Safe, quick, cost-effective, and sustainable alternative for home electrification
Product also benefits installers and utilities, in addition to homeowners
Available in North America via online retail and through wholesale electrical distributors
According to Pecan Street, nearly 48 million U.S. homes are not currently equipped to handle increased electrical loads from adding electrical appliances such as heat pumps, EV chargers, water heaters and other large loads. Upgrading home electrical panels and/or service capacity could cost anywhere from $4,000 to upwards of $25,000. A new, lower cost alternative is now available from Siemens: the Inhab™ Load Manager.This UL certified, modular energy management system is designed to measure and control energy usage intelligently, without requiring costly service upgrades. A certified electrician installs the Inhab Load Manager, which can continuously monitor the energy consumption at the home’s service conductors. When the electrical service nears its capacity, the Load Manager can temporarily disconnect a connected load, preventing overloads. As soon as enough electrical capacity is available, it seamlessly reconnects, ensuring a continuous and safe energy supply.
“Home electrification is increasing in popularity and out of necessity,” says Head of Residential Electrical Products at Siemens Smart Infrastructure USA Jacob Middleton. “We are at the start of a wave of energy transformation in the residential market, which is adding significant additional electrical load and complexity to homes. The growing popularity of electric vehicles, along with a renewed interest in adding electrical appliances and PV arrays with batteries, can quickly overwhelm the average home’s electrical panel without some sort of modifications.”
The Inhab Load Manager offers benefits to not only homeowners, but also to installers, builders, developers and utilities. In standard deployments, homeowners should experience same-day installation of new appliances without the need for electrical panel upgrades or service disconnects. Installation of the Load Manager should not affect load calculations, thus reducing construction costs and eliminating the need for upsizing electrical services. Utilities also recognize the Load Manager’s ability to help minimize peak consumption and reduce the need for expensive transmission and distribution upgrades. These benefits can result in lower investment costs for developers building out new communities.
With its design aligned with the NEC definition for an Energy Management System, the Inhab Load Manager is a NEC code-compliant solution that ensures safety and efficiency in managing electrical loads.“The Inhab Load Manager supports sustainable electrification and net-zero goals, all while using fewer materials to reduce waste,” adds Middleton, “That’s a win-win investment in our future.”Inhab portfolio was named by Green Builder Media as a 2024 Sustainable Product of the Year. The Inhab Load Manager solution is commercially available in North America via select online retailer sites as well as through wholesale electrical distributors.The energy management system is part of a robust suite of cutting-edge energy monitoring and control products from Siemens’ Inhab™ – the Intelligent Habitat – portfolio designed to provide homeowners greater insight into the ever-increasing electrical demands of modern homes. Initially unveiled at CES 2024, the Inhab portfolio of smart home energy management products feature continuous monitoring, load optimization, and full control of the home electrical system to efficiently and cost effectively manage both the energy sources entering the home as well as the electrical loads consuming that power.Inhab is a trademark of Siemens and/or its affiliates in most countries.