We got the exciting opportunity to work on a fun and challenging project earlier this summer. One of our customers wanted to replace his aging patchwork of breaker panels with a new main panel plus a smart subpanel that is capable of automatically switching to multiple backup power sources if a power outage occurs.
EcoFlow Smart Home Panel 2 with glass cover closed and opened
The EcoFlow Smart Home Panel is essentially an intelligent transfer switch that connects to a homeowners portable battery, solar panels or gas generator and switches from line (AEP) power to one of these backup sources if a power outage is detected.
Portable battery backup can power multiple circuits for hours in a power outage!
Our customer lives in a winding mid century neighborhood adjacent to Claytor Lake that is prone to power outages. He had already installed solar panels on the roof for daytime energy usage but wanted a backup battery to store power long-term and have access to power during the nighttime hours as well. He picked several circuits that he didn’t want to lose access to during a power loss and we were able to successfully reroute these emergency circuits into the EcoFlow subpanel. His app monitors power usage and battery status in real time, and has the potential to control circuits remotely and even lower electricity bills with a special algorithm-based mode.
Inner workings of the EcoFlow subpanel
"Three days [after the job] we had a small dinner party (with full kitchen operation) and the storm took out the grid power; we didn't even notice until our neighbor came in a said their generator was on. Power was out for 40 hours and the batteries lasted 24 hours. Great test. I'm a big fan of Bell Electric (and EcoFlow)."
This project was a really cool look into the future of residential power management. New technologies are enabling homeowners to take control of their home’s electrical systems in ways that were unimaginable at the turn of the century. It’s hard to believe that just 100 years ago only half of American homes were powered by electricity!
If you are interested in installing a backup power system in your home, please get in touch. We install everything from standby whole-house generators with automatic transfer switches to 6-circuit emergency panels that you can plug a portable generator into. We’d be happy to discuss your needs and come up with a solution that fits you and your family.
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