for 208 through 600 V input and four wye outputs, and a 50 Hz CE build is not a 60 Hz UL build. Count panelboards and poles: two 42-position boards at 15-125 kVA, four at 150-300 kVA, each 225 A behind a 22 kA main. Confirm the main input breaker is sized for 125 percent of full load input current and check its interrupting rating against the guide specification's 65,000 A at 480 V AC. Inspect the transformer and ventilation openings for dust and ask when they were last cleaned against Vertiv's six-month to one-year interval. Power the VPMP display and confirm input line-to-line voltage, output kWh, power factor and percent load read. Check which IntelliSlot cards are fitted. Plan rigging from real weight: 1,790 lb at 125 kVA in the 23-inch cabinet, 3,190 lb at 300 kVA in the 47-inch.
Procurement channels
Vertiv direct sales and Vertiv sales offices for configured/engineered orders; Vertiv authorized reseller and partner network (partners are positioned to specify and support full infrastructure solutions); regional value-added resellers and Liebert-authorized representatives such as Power Solutions, Smart Power Works, Electronic Support Systems and Fuller Engineering list the product and quote it. Secondary/gray market supply exists via industrial surplus platforms (Surplus Record, Machinio, eBay) for decommissioned units; these carry no OEM warranty, may lack current monitoring firmware and breaker availability, and should be verified for panelboard type, voltage configuration and AIC rating before purchase.
Regional notes
North America (60 Hz): 480 V or 600 V input to 208Y/120 V output, UL-listed breakers, NEC-compliant grounding and feeder sizing, 42-pole panelboards from Square D or GE. EMEA and APAC (50 Hz): 380/400/415 V input and 380Y/220, 400Y/230 or 415Y/240 V output configurations; IEC/CE-market installations in the region typically use Vertiv Liebert RXA/RXV RPP families, whose guide specifications reference IEC-style conditional short-circuit ratings (Icc up to 100 kA downstream of the main incoming circuit breaker) rather than UL AIC ratings. Some panelboard and high-AIC breaker options are not offered at 380-415 V 50 Hz. Purchasers should confirm regional certification marks (UL/cUL vs CE/IEC 61439) with Vertiv for the specific destination market.