Notify You of Any Electrical Flaws or Problems
Smart electrical panels are internet connected and this connection gives them the ability to reach you anywhere in the world. Often accompanied by a proprietary smartphone app, a smart panel can send you a notification when something goes wrong. If a circuit becomes overloaded, trips and shuts off, the panel will immediately notify you about what happened. If a short kills power to part of your home, the panel will let you know. As long as your internet connection is active, these systems will be your constant eyes and ears over your entire electrical system.
Some smart panels can even go a step further and notify you if they detect anything that might be slightly concerning. For example, if your panel notices that one particular circuit is using far more energy than it typically does, it will notify you so you can look into the issue. If there is an easy explanation, then you can continue about your day. If not, call us to schedule an inspection or repair.
Monitor Energy Consumption in Real Time
Smart panels often give you the ability to track your energy consumption and monitor it in real-time. These panels have sensors that accurately keep track of how much power your home uses at any given moment, and can store this data to make it easily accessible later. This can help you spot trends in energy consumption, see areas where you can improve and figure out what parts of your home are typically using the most energy. And this data is typically easily readable through an online cloud service or a smartphone app. The ability to track your energy consumption can save you hundreds of dollars every monthandmdash;when you consider that California has some of the highest energy prices in the nation, itandrsquo;s easy to see how even a small change can make a big difference.
Separate Your Home from the Grid for Safety
If your home is connected to the public energy grid, it is required for your power to go out in the event of a power outage. However, for those who have invested heavily in backup power like a standby generator, home battery or solar energy system, the last thing you want to do is sit around in the dark. So why should you have to suffer? The reason is because any power that continues to flow through your home would make its way back to the grid - and that could be dangerous for anyone or anything that might be touching a power line at that moment.
Some smart power panels take care of this issue for you. They can temporarily disconnect themselves from the main power grid, turning your homeandrsquo;s electrical system into a self-contained “island.” That gives you the ability to fire up your generator or flip on your battery backup system and take advantage of the power available to you. For those who absolutely need their energy for things like food and medicine storage, this capability can, quite literally, be life-saving.
Take Control in the Event of a Blackout
Speaking of power outages - during an outage youandrsquo;ll want to be able to carefully select where your emergency power goes. With a limited supply, youandrsquo;ll want your most important devices to have priority, including lights in main rooms and appliances responsible for safety. With a smart electrical panel, you can choose exactly what areas of your home get this electrical priority and limit your power to those spots. That means youandrsquo;ll be able to keep unimportant or unnecessary rooms and appliances shut down and keep what you need properly powered. This kind of flexibility greatly increases how long your emergency power supply can last, reduces strain on backup generators and prevents you from making the arduous trek around your home to unplug everything that isnandrsquo;t necessary before turning on the emergency power.
Interested in installing a smart energy panel in your home? Get help from a qualified, licensed expert, like the ones at Valley Heating, Cooling, Electrical and Solar! Call us at (408) 868-5500 today.