What Is a Smart Electrical Panel (e.g., Span)?

What Is a Smart Electrical Panel (e.g., Span)?

A smart electrical panel is a next-generation breaker panel that replaces or works alongside a standard electrical panel and adds real-time circuit monitoring, remote control, and load management via a smartphone app. The most recognized example is the Span panel, though other manufacturers including Leviton and Schneider Electric make similar products. These panels are designed for homes with solar, battery backup, EV chargers, or whole-home energy management needs.

What a Smart Panel Does

• Circuit-level monitoring: Measures energy consumption per circuit in real time — you can see exactly how much power your EV charger, dryer, or HVAC uses, not just total household consumption
• Remote circuit control: Turn individual circuits on or off from the app — useful for remotely cutting power to a circuit you left on, or shedding loads during a power outage when a generator or battery cannot supply everything at once
• Load management with solar and batteries: Integrates with home battery systems (Powerwall, Enphase, Franklin) and solar inverters to automatically prioritize essential circuits and reduce grid draw during peak pricing periods
• Generator and EV coordination: Can automatically reduce EV charging or non-essential loads when the home switches to backup power, maximizing generator or battery runtime

Is a Smart Panel Right for Your Home?

Smart panels cost $3,000–$5,500 installed and make the most sense for homes that already have or are planning to install solar, a home battery, or multiple high-draw smart loads (EV charger, heat pump, induction range). For a home with standard electrical loads and no solar or battery, the value is primarily in monitoring rather than active energy management — which may not justify the cost over a conventional panel upgrade. EZSMART installs smart panels in Ontario and can assess whether a smart panel or a conventional upgrade makes more sense for your home’s current and future electrical load.

Amir Azimipour

Electrician Since 2008 Journeyman Electrician Designated Master Electrician at EZSMART Corp