Vertiv Liebert EXL S1, 250-1200 kW

Vertiv's Americas megawatt UPS at 250-1200 kW, the declared successor to the discontinued Liebert NX 225-600 kVA

Vertiv Liebert EXL S1, 250-1200 kW is one of 22 UPS systems tracked in the SecondWatt catalogue, each with specifications, lead times and indicative secondary-market pricing.

Vertiv Liebert EXL S1 dossier: 250-1200 kW scalable to 9.6 MW, 97% double conversion, predecessor pricing benchmarks, and a used-unit inspection checklist.

Why it matters

The predecessor pricing shows what an EXL S1 will eventually be worth. Refurbished large-frame Liebert cabinets with batteries excluded price at roughly 60 to 130 USD per kVA, with an NXL 750 kVA at 47,945.68 USD or about 64 per kVA. That is the trajectory a 2020s EXL S1 fleet joins once the first retrofit wave hits, and it is far below what the same nameplate commands new.

Who buys it

Large data center, colocation and industrial buyers in the Americas specifying 250 kW to 9.6 MW of conditioned power, and integrators building multi-module systems around a distributed static switch. The practical secondary buyer today is shopping the discontinued predecessors, Liebert NX 225-600 kVA and NXL, where refurbished cabinets do trade.

Role in the data center

Megawatt-class primary UPS for Americas data halls, paralleled up to eight ways with a distributed static switch and an external battery plant.

Key specifications

Technical summary

Ratings: 250-1200 kW in 12 discrete steps; scalable to 9.6 MW in parallel Output power factor: unity; load PF window 0.7 leading to 0.4 lagging without derating Efficiency: up to 97% double conversion; up to 99% Dynamic Online; above 99% ECO Input/output: 480 V three-phase, three-wire; battery bus 480 VDC nominal, 540 VDC float Topology: monolithic, transformer-free, optional distributed static switch on multi-module systems Parallel: up to 8 units Footprint: 79.1 in H x 51.3 in W x 36.0 in D at 1,970 lb (250-400 kW) Footprint: 104.5 in W at 4,667 lb (1000-1200 kW); brochure widths span 51.3 to 128.1 in Battery: lithium-ion, VRLA and VLA from all manufacturers sold by Vertiv Standards: UL 1778 5th ed.; CSA 22.2 No. 107.3; IEC 62040-2; IBC 2015, CBC 2016, ASCE and OSHPD seismic

Pricing and availability

Comparable secondary-market band: 60–130 $ per kVA. Trend: up Lead time, new: 30-48 weeks (static UPS 500-1500 kVA class benchmark). Warranty, used: 1-year typical from refurbishment dealers.

Lifecycle and maintenance

Static UPS cabinets serve roughly 15 years, the figure Mitsubishi publishes directly alongside a lifecycle-parts-or-replace decision at 10-12 years. The wear items are documented: Eaton rates DC bus capacitors at 7 years of continuous duty and up to 10 under favorable conditions, while Vertiv field data gives 6 years for capacitors and 5-6 years or 40,000-50,000 hours for cooling fans. Batteries turn over far faster, at 3-5 years for sealed VRLA and 12-15 for flooded cells. Service life extension programs rebuild the power train inside the original shell, which is why cabinets routinely outlive their electronics.

Common failure points

• Battery strings — VRLA capacity fades below 80% of nameplate and takes the ride-through with it
• DC bus capacitors — Silent open-circuit loss, or a short that pops and sprays electrolyte across adjacent boards
• Cooling fans — Overheating transfers the load to bypass and leaves it unprotected
• Air filters and dust — Restricted airflow raises internal temperature and shortens capacitor life
• Static bypass switch — Failure to transfer strands the load during maintenance or overload
• Controls obsolescence — Discontinued display and logic boards turn a routine repair into a scavenger hunt

Inspection checklist

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 — ohmic readings above 20% of the commissioning baseline condemn the cell Float voltage — verify 2.23-2.27 VPC at 25 degrees C; float current above 3x steady state flags thermal runaway Intercell connectors — thermal image every joint; a delta above 5 degrees C against neighbors triggers a capacity test DC bus capacitors — Eaton rates 7 years of continuous duty (10 optimal); Vertiv field data gives 6 years at 45,000-50,000 h Cooling fans — Vertiv field data gives 5-6 years or 40,000-50,000 hours; listen for bearing noise at the intake Air filters — pull every filter; a clogged element is the best single proxy for a cabinet that ran above 25 degrees C Load bank test — run 100% and 50% load bank steps; load banking is the de facto acceptance standard in this channel Static bypass — transfer to bypass and back under load 3 times; verify the SCR assembly and breaker interlocks Battery inclusion — get cells, cabinets and racks in writing; a battery package can reach 76% of a 30 kVA class deal Firmware and cards — verify current firmware and a working network card per Eaton's 11-point used-UPS guidance Lifecycle stage — check OEM support status; Mitsubishi's 4-stage table is the only dated public one in the category Documentation — manual, factory startup report and service history; Eaton flags 7-10 year units for capacitor work Removal conditions — verify rigging path, door widths and shutdown window; a 225 kVA cabinet runs 3,605-4,805 lb

Procurement channels

New units through Vertiv and its channel, quote-only. Secondary supply in this tier is entirely in the discontinued predecessors, where Gruber Power Services prices refurbished NXL and 610T cabinets with batteries excluded by stated policy.

Regional notes

Americas only. The EXL S1 does not appear on Vertiv's EMEA three-phase lineup, which offers Trinergy at 1500-2000 kW and PowerUPS 9000 in that tier instead.