Vertiv PSI5-1500RT120LITAAN Lithium-Ion 1500VA 2U Rack/Tower Line-Interactive UPS
Overview
The Vertiv PSI5-1500RT120LITAAN is a 1500VA/1350W line-interactive UPS built around a lithium-ion battery pack — a meaningful departure from traditional VRLA designs in a 2U rack/tower form factor. It ships with the RDU120 card pre-installed, giving you SNMP and web management without an add-on purchase. For surveillance infrastructure, edge networking, and distributed security equipment rooms that need reliable runtime and remote monitoring without a dedicated UPS management budget, this unit earns its rack space.
The PSI5-1500RT120LITAAN (often searched as PSI5 1500RT120LITAAN) targets environments where cabinet real estate is tight, battery service intervals matter, and the cost of an unplanned outage — lost NVR footage, offline access controllers, dropped VoIP — exceeds the cost of proper power protection. Browse the full Vertiv power protection line to compare runtime and capacity options across the PSI5 family.
Key Features
- 1500VA / 1350W Lithium-Ion Chemistry: Li-ion batteries tolerate more charge cycles and a wider temperature range than VRLA. Practical result: longer service life, lighter weight, and front-accessible hot-swap battery kits that don't require a full cabinet pull-down at replacement time.
- Line-Interactive Topology with Automatic Voltage Regulation: The unit corrects incoming voltage between 75–146VAC without switching to battery. Facilities with chronic under/over-voltage (older buildings, generator-fed circuits) burn through runtime on minor events — AVR eliminates most of that draw-down, preserving battery for actual outages.
- Pure Sine Wave Output on Battery: Active PFC power supplies — standard in modern servers, NVRs, and managed switches — require pure sine wave under battery conditions. Modified-wave units cause overloads, fan noise, and shortened PSU life on this class of equipment. The PSI5 delivers clean output regardless of input condition.
- RDU120 Card Pre-Installed — SNMP and Web Management Ready: Most UPS units ship as dumb boxes and require a separate card purchase plus installation. The included RDU120 puts SNMP traps and a web dashboard online immediately. Pair with your NMS or BMS to get battery health, load percentage, and runtime estimates without walking the rack.
- Wide Input Range (75–146VAC): A 71-volt correction window handles most brownout conditions that would collapse a narrower UPS. Particularly relevant for installations on shared circuits with HVAC or motor loads that cause regular sag.
- Rotatable LCD Display: The control panel physically rotates to orient correctly whether the unit is deployed in tower or rack configuration — no guessing at upside-down status screens during a late-night troubleshooting call.
- Hot-Swappable Batteries, Front Access: Replacing batteries without pulling cables or sliding the unit out of a populated 2U slot is a real operational difference in dense racks. No maintenance window needed for battery swap in most deployments.
- TAA Compliance: Qualifies for GSA Schedule and federal procurement requiring Trade Agreements Act compliance — a hard gate for government security integrations that non-TAA units can't pass regardless of price.
- Six 5-15R Output Receptacles: Six outlets on a 1500VA unit is a reasonable load distribution for a small NVR stack, a PoE switch, and a firewall without needing a PDU between the UPS and the equipment.
Integration and Compatibility
Input wiring is a standard NEMA 5-15P plug, compatible with any standard 15A branch circuit. Output is six NEMA 5-15R receptacles. The optional Liebert IntelliSlot UNITY card expands protocol support beyond the pre-installed RDU120 for environments requiring deeper EMS integration. The USB port enables local management and graceful OS shutdown via compatible software. An EPO connector is available for facilities requiring emergency power-off integration with building systems.
Operating temperature range of 0–40°C (32–104°F) covers typical IDF/MDF and security equipment rooms. Listings include UL 1778, c-UL-us, FCC Part 15 Class B, and UN38.3 — the last being the lithium battery transport certification required for air freight.
For PoE switch infrastructure deployments, pair with appropriately rated rack PDUs if load distribution across more than six devices is needed. See the UPS selection guide for sizing runtime calculations based on your connected load.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Is the PSI5-1500RT120LITAAN TAA compliant?
A: Yes. The PSI5-1500RT120LITAAN carries TAA compliance, making it eligible for GSA Schedule and federal procurement vehicles that require Trade Agreements Act conformance.
Q: Does the PSI5-1500RT120LITAAN output pure sine wave on battery?
A: Yes. It delivers pure sine wave output when running on battery — required for active PFC power supplies found in modern servers, NVRs, and managed network equipment. Modified sine wave UPS units can cause overload conditions and reduced PSU lifespan on this class of hardware.
Q: What communications interfaces are included?
A: The unit ships with the RDU120 card pre-installed, enabling SNMP and web management out of the box. USB and EPO connectors are also present. An optional Liebert IntelliSlot UNITY card can be added for expanded protocol support.
Q: Can the PSI5-1500RT120LITAAN be deployed in both rack and tower orientations?
A: Yes. The 2U form factor supports both rack and tower installation. The LCD control panel rotates to remain legible in either orientation.
Q: Are the batteries hot-swappable?
A: Yes. Battery kits are front-accessible and hot-swappable, meaning replacement does not require powering down connected equipment or removing the unit from the rack.
Q: What input voltage range does the PSI5-1500RT120LITAAN support without switching to battery?
A: The automatic voltage regulation circuit handles 75–146VAC on a nominal 120VAC input without drawing on battery reserves. This 71-volt window covers most brownout and over-voltage conditions on commercial branch circuits.
The PSI5-1500RT120LITAAN is one of the few 1500VA units in its class that ships TAA-compliant with lithium-ion chemistry and a management card already seated — that combination eliminates three separate line items from a typical federal or state government security room BOM. The 98.6% efficiency rating also matters in always-on deployments: at 1350W continuous draw, the heat and energy waste difference between this unit and a 90%-efficient competitor adds up fast across a multi-rack installation.
Technical Highlights:
- AVR Window (75–146VAC): A 71-volt correction range means the unit handles real-world branch circuit variance — generator handoffs, HVAC startup sag, shared circuit brownouts — without touching the battery. Most VRLA-based competitors in this class run a 20–30V narrower window.
- Li-Ion Hot-Swap Batteries: Front-access, hot-swappable battery kits mean a technician can service the battery mid-shift without a maintenance window. On 24/7 surveillance infrastructure, that's a significant operational advantage over rear-access or slide-out designs.
- RDU120 Pre-Installed: SNMP and web management come active on day one. In distributed security deployments with dozens of edge sites, being able to poll battery health and runtime from a central NMS without site visits justifies the inclusion cost alone.
Deployment Considerations:
- Output is six NEMA 5-15R receptacles — sufficient for a compact NVR, switch, and firewall stack, but plan a PDU if you're protecting more than six devices or need 5-20R receptacles for higher-draw equipment.
- Operating ceiling is 40°C (104°F): adequate for conditioned IDFs but watch deployments in uncooled closets or outdoor cabinets with solar gain — lithium-ion chemistry degrades faster at the top of its temperature envelope than VRLA does.
This unit is best positioned for government security installations, healthcare access control rooms, and commercial surveillance head-end closets where TAA compliance is a hard requirement, battery serviceability matters, and the RDU120 replaces what would otherwise be a separate network management card purchase.
