SPAN! Raising the Bar in ‘Smart’ Home Electrical Panels
“Smart” technology continues to make advancements in a wide range of home applications, from heating and cooling, to hot water, lighting, kitchen and laundry appliances, and more. Not to be forgotten, electrical service panels are also part of this smart device revolution.
In this post, we’ll take a look at a promising and versatile electrical service panel that our team at Save Home Heat Company is seeing increased interest in from our customers in the Denver-Boulder metro and North area: the SPAN panel.
What is the SPAN Electrical Panel?
While smart service panels aren’t new to the industry, the SPAN panel is a very advanced electrical panel that not only provides high-level, Wi-Fi-connected monitoring and management of a home’s electrical system and all its circuits, it can also support a versatile, efficient EV charging system, manage and optimize photovoltaic battery systems, and more.
An internet connection is required to use and control the SPAN panel and take advantage of its features. Using a mobile app, it connects via ethernet or Wi-Fi and contains a default feature that automatically switches to cellular backup, when necessary and if available. If this heightened connectivity doesn’t sound like a good fit for your personal comfort zone, there are other high quality panel upgrade options well worth considering – if an upgrade is needed.
What Makes SPAN Panels Different?
The following words and phrases may come to mind when reviewing the features of the SPAN panel: state-of-the-art, innovative, electrically efficient, versatile, renewable energy focused and coordinated, and forward thinking. In a sense, you can think of the SPAN panel as ‘future-proof.’ Please read on for more details.
But First: Who Is SPAN?
Span.IO Inc. was founded in 2018 by former Tesla Energy engineer Arch Rao with the goal of revolutionizing home electrical systems with innovative smart electrical panels, and better addressing future needs. Rao recognized that traditional electrical panels are not equipped to support the growing adoption of solar energy and battery storage systems.
Per the manufacturer, SPAN’s smart panels are designed to address the challenges of rising energy demands in homes, providing consumers with better control over their energy usage, promoting efficiency and savings, while embracing solar electric technology as an important wave of the future. One of SPAN’s key goals is to support the objectives of the Inflation Reduction Act, which aims to reduce carbon emissions by 40% by 2030.
SPAN Panel Features & Benefits
SPAN electrical service panels represent the current state-of-the-art in home electrical system control and management, while offering a range of other advanced features. Here’s an overview of key features and benefits provided by these sophisticated service panels; first, a few basics:
- Flexible & versatile – More advanced, flexible, and versatile than other residential smart electrical panels currently available
- 32 circuit capability – Can handle many whole-home applications with a single panel
- Monitoring & control – Monitoring and control for each individual circuit in the home
- Uses standard circuit breakers – No fancy, expensive, proprietary breaker switch upgrades needed
- Internet-connected gateway – As mentioned above, internet connection is required to operate the SPAN panel. Supported connectivity currently includes Wi-Fi, ethernet, and cellular LTE
- Highly accurate electrical metering – 0.5% energy metering accuracy
Photovoltaic solar enhancements
SPAN panels are also strongly oriented toward days when renewable energy systems will be more commonplace. Here’s some highlights:
- Provides photovoltaic collection system real-time monitoring
- Increases efficiency and available power from solar storage batteries
- Greater flexibility and ease in directing solar storage power to different electrical circuits
- Compatible with many leading battery systems, including Tesla Powerwall, Enphase IQ, FranklinWH, and more than 90% of pre-existing and new solar storage battery systems
Advanced EV charging
Ultra-fast electrical vehicle charging can be achieved with the addition of the SPAN Drive Level 2 EV Charging System to a SPAN panel. “The smartest Level 2 EV charger on the market,” according to the manufacturer. There’s more aspects to the SPAN Drive System, including programming features, but we’ll quit while we’re ahead. Please feel free to ‘Google it’ and read more before you reach out to our team for an installation quote.
Energy Saving Insights
SPAN panels also provide a range of energy-saving insights and energy management software via the app. These allow you to analyze the impact of your home’s energy use on your bill, as well as utilize solar power more efficiently. SPAN software undergoes periodic updates as the manufacturer continues to advance the system’s capabilities and fine tune and expand its features.
Ratings & Certifications of SPAN
Electrical Panels
SPAN panels don’t cut any corners when it comes to meeting industry electrical standards and safety certifications. Here’s a sampling of how they measure up:
Specifications:
- 100 to 200 amp main breaker/electrical service capacity
- Bus rating 225 amps
- 120/240 VAC grid voltage
- Provides (32) standard 1” circuit breaker slots
Certifications:
- UL (United Laboratories) power control system certification UL 1741 PCS – plus several other UL safety and performance certifications, including UL 67, UL 916, and UL 869A
- NEMA (National Electrical Manufacturers Association) 3R rated for both indoor and outdoor installation
- FCC (Federal Communications Commission) Part 15 Class B
- National Electrical Code (NEC) compliant
Learn More About Installing SPAN Panels in the Denver Metro, Boulder
& North Area
Our electrical team at Save Home Heat Company is here to help you find the right solutions for your home and family. All of our electrical work is performed in-house by our licensed electrical crews, and is fully overseen and coordinated by our staff licensed Master Electrician. Save Home Heat is a member in good standing of the highly respected industry training and standards association, Independent Electrical Contractors Rocky Mountain (the IECRM). All installation quotes are highly informative, low-pressure, and free.
To learn more about SPAN panels or for any of your home electrical needs, please reach out to our team at Save Home Heat Company today.