It’s always a good idea to check your electrical panel for any potential issues or hazards. When was the last time you took a look? Many people only open their panels to reset breakers after something goes wrong or after a power outage. It might be time to upgrade if your electrical panel is outdated and difficult to navigate. SPAN offers an innovative solution—their smart panel allows you to easily monitor and manage your energy consumption. But is this the right option for you?
SPAN Smart Electrical Panel, What is it?
The SPAN smart electrical panel is an advanced home monitoring system that enables homeowners to monitor, manage and conserve energy easily. With the SPAN mobile app, users can access real-time data about their energy consumption and adjust settings to optimize efficiency. The SPAN system also works with the SPAN Drive to give users increased control over electric vehicle charging so they can decide how much power to use during the process.
How much is a SPAN breaker panel?
SPAN’s smart panel and accompanying app can come at a cost – the panel itself costs $3,500 before installation and shipping costs. For an extra $450, SPAN offers a version of their panel that includes a built-in utility power meter, though this is not yet available for purchase. In comparison, traditional electrical panels with no smart features are usually cheaper, ranging from $850 to $2,500. So is the span smart panel cost justified? Keep reading for our span smart panel review.
The SPAN electrical panel is worth the higher price tag, thanks to its cutting-edge features that cannot be found in traditional panels. With additional insights and control over your solar and electric vehicle charging, you are making a one-time investment that will ensure you have reliable energy for up to 40 years – all backed by a 10-year warranty.
Using a SPAN electrical panel at home offers many advantages
Homeowners can enjoy a variety of benefits with the SPAN panel. Beyond just tracking energy usage, you can take advantage of custom features within the SPAN mobile app that allow you to regulate your energy consumption and save money. The SPAN smart panel paired with the SPAN Drive also gives you increased control over electric vehicle charging and lets you decide how much power to use when charging.
A Modern Electric Panel with its own Smart Mobile App
The SPAN Smart Electrical Panel is an advanced home monitoring system that allows homeowners to easily monitor, manage and conserve energy. Through the SPAN app, users can gain real-time insights into their energy consumption, allowing them to adjust settings to optimize efficiency. Moreover, with the SPAN Drive, users have greater control over electric vehicle charging and can decide how much power they would like to use during this process.
This panel is equipped with communication features such as a built-in internet-connected gateway and 4G/LTE connectivity for easy connection via the SPAN mobile app. This app shows you how much electricity your appliances consume in real-time. This feature is similar to current power tracking systems available on the market, like the Sense smart home energy monitor.
The app also gives you full control over various circuits in your home. If you left an iron plugged in for too long, for example, you can access the app from anywhere in order to turn off the circuit powering it. Furthermore, it supports Amazon Alexa’s voice-activated commands so that you don’t need to be at home all the time to keep up with its operations.
The SPAN Panel exclusive ev chargers SPAN DRIVE Tech
The SPAN Drive electric vehicle charger is a powerful, convenient way to stay environmentally friendly while charging your electric car. Perfectly optimized for the SPAN home electrical panel, it can provide Level 2 charging even when your current power delivery system isn’t able to meet such requirements. To top it off, it takes priority over other appliances in the house and will automatically slow down the charging rate if too much electricity is being used.
The SPAN Drive provides an added layer of charge optimization for those with solar panels by setting up solar-only power consumption for your EV. That way, you can spend time at home on sunny days and be assured that you’ll only be using clean energy when charging your car. If a power outage occurs and you have a solar battery installed, you can prioritize the charger via the mobile app to avoid delays or issues.
This fantastic product costs only $500 before shipping and installation costs — an incredibly feasible option for anyone looking to make their lifestyle more eco-friendly.
Installation for SPAN Smart Panel
The SPAN installation process is no small task – it requires the expertise of a qualified, certified, professional licensed electrician. Fortunately, SPAN has a network of experienced installers in California, Arizona, Texas, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, and Florida, such as Wolf River Electric, allowing you to get your panel installed quickly and easily.
For those that don’t live in one of these states, connecting with an installer might take up to two weeks.
The number of panels that you need for your property depends on various factors, including the size of your home (more than 200 amps may require more than one panel), the number of circuits needed (any more than 32 might require additional panels) and even if there are multiple living areas at the same address. Installation times usually range from three to eight hours.
DIY projects can be tempting in terms of cost, but when it comes to setting up something as important as a power infrastructure on your property, it’s best to leave it to an expert. The warranty only applies if you have SPAN’s certified professionals do the installation work.
The SPAN smart panel allows users to gain real-time power insights by integrating with a wide selection of equipment. This product is designed to be compatible with most home electrical systems, allowing existing appliances to continue functioning as normal and providing compatibility with various solar-related features. More specifically, SPAN works with any grid-tie solar inverter and the following home batteries: LG Chem RESU, SolarEdge Energy Bank with SolarEdge Energy Hub Backup Interface, Tesla Powerwall and Powerwall + with Backup Gateway 1, Backup Gateway 2, or Backup Switch.
Learn More: Are Solar Panels Worth It In Wisconsin
SPAN Smart System Equipment
The SPAN electrical panel also works in conjunction with Tesla’s Powerwall system for using a standby generator. In order to do so, a manual transfer switch or an automatic transfer switch must be connected via the Tesla Powerwall. Furthermore, it can be used for charging electric cars via the SPAN Drive charger (or other leading brands on the market), which is suitable for any US-manufactured car.
A complete SPAN smart system will include the Span electrical panel, the drive charger for electric vehicles, and components like grid-tie solar inverters, solar panels, and solar batteries. With this setup, you can have full access to all this advanced system has to offer in terms of power management.
SPAN Smart System Configuration
Properly labeling and configuring your SPAN system is an important step in getting the most out of your equipment. It is comparable to manually labeling circuits on your electrical panel so that you can better understand what appliances or devices are connected at home. This will allow the smart panel to prioritize certain types of equipment.
To set up these preferences, users can use the app for SPAN to indicate their desired priorities, including Must Have, Nice to Have, and Not Essential. Appliances that must remain powered constantly, such as air conditioning units, pumps, fridges, or lights, should be placed in the Must Have category; those that don’t need immediate power during a power outage would go under Not Essential.
SPAN smart panel and Solar Power use
Although solar panel systems are not required to install a SPAN panel, combining these two technologies can yield great benefits to any home’s electrical system.
Installing the SPAN smart panel in your home can be a great way to manage solar energy. Whether you have both solar panels and batteries or only solar panels, the SPAN panel offers an array of features you can use.
For homes with solar panels only, the SPAN panel connects to your grid-tie inverter to monitor the power generated by your system in real-time. However, some customers report that there may be discrepancies between what their inverter apps show and what the SPAN app displays.
If you also have a home battery backup system, you can install communication between your solar battery backup and the SPAN panel for power management during an outage. Configuring priority level settings is key – equipment with (Must Have priority ) will use the solar battery power until it’s fully drained, while appliances with (Nice to Have priority) will receive power from the battery until it reaches 50% capacity and (Not Essential equipment) will not receive power at all during a blackout.
The app also estimates how long your backup battery will last based on these settings. This allows you to make adjustments easily to prevent draining your battery during a power outage – giving you peace of mind and convenience when using your solar power setup!
So much power, SAVINGS, & CONTROL in the palm of your HAND
The SPAN smart panel can make saving on your monthly energy bill easy and efficient.
You can actively monitor your energy consumption through the SPAN app, ensuring you’re not running up unnecessary costs on your electrical system. Furthermore, adjusting your consumption based on time-of-use rates is highly advantageous if you want to make the most out of your budget.
Installing solar panels or a home battery backup in combination with the SPAN panel and SPAN Drive allows for even greater savings when it comes to energy efficiency at home. With a few simple steps, many homeowners can save money while being environmentally conscious.
SPAN electrical panel complete circuit control
By monitoring your energy usage with the SPAN app, you can stay on top of hidden appliances and devices that consume power— known as phantom loads. These appliances cost about 10-20% of a household’s monthly electricity bill. Common offenders include idle phone chargers, plugged-in printers, and digital displays that are always on.
Using the SPAN app to switch off these phantom loads, you can reduce your power costs by $25-$45 monthly by using the app’s priority levels to target and control critical loads. Critical loads are essential appliances that need to stay on all the time. That totals up to an annual savings of $250-$500!
Critical load panel control for time-of-use rates
The SPAN app can be used to identify which systems in your home are consuming large amounts of electricity, like ovens, fans, and refrigerators. You can also use it for load shifting with time of use (TOU) rates—turning off the circuit during peak electricity hours and switching it on when rates are lower. This can help you save money on your monthly energy bills and ensure you’re getting the most out of your SPAN electrical panel.
An even deeper circuit-level control
Another added feature With the SPAN app, you can take advantage of your solar-generated energy and ensure that it is used most efficiently. It allows you to set priorities for specific in-demand appliances or devices at home, so you’re able to adjust them in real-time and prevent wasting any precious solar energy stored in your battery during a power outage. This way, you can make the most out of your solar-generated electricity.
More control over electric car charging
Take advantage of lower energy costs and optimize your electric car charging with SPAN Drive. Choose settings that will only charge your vehicle during off-peak hours, or set a specific charge capacity, so you don’t end up overcharged for the power you don’t need. You can also save on the cost by taking advantage of free charging programs or using office chargers at lower rates than home options. Maximize your savings whenever you top up your electric vehicle’s battery with SPAN panel Drive’s proactive solutions.
SPAN panel verdict. Is it worth it? Span electrical panel review
Investing in a SPAN smart electrical panel is worth the effort. The energy-saving methods for individual circuits and easy mobile app control make it a great choice for any home. Plus, you can take advantage of integrated home EV charging with SPAN Drive. Installation by certified electricians can take some time, but the impressive upgrade to your traditional electrical panel is well worth the wait. Make sure you maximize your savings every time you power up with the span panel over your existing panel by taking advantage of all existing and new features.
Unlocking all of the features offered by the SPAN panel requires solar panels, a battery, or both to be installed at home. This comes with additional costs, as those systems have to be bought separately and could cost anywhere from $8,000 to over $20,000, depending on the size and type of solar system being purchased. Luckily, the Inflation Reduction Act grants a 30% federal tax credit for new installations of solar panels and batteries – now is the perfect time to consider these investments! Wolf River Electric is glad to inform you that we install Span smart panels, solar panels, solar batteries, and solar installation. Contact us to learn more about SPAN and solar power today!
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