Smart electric panels are becoming increasingly popular, especially in homes with solar energy systems. But is a smart panel like the SPAN panel worth it? Let’s take a look at what the SPAN panel offers and whether it’s a good fit for your solar home.
What is a SPAN Panel?
The SPAN panel is a modern, smart replacement for traditional electrical panels. It gives homeowners detailed control over their energy usage, allowing them to monitor and manage every circuit in their home via a smartphone app. With SPAN, you can turn individual circuits on and off, monitor real-time energy consumption, and prioritize circuits during power outages, making it especially valuable when paired with solar and battery systems.
Does a Smart Panel Make Sense for My Home?
For most residential solar installations without batteries, a SPAN smart panel installation might be overkill. In a simple grid-tied solar setup, the system generates solar energy during the day and sends excess power back to the grid. Since the house is always connected to the grid, there’s no need for advanced load management or prioritization, and installing a SPAN panel just to track energy usage could be an expensive option for data collection.
A cheaper option for data collection would be the consumption meters from your inverter company (Enphase, SolarEdge, and most others allow you to monitor your home’s consumption). For a more detailed alternative, Sense home energy monitor could be a great option, and would give more insight into how your energy is used.
An exception to the above would be if you are building a new home. Since about half of the cost of a SPAN panel is in the installation, and you’re already paying for an electrician to install an electrical panel, combining a SPAN as part of your construction plan can save you money down the road, and will give you amazing control & insight into your home’s energy usage.
However, if you’re installing solar with battery backup, that’s where the SPAN panel really shines. When paired with a solar battery-backup system (like the Tesla Powerwall or Enphase IQ Battery), the SPAN panel allows you to manage battery usage more efficiently. You can remotely control which circuits are powered based on how much energy is stored in the battery. For instance, if your battery is running low during an outage, you could turn off non-essential loads (like a water heater or entertainment system) to ensure that critical systems (like your fridge, WiFi or mini-split) continue to run.
Benefits of SPAN with Solar and Batteries
- Real-Time Energy Management: SPAN allows you to monitor and adjust your energy usage circuit by circuit, optimizing how your home uses both solar energy and stored battery power.
- Prioritize Critical Loads: You can program SPAN to automatically shut down non-essential circuits during an outage, extending your battery’s life during prolonged blackouts. For example, on a sunny day, you could allow more appliances to run, but automatically shut off non-critical devices when battery levels drop to preserve power.
- Seamless Integration: SPAN integrates easily with popular battery systems like the Tesla Powerwall and Enphase batteries, offering a seamless way to manage both solar and backup power. With its remote app control, you have full visibility and control over your energy usage, even during grid outages.
How much does it cost?
While the SPAN panel brings great benefits, it does come at a price. The panel itself typically costs around $3,500, plus installation.
If you’re not getting batteries or building a new home, SPAN is probably not worth retrofitting. But for homeowners looking to maximize their solar-plus-storage system, or are building a new home, the SPAN panel’s ability to optimize energy usage and extend battery backup makes it a worthy investment. It can significantly improve how your home uses both solar and stored energy, and gives fantastic insights into where your energy goes, and how to increase efficiency. making it a great addition for solar-powered homes aiming for energy resilience.
