Residential electrical panels haven’t changed much in the past few decades. The last major change was the switch from fuses to circuit breakers. However, a whole new line of smart electrical panels is hitting the market now. Here’s what you need to know about them so you can decide if it’s an upgrade worth pursuing.
What Is a Smart Electrical Panel?
A smart electrical panel is a network-connected electrical panel with purpose-built hardware and software included. Generally, they allow for remote monitoring, control, and configuration of your panel and its circuits. They enable advanced functionality and granular control over your home’s power usage.
Smart Electrical Panels and Efficiency
Research has demonstrated that smart electrical panels can cut a home’s energy bills by up to 20%. However, that number depends heavily on your usage and panel customizations. According to most users, the main driver of energy reduction is the added visibility provided by a smart panel. For example, they’re great at helping homeowners understand which devices use power and when. They also help identify phantom loads, devices that unexpectedly consume power when you’re not using them. Having that information can help you reduce unnecessary energy use, trimming household electrical bills.
The Complexity of Smart Electrical Panels
One drawback of today’s smart electrical panels is that you must understand their functionality in detail to make effective use of them. After all, if you don’t exploit all of a smart panel’s advanced features, they’re little more useful than a conventional panel. To maximize the benefits, you’ll need to learn the ins and outs of the panel’s app. For maximum effect, you’d likely want to integrate your panel into a home automation platform like Home Assistant. However, that makes the whole process of getting your panel up and running even more complex.
Is a Smart Electrical Panel Worth the Potential Hassle?
There’s no single answer to whether a smart panel is worth investing in. If yours is a fully electrified home, it very well may be. If you own an EV and have at-home charging infrastructure, a smart electrical panel can be extremely useful. The same goes for homes with solar power systems or battery backups. In those cases, the added configurability of a smart panel is well worth the inconvenience of setting one up. It can, for example, enable you to restrict EV charging to off-peak times to maximize cost savings, or it can help you shed unnecessary power loads during grid failures when your home relies exclusively on battery storage.
Now that you know the most important details about smart electrical panels, you can judge for yourself if their benefits outweigh their complexity. And if you think they do, you should consider having one installed right away! When you need electrical panel services in Maui, HI, contact Electric Service of Maui.