Introduction
In hospitals, universities, data centers, and other mission-critical facilities, emergency power systems (EPS) are the ultimate safeguard. When normal utility power fails, your generators and automatic transfer switches (ATSs) must work flawlessly — lives and millions of dollars may depend on it.
The Joint Commission, through its Environment of Care standards, and NFPA 110 (Standard for Emergency and Standby Power Systems) establish strict requirements for testing and documenting EPS performance. These documented test results are often referred to in the field as the “110 report.”
In this article, we’ll explain:
- What the Joint Commission “110 report” actually means
- Why it matters so much for healthcare and other regulated facilities
- How the tests are performed and what data must be logged
- The challenges of manual recordkeeping
- And most importantly — how NovaVue automates the entire process, saving staff time, ensuring compliance, and building a trustworthy historical record
What Is the “110 Report”?
The term “110 report” is shorthand for the documentation and test records required under Joint Commission standards (specifically EC.02.05.07) and NFPA 110.
- NFPA 110 sets the requirements for how standby power systems should be designed, tested, and maintained.
- The Joint Commission enforces those requirements in accredited hospitals and healthcare systems.
- Together, they require that every ATS and generator be tested regularly, under load, with documented results.
The “110 report” is essentially the audit trail that proves you tested the system properly and that it performed within required limits.
Why It Matters
This isn’t just paperwork. A proper 110 report matters for four major reasons:
- Accreditation & Compliance
- Joint Commission surveyors will review these logs during inspections. Missing or incomplete records can lead to findings or even threaten accreditation.
- Patient & Occupant Safety
- Regular tests prove your EPS is ready when it matters most. If a failure occurs during a real outage, consequences can be life-threatening.
- Operational Reliability
- Testing catches problems early: dead batteries, fouled injectors, failing transfer switches. Fixing them during maintenance is cheaper than during an emergency.
- Auditability & Transparency
- Having clean, timestamped, historical records protects your organization against regulatory or legal challenges.
In short: without a credible 110 report, you’re running blind.
How the Tests Are Run
Test Frequencies
Different tests occur on different schedules. Here’s a quick summary:
| Frequency | Requirement | Details |
| Weekly | Visual inspections | Fuel, oil, batteries, ATS status. |
| Monthly | Load test ≥ 30 minutes at ≥ 30% nameplate | Test must start by simulating power loss so ATS initiates transfer. |
| Annual | Extended test at higher load | Typically ≥ 50% load for 30 minutes or ≥ 75% for 1 hour. |
| Triennial (36-Month) | 4-hour continuous test | At least 30% load for 3 hours, 75% load for 1 hour. |
Best practice: rotate which ATS initiates the monthly test so all switches are exercised over time.
What Must Be Logged
A valid 110 report must include:
- ATS & Generator Identification (unique IDs, location, branch served)
- Timestamps:
- Normal power loss (simulated)
- Generator start signal
- ATS transfer to emergency
- Load acceptance
- Retransfer to normal
- Generator Load Profile:
- % of rated load
- Voltage, current, frequency
- Engine vitals (oil pressure, water temp, battery status)
- Transfer Timing:
- Delay from outage to start
- Delay from generator online to transfer
- Time to retransfer back
- Operator Notes: anomalies, corrective actions
- Pass/Fail Criteria: Did the test meet NFPA 110 requirements?
- Signatures & Approvals
If any of these are missing, an inspector may rule the test invalid.
Real-World Challenges with Manual Reporting
Traditionally, a technician stands by with a clipboard and stopwatch during each test. This process is:
- Time-consuming: Staff must be present for 30 minutes to 4 hours per test.
- Error-prone: Handwritten times, illegible notes, or forgotten steps are common.
- Incomplete: If a real outage happens without staff present, valuable data is lost.
- Inefficient: Aggregating logs into reports for surveyors takes hours.
- Risky: Missing data points can lead to Joint Commission findings.
For large hospitals with dozens of ATSs, manual reporting can consume hundreds of labor hours per year.
How NovaVue Automates the 110 Report
NovaVue transforms this from a manual, paper-heavy chore into a digital, automated, auditable process.
1. Continuous Monitoring
- NovaVue connects to ATSs and generators via Modbus, BACnet, SNMP, or direct protocols.
- States (Normal, Emergency, Transfer, Retransfer) are monitored in real time.
- Generator load, voltage, current, and engine data are captured automatically.
2. Scheduled & Event-Based Testing
- Schedule tests directly in NovaVue (monthly, annual, triennial).
- If a real outage occurs, NovaVue automatically records it as a valid test event if it meets criteria.
3. Automatic Data Logging
- Every event is timestamped with millisecond accuracy.
- No more manual stopwatches or clipboards.
- All data is archived in a secure, searchable database.
4. Report Generation
- At the end of a test, NovaVue automatically generates a Joint Commission–compliant 110 report:
- ATS ID and generator details
- Event timeline with precise timestamps
- Load profile graphs
- Transfer times
- Pass/fail indicators
- Operator notes and digital signatures
5. Historical Recordkeeping
- Reports are automatically archived, versioned, and accessible.
- Compare test results over months and years to spot trends (e.g., slower transfer times, declining load capacity).
6. Audit-Ready Evidence
- During a Joint Commission survey, simply pull up the digital archive.
- No missing entries, no messy handwriting — just clean, consistent, compliant reports.
Example Use Case: Hospital Emergency Power System
Imagine a hospital with:
- 8 generators
- 25 automatic transfer switches
- 2.5 million square feet of facility space
Traditional approach: Dozens of staff hours per month logging tests, manually typing reports, filing paper logs.
With NovaVue:
- All ATS/generator events logged automatically.
- Monthly, annual, and triennial test reports generated instantly.
- Staff time reduced by 80% or more.
- Historical archive ensures zero risk during Joint Commission survey.
Final Thoughts
The Joint Commission “110 report” isn’t optional. It’s the proof that your emergency power system will work when lives are on the line. But doing it manually drains resources and invites errors.
By continuously monitoring ATS states and generator data, NovaVue automates the entire process:
- No clipboards.
- No missed data.
- No stressful audits.
Just clean, compliant, audit-ready reports — every time.
That’s the power of modern, cloud-based energy and power monitoring. That’s NovaVue.