Reinventing the electric panel Electric panels have been arou | Tech for Good

Reinventing the electric panel

Electric panels have been around for a century. Finally, we get some incredible innovations to those from California-based startup SPAN.

The company's product, a SPAN panel, solves the challenges of home-grid balancing, adds visibility to how your home consumes power, why it does so, and allows you to make changes right from the smartphone.

The app shows how much every electric circuit in your home consumes and allows switching them on/off instantly or on a selected schedule. For example, if you have an electric car or backup battery, you may choose to charge it when grid energy is cheaper or, if you have a solar panel - when sunshine is most active.

SPAN connects with solar panels and lets you understand how much energy they generated and how the home used that energy.

Connecting the device with a home battery increases flexibility and backup efficiency during power outages or when you don't need grid power. For example, when there is an outage, the app shows you how much backup time you have and which devices use that energy. Then it allows a simple drag&drop of the backup items you need and shows real-time how the backup time changes.

SPAN gives you an understanding of how you use energy. For instance, you could see your energy spending versus the neighborhood or get a tip of your refrigerator consuming increased kilowatts, suggesting it may need a checkup. The app also shows the environmental impact expressed in gallons of oil or pound of coal saved from you optimizing your power usage.

The SPAN's price tag is $3500. And it seems that investors strongly believe in the company's success: SPAN has just got a $90 million investment boost to continue developing its products and accelerate home electrification.

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