Schneider Electric launches Square D Energy Center
Schneider Electric has introduced its Square D Energy Center smart panel for sale in California, with nationwide availability expected in 2023.
Billed as a 'first to market innovation', the Square D Energy Center is designed for installation in new residential construction projects.
The launch comes as industry experts expect the state’s real estate market to remain strong with more than 64,000 units of single-family residential construction projected to start over the course of 2022.
The Square D Energy Center enables the convergence, scalability, and optimisation of residential distributed energy resources, including utility and solar power, energy storage and generators.
The solution reduces installation time and cost, allowing electricians and electrical contractors to increase efficiency while still meeting evolving building codes.
Richard Korthauer, Vice President, Home & Distribution USA, Schneider Electric said as the trusted leader in home energy management, the shift in consumer needs has been driving our Grid-to-Plug solution, creating a true home electrical ecosystem that provides transparency and digital control.
"Our Square D Energy Center is the cornerstone of this ecosystem providing greater energy resiliency and sustainability by integrating utility power, solar, battery backup, generator power and EV charging into a single connected panel," he said.
"As California builders continue to meet the demands of the state’s strong housing market, this innovation will help them reduce installation time and cost, while meeting evolving building codes, like Title 24, requiring new homes have solar panels and to be wired for battery backup systems.”
More than just a smart energy panel, this solution empowers homeowners to take an active role in their home energy management, conveniently through the Wiser Energy app. Energy use can be monitored in real time, usage costs can be compared to utility rates for optimal savings and power sources can be easily changed to battery or generator backup sources ensuring energy resiliency.
Josue Morales, Superintendent, JAAM Electric, said The Energy Center combines multiple electrical components into a single cabinet, allowing it to wire the device in less time and with fewer materials, to provide a better offering to the homeowner and a greater benefit to our bottom line.
"The future-proof design also reduces installation time for adding other components, including battery backup or EV chargers, further increasing installation efficiency when those elements are needed," he said.
Since its introduction, the Square D Energy Center has been well-received within the industry and has been recognized for its innovation and ability to drive sustainability and energy resiliency. The smart panel has received a prestigious list of industry awards, including:
- National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) – 2020 Global Innovation Award
- Consumer Electronics Show (CES) – 2022 Innovation Award
- The Cleanie Awards –– 2021 Pioneering New Technology Award (Bronze)
- Fast Company – 2022 Word’s Most Innovative Companies List, Consumer Electronics
- Green Builder Magazine – 2022 Sustainable Product of the Year
In addition to the Square D Energy Center, the Schneider Electric Grid-to-Plug solution includes the Wiser Energy Home Power Monitor, delivering real-time insight into the energy use and appliance functionality, and the X and DX series of connected wiring devices, offering new levels of control and intelligence with power monitoring at the plug level.
