Low-Power Home Electrification: The Key to Avoiding Electric Panel Upgrades

Home electrification replaces existing fuel-burning appliances in homes with all-electric alternatives, such as heat pumps or induction cooktops. These strategies have been recognized globally as critical to decarbonizing the housing stock. Yet, many homes in the US have electric service and panels that might not support adding new loads without costly upgrades. These upgrades can add to home electrification project costs and delays, and they also increase the load that electric utilities must plan to serve, which can drive up prices for all utility customers. In this presentation, we will explore what panel amperages actually are in US homes and how they vary by house age, size or region. We will then explore how common panel upgrades are when electrifying, and opportunities for electrifying homes without doing an upgrade. Example strategies for avoiding panel upgrades that we will discuss include pursuing alternative calculation methods in the national electrical code, using low-power appliances, plug and circuit sharing technologies, and load control devices.