Smart Panels Can Speed the Completion of Electrification Projects, Delivering Both HVAC Installers and Homeowners Economic and Other Benefits
While many homeowners think they need to get a service upgrade to add a heat pump, EV charger, or other technologies that draw significant power, a smart electric panel can effectively manage all this and more. Since its launch in 2015, SPAN has been a leader in the development of smart panels.
BDC sat down with Karen Gough, SPAN’s Vice President of Sales, to learn more about how a smart panel might be able to help people qualify for IRA electrification incentives before they expire at the end of the year, and the other benefits smart panels can deliver to all-electric homes.
BDC Question: Thanks for chatting with us, Karen. What are some ways that smart panels help installers ensure their customers do not miss out on federal electrification incentives before they end on December 31st?
Karen Gough, SPAN VP of Sales: It’s true that due to the rollback of the Inflation Reduction Act, many incentives for home electrification will expire at the end of the year. And with utility service upgrades in some areas taking as long as an entire year, some people might be afraid of missing out on the incentives as they wait for these upgrades to be completed.
But contractors who install certain smart panels can eliminate these utility upgrade wait times—and in doing so, complete their heat pump and other electrification upgrade projects in time to qualify for these federal incentives.
Smart panels with circuit-level controls can manage load capacity behind the meter, avoiding the need for a utility service upgrade. Not only can this help some homeowners take advantage of federal incentives before they end, but it can also deliver other benefits even after these incentives expire.
For example, by speeding up electrification project timelines, these types of smart panels can reduce a project’s labor costs. This does not just help the homeowner, but the installer as well, who can improve their own backlog of projects.
When it comes to electrifying their homes, customers want to do it once, do it right, and do it now—and an electric panel with smart, circuit-level management can make this goal easier to achieve.
BDC Question: Sounds like a win-win. Given this, how can installers use smart panels to convince old leads to revisit electrification proposals and get the most out of their relationships with new customers?
Karen: Don’t let electrification be a barrier. If you’ve been forced to turn down potential customers due to low load capacity and timing, now is the time to reach back out to these old leads and let them know you have a solution for their problem. Since smart panels can free customers from being forced to spend thousands of dollars and wait a long time for service upgrades, they don’t need to pick and choose which parts of the home to electrify due to capacity issues.
Smart panels are also a great way to build a long-term relationship with new customers. By installing the right type of smart panel at the beginning of a homeowner’s electrification journey, you will make it significantly easier to install additional electric appliances in the future.
BDC Question: What types of products can SPAN offer to installers that will help them complete projects before the IRA incentive deadline or realize other speed and safety benefits of smart panels?
Karen: SPAN recently announced four new panel configurations: SPAN Panel MAIN 16, MAIN 40, MLO 24, and MLO 48. We’ve been talking about heat pump incentives, but all our smart panels are also eligible for a $600 federal incentive; SPAN Panel MLO 24 is already the lowest-priced SPAN Panel with an MSRP of $2,550. With the incentive, homeowners can get a new smart panel for under $2000. This is ideal for homeowners who are retrofitting existing homes on a budget.
Overall, this new product suite moves away from the “one size fits all” panel, and ensures that customers can rightsize for their individual needs. The cutting-edge technology also meets best-in-class standards: All four SPAN Panels have received UL3141 certification, a first of its kind for a residential panel. UL3141 is the highest safety standard for Power Control Systems (PCS) and will be required for PCS standards in the 2026 National Electric Code.
BDC Question: What is the next step for installers who want to offer customers smart panels that can speed, simplify, and enhance their electrification journeys?
Karen: Installers can visit the SPAN Tech Portal to learn about our market-leading smart panel technology, contact us about the best ways to sell and install SPAN Panels, and, if they are not already, get authorized to sell SPAN panels!
For more information about working with homes that have low amperage service and various ways to manage capacity-constrained panels, please visit the blog at switchison.org.