Knowledge is Power with SPAN
Some technologies really go the test of time without significant updates- things like a bicycle, lightbulb, or zipper have been a staple of our lives without really changing at all. Your electrical panel is like this too- it’s basically been the same for 100 years.
SunCommon has been installing a whole new kind of electrical panel from SPAN, and it is NOT your grandfather’s panel! It’s a smart-home integration that is a game-changer for whole-home electrification. Read on to learn how SPAN can play a critical role in future-proofing your home and making the most of your solar investment.
What is a SPAN panel?
Every home has an electrical panel- that metal box on a wall in the basement or garage that you only typically touch if you trip a breaker or need to do electrical work. And even then, you’ll likely do what generations of homeowners have done- flip switches back and forth to see which switch controls what electrical needs in your house. A SPAN panel serves the same function, but in a wildly better way. It’s a smart electrical panel that you can control from an app on your phone, offering real-time monitoring and control of individual circuits. SPAN integrates with all of your home’s electrical circuits, including appliances, solar battery backup, heat pump, and EV charger, allowing you to understand and manage energy use.
Your Home SPAN Panel
With a SPAN panel and app, you can level up your whole-home electrification by seeing in real time where the biggest draws of energy are. Armed with this information, you’re able to make decisions about how to reduce your overall energy use. The cheapest and greenest kilowatt hour is the one you never use, and SPAN helps you work toward using less.
SPAN also works with your battery backup during a power outage. You can pre-program which non-essential things should be shut off, ensuring your battery will go the distance during a longer outage, so you don’t have to triage your energy use on the spot in a moment where you might feel under the gun. You can also easily switch where energy is used on the fly- for example, from downstairs to upstairs if you’re turning in for the night- helping to further extend your battery during a longer outage.
We caught up with Michael Ostrander, who was more than happy to tell us all about his SPAN panel and app! When he wanted to add solar panels to his home, he found out that he had load capacity issues with his traditional 220v electric panel, and it would be costly to upgrade to a 440v panel. Graham, a member of SunCommon’s design team, suggested SPAN as a way to better manage his home’s electric load.
Michael has enjoyed the peace of mind of knowing that he doesn’t have to worry about electric load capacity anymore. And since he splits his time between Montreal and Vermont, SPAN has also allowed him to check on the house when he’s not there.
Michael also appreciated the expertise of the SunCommon team, both in finding a solution to his load capacity issues, and in supporting him all the way through to installation. He did have a bit of trouble setting up the app (it wasn’t allowing him to access it via his Canadian Apple account), but said that the SPAN team was also great in helping him work through it.
If you like being in full control of your energy use and having all the data in the palm of your hand, adding a SPAN panel to your electrical system might be just what you need. SPAN helps you make the most of your solar investment and helps you reduce your energy needs.