Vertiv Liebert APM2 modular UPS, 10-600 kW
Manufacturer: Vertiv
Vertiv's modular UPS with a silicon carbide hybrid converter, reaching 97.5% double conversion across 10-600 kW
This model is part of SecondWatt’s ups system research catalogue. Specifications and price observations are included where supported by sources. Equipment availability and commercial terms require confirmation.
Vertiv Liebert APM2 dossier: 10-600 kW modular UPS with a silicon carbide converter, 97.5% efficiency, 100 kAIC rating, and a used-unit inspection checklist.
Liebert APM2 is Vertiv's current modular three-phase UPS, sold in the Americas as a UL product at 10 to 150 kVA/kW on 208 V and 20 to 600 kVA/kW on 480 or 415 V, and in EMEA as a 30 to 600 kW 400 V CE product. Output power factor is unity, input power factor is 0.99 at full load, and input current total harmonic distortion sits below 3% on full linear load. Hot-swap power modules come in 15, 30 and 60 kW sizes depending on frame, and up to four units parallel for capacity or system redundancy.
The converter is the technical distinction: a transformer-free three-level IGBT design with a hybrid silicon carbide stage, which is what lifts double conversion efficiency to 97.5% with up to 98.8% in Dynamic Online and up to 99% in ECO. Vertiv names the APM2 alongside the EXL S1, PowerUPS 9000 and Trinergy in its June 2026 application brief for high-step-change compute loads, which describes loads jumping from about 10% to 150% in as little as one millisecond.
No used or refurbished APM2 carries a published price at any dealer, which is the expected result for a recent-generation product whose units have not reached decommission age. The prior-generation Liebert APM at 15 to 90 kVA is still stocked new by at least one dealer, and Vertiv publishes no discontinued banner on the APM page, so the two generations currently coexist without a published succession statement.
Why it matters
Vertiv claims mean time to repair under 30 minutes through hot-swap module replacement, and that is the number a used buyer should test rather than accept. Module-level serviceability is only real if modules are available, so on any secondary APM2 the question is module part availability and populated slot count, not cabinet condition. Vertiv publishes no MTBF or availability figure for the platform.
Who buys it
Data center and enterprise buyers who want capacity added in modules rather than by cabinet replacement, particularly where lithium configurations under 20 kWh keep the installation inside International Fire Code Chapter 12 limits. The 600 kVA integrated-bypass models carry a 100 kAIC short-circuit current rating, which matters where the upstream fault duty is high.
Role in the data center
Primary modular UPS from an edge room at 10 kW to a data hall at 600 kW, configured N+1 in-frame and paralleled up to four ways for capacity or system redundancy. Frames run 78.7 inches high and 23.6 to 39.4 inches wide, so it sits in a plant room rather than a rack, with the battery internal, external or both.
Key specifications
| Rating range | 10-150 at 208 V; 20-600 at 480/415 V kVA/kW |
|---|---|
| Output power factor | 1.0 |
| Double conversion efficiency, brochure headline | up to 97.5 % |
| Dynamic Online efficiency | up to 98.8 % |
| ECO mode efficiency | up to 99 % |
| Power module sizes | 15, 30 and 60 kW |
| Parallel capability | up to 4 units |
| Power module dimensions | 440 x 510 x 87 (26.4 kg) mm |
| Frame footprint | 78.7 H x 23.6-39.4 W x 40.5 D in |
| Short-circuit current rating | 100 (600 kVA integrated-bypass models) kAIC |
| Standards | UL 1778 5th ed., CSA 22.2 No. 107.3, IEC 62040-2, UL 924, UL 9540 |
| Operating temperature | 0-50 (derate above 40) degrees C |
| Warranty | One year limited on three-phase AC power products |
| Double conversion efficiency, data sheet per frame | up to 98.4 on the 208 V 10-60 kW frame; up to 95.7 on the 208 V 60-150 kW frame % |
Technical summary
Ratings: 10-150 kVA/kW at 208 V; 20-600 kVA/kW at 480 or 415 V. Output power factor: unity; input PF 0.99 at full load; input current THD below 3%. Power modules: 15 kW (208 V, 10-60 kW frame), 30 kW, and 60 kW (480 V, 120-600 kW frames). Efficiency: up to 97.5% double conversion; 98.8% Dynamic Online; 99% ECO. Topology: transformer-free three-level IGBT with a hybrid silicon carbide converter. Parallel: up to 4 units for capacity or system redundancy. Footprint: 78.7 in H x 23.6-39.4 in W x 40.5 in D; 208 V frame 328 kg without modules. Power module (208 V, 10-60 kW): 440 x 510 x 87 mm at 26.4 kg. Battery: modular hot-swap VRLA or lithium-ion internal, plus external cabinets; EnergyCore compatible. Standards: UL 1778 5th ed.; CSA 22.2 No. 107.3; IEC 62040-2; UL 924; UL 9540; 100 kAIC SCCR at 600 kVA.
Major variations
Americas UL builds at 10-150 kVA/kW on 208 V and 20-600 kVA/kW on 480 or 415 V, and an EMEA CE build at 30-600 kW on 400 V, each a separate catalogue entry. Power modules come in 15 kW for the 208 V 10-60 kW frame, 30 kW, and 60 kW for the 480 V 120-600 kW frames, so module size follows frame rather than being common across the line. Battery options run modular hot-swap VRLA or lithium-ion internally, external cabinets, and Vertiv EnergyCore lithium, with configurations under 20 kWh used to stay inside International Fire Code Chapter 12 limits. The 600 kVA integrated-bypass models carry a 100 kAIC short-circuit current rating.
Configurations and options
Module size follows the frame rather than the family, which is the interchange trap on this platform: 15 kW modules on the 208 V 10-60 kW frame, 30 kW on the 208 V 60-150 kW and 480 V 20-120 kW frames, and 60 kW on the 480 V 120-300 and 300-600 kW frames. Installed module count against frame rating is therefore the first check. The regional build is a separate catalogue entry, UL at 208 V and 480 or 415 V for the Americas against a 400 V CE build at 30-600 kW for EMEA. Battery configuration runs modular hot-swap VRLA or lithium modules inside the frame, external cabinets, or Vertiv EnergyCore lithium, with lithium arrangements kept under 20 kWh to stay inside International Fire Code Chapter 12. Integrated bypass on the 600 kVA models, UL 924 emergency lighting and OSHPD seismic are further order options.
Compatibility and dependencies
Input and output are 208 V four wire or 480 and 415 V in three or four wire, with an input window of 125-249 V at 208 V and 288-528 V at 480 V before the battery discharges, at 0.99 input power factor and under 3% input current distortion. Four units parallel for capacity or redundancy. The 600 kVA integrated-bypass models carry a 100 kAIC short-circuit current rating, which governs the upstream board they can sit behind. Weights are quoted without modules, 328 kg for the 208 V frame and 638.5 kg for the 480 V 300-600 kW frame, so shipped and installed weight differ substantially; the cabinet is 78.7 in tall, 23.6 to 39.4 in wide and 40.5 in deep, and a 208 V power module is 26.4 kg. The room has to hold 0-50 deg C with derating above 40 and absorb 65 dB(A), or 70 on the 300-600 kW frames. External battery cabinets carry their own installation manuals.
Pricing and availability
Trend: rising Lead time, used or refurbished: No used or refurbished unit listed as of August 2026. Warranty, new: One year limited under Vertiv's three-phase AC power products warranty document SL-71249.. Warranty, used: 1-year typical from refurbishment dealers.
Lifecycle and maintenance
Modular frames outlive their modules: cabinet, bus and static bypass run 15 years or more while the hot-swap power modules carry the fans and DC capacitors that wear, so the question is module hours and module count rather than cabinet age. A 1,500 kW ABB DPA system holds 30 module-level fan and capacitor sets. Eaton rates DC bus capacitors at 7 years of continuous duty and up to 10 in favourable conditions, and Vertiv field data gives 6 years for capacitors and 5-6 years or 40,000-50,000 hours for fans. Batteries turn over far faster, at 3-5 years for sealed VRLA and 12-15 for flooded cells, and spent lead-acid leaves as regulated waste through compliant recycling rather than resale. Eaton's 93PM service life extension program rebuilds the power train inside the existing shell in about 24 hours and resets another 10 years.
Thermal and emissions profile
UPS systems produce no combustion emissions, so the regulatory weight sits on the battery. The 2026 edition of NFPA 855 broadens detection to smoke, thermal-imaging and radiant-energy systems, mandates large-scale fire testing alongside UL 9540A to prove no propagation between adjacent units, and adds a staging exception for batteries held at or below 50% state of charge that matters directly to anyone moving lithium cabinets through a secondary market. Uptime Institute's 2026 outage analysis names lithium-ion batteries in UPS systems as a clear contributor to a gradual rise in major data center fires. Confirm UL 1973, UL 9540A and UL 9540 status on any lithium cabinet, then confirm what the authority having jurisdiction requires to requalify the room.
Common failure points
- Power module population — A frame sold on nameplate ships with fewer modules than the rating implies
- Module fans and capacitors — Consumables sit inside each module, so wear scales with module count not cabinet count
- Battery strings — VRLA capacity fades below 80% of nameplate and takes the ride-through with it
- Missing filler plates — Open slots break the cooling path and signal careless handling
- Live Swap entitlement — A frame without the Live Swap label must be bypassed for any module work
- Controls obsolescence — Controller and display boards reach end of life ahead of the power train
Inspection checklist
Module count: count populated slots against the frame rating; Eaton lists a 4 kVA 9PXM power module at 4,377 USD. Filler plates: Schneider's manual requires a module or filler plate in every slot on a 50 kW module bay. Module consumables: fans and capacitors live inside each module; a 1,500 kW DPA system carries 30 such sets. Live Swap label: verify the physical label; a Galaxy VS or VL without it must be bypassed, at 200 mm standoff. Module part numbers: confirm interchange; Schneider GVPM50KD is 50 kW at 400/480 V and 25 kW at 208 V. Battery age: sealed VRLA turns over at 3-5 years per Eaton lifecycle guidance; assume a full string past that. Battery capacity: reject any string below 80% of nameplate capacity under IEEE 1188 practice. Battery impedance: treat ohmic readings more than 20% above the commissioning baseline as an investigation trigger under IEEE 1188 field practice, then confirm against the battery manufacturer limit for the chemistry before condemning a cell.
Procurement channels
New units through Vertiv and its channel. No refurbishment dealer stocks the APM2; the closest adjacent inventory is the prior-generation Liebert APM at 15 to 90 kVA, stocked new by Gruber Power Services without a public price.
Regional notes
Sold in both North America as a UL product at 208 V and 480/415 V and in EMEA as a CE product at 400 V, listed as separate catalogue entries with separate rating tables. The Americas build cites UL 1778 fifth edition, CSA 22.2 No. 107.3, UL 924 and UL 9540 alongside IEC 62040-2. Vertiv restricts its EMEA product pages to account holders; the EMEA ratings are published in Vertiv's brochure.