Smart technologies are rapidly becoming commonplace in today’s homes, and your residence’s electrical system may benefit from upgrades soon. Some of the components that are being improved with smart technology are the electrical panel and circuit breakers. Smart breaker panels offer improvements in efficiency, convenience, and safety. They also allow you to better integrate a wide range of smart and traditional technologies into your home’s electrical system.
Understanding Circuit Breakers
A traditional circuit breaker is a simple device. It is a component inside an electrical panel that detects when the load on a circuit has gone past its rating. Typically, circuit breakers are rated by amperage. For example, a kitchen might have a 15-amp circuit dedicated to an electric stove. If the stove turns on and draws more than 15 amps, this is a potential sign that something’s wrong with the appliance. Then, the circuit breaker kicks off and stops the flow of electricity to the outlet. A circuit breaker can control one or multiple outlets, lights, and other systems.
The Role of the Electrical Panel
Your home’s electrical panel serves you by providing banks of circuits, each with a breaker for safety purposes. The big takeaway for homeowners is that the electrical panel centralizes nearly all the electricity in a building. Outside electricity comes into your home, and the electrical panel directs it to where it’s needed. This panel can shut down power to certain areas of your residence as needed.
What Makes a Smart Breaker So Smart?
Many different types of electrical devices can be connected to a smart system to provide more intelligent functionality. You can do this on a device-by-device basis, but the centralization of your home’s electrical system in the main panel and breakers makes that the natural spot for smart technologies. A smart breaker panel provides the maximum level of efficiency, control, convenience, and safety.
A smart breaker panel is an addition that adds greater monitoring and command of the electrical system in your home. Effectively, a small and low-cost computer built into the panel monitors how the system is performing. It also adds functionality, particularly the ability to remotely and securely connect to the panel and individual circuit breakers. The system can automatically turn breakers on and off, and it also can do so when you remotely instruct it.
Compare that to how a traditional circuit breaker works. In a traditional breaker, the circuit only turns off under two conditions. First, the load kicks the circuit off. Second, you manually flip the breaker off. A smart system can take a much more nuanced approach, producing a safer and more efficient electrical system.
The Benefits of Using a Smart Breaker Panel
Efficiency is often a big selling point for homeowners who are looking into smart breaker panels. A smart system offers added efficiency on several fronts. Foremost, you can access the monitoring data that is being stored. While your electric bill might tell you that your household is using way more energy than you’d expect, it isn’t going to help you narrow in on the most inefficient systems like a smart breaker panel can.
Upgrading your electrical panel to a smart breaker panel can tell you which circuits are pulling how much electricity. If you see a specific system unexpectedly driving up your electric bill, you can then target that circuit. For example, corrosion and wear from age can cause appliances to use additional electricity. Using smart data, you might find that your household’s 20-year-old electric dryer is ready to be replaced with something more energy-efficient.
Another benefit of a smart breaker panel is that it allows you to turn off entire circuits while they’re not in use. Nearly all devices draw some power even when they’re not operating. You have the option to go to the panel and turn it off every time, but this isn’t convenient and isn’t ideal for the condition of the circuit breaker. Remotely connecting to the circuit through the smart panel, though, makes it very easy. Also, smart breakers are purpose-built for this use.
This approach is especially useful for targeting low-use situations. You might have a shed or craft room that needs power. Even if you use the space all the time, it still doesn’t need electricity constantly. Using an app on your phone, you can cut the power completely when you’re done. A bonus is that you can target a wide range of circuits when you know you won’t be home for a while. If you’re going on vacation, you might cut off all the circuits except for the ones running to essential systems like your home’s HVAC system, refrigerator, and security system.
Many systems can even automate this process using geolocation technology or occupancy sensors. A smart breaker panel can determine when a room isn’t in use, and appropriate changes will be made. Using a programmed setting, the smart panel can cut the power to a room after a specific time without anyone in it. You can automate the breaker to come on at a specific time of day and turn it off later. For example, you could run the electricity in a home office this way. If you do need power at an unscheduled time, simply connect to the panel through the app on your phone to switch it on.
Plenty of modern smart breaker panels also integrate with devices like voice assistants. Notably, this allows you to chain the circuit coming on to activate a light or device. You might do this with a room with many lights, for example. The net effect significantly reduces inefficiency because the circuit is never on when the lights are not on.
As a newer technology, smart breaker panels also integrate well with other similar emerging systems. The owner of a home EV charging station might want to minimize electrical draw when the system isn’t used. You can easily find a modern smart breaker panel that will accommodate an EV charging station and provide this level of functionality.
Entering the Future
Especially if your home’s electrical panel is coming to the end of its service life, you should consider switching to a smart breaker panel. The same goes for customers with high-demand use cases, concerns about safety, or an interest in maximizing efficiency.
Entering the future is easy for folks in Richmond, VA, and the surrounding areas. If you plan to add a smart breaker panel to your place, trust RVA’s best and contact Davis & Green today to discuss the available solutions. We also offer an array of other electrical services like new wiring, repairs, ceiling fan installations, and EV charging stations. Our plumbing services include drain cleaning, sewer repair, water heater maintenance, and sump pump assistance. We can also address any indoor air quality concerns you have and provide general handyman services.
Reach out to Davis & Green today to schedule an appointment for breaker panel assistance in Richmond.
