Electrical Industry Article

Three years ago, I decided to finally bring my home into the modern age, in terms of its electrical distribution system. Gone was the 50-plus-year-old, 60-amp fuse box (yes, I said “fuse box”), along with the similarly low-capacity line from the pole to the house. In their place, a new 200-amp service line and breaker panel. The old system had actually worked well – I think I only blew two fuses over the previous 15 years. But I was adding a central air conditioning system and wanted to future proof the panel to support a possible electric vehicle charger a few years down the line. I’m definitely happy with the upgrades, but if I were doing the same job today, I might be tempted to future-proof even further.

Today’s top-of-the-line load centers can bring together connections for a standby generator, rooftop solar and battery storage along with circuit breakers traditionally housed in the devices – all within a single box. In addition to providing a more streamlined enclosure, these products also incorporate a range of intelligent technologies, including:

• Smart metering that provides real-time data on energy use and production.
• Load-management capabilities allowing homeowners to prioritize which appliances and circuits are powered by solar energy or battery storage during periods of high demand or grid outages.
• Remote monitoring allowing homeowners to check on operations and adjust settings through a mobile app or web interface – this could be especially helpful for second homeowners.
• Integrations with smart home systems, like Amazon Alexa and Google Home.
  

These capabilities are thanks to new sensors and software that also can enable predictive maintenance features and easier participation in utility demand response programs. As a result, homeowners can benefit from technologies that have helped keep costs down in large commercial buildings for the last decade or two.