Save Energy With PWRcell’s Household Power System

Power is something that we take for granted until it’s not there. PWRcell can help you save energy by capturing and storing electricity from the grid or your own solar panels.

Electricity travels through wires in your breaker box to plug outlets and light switches around the house. Each circuit has one hot wire with insulation that is black, red, or another color and one neutral wire that is bare or white.

Electricity

Electricity is what powers our lights and appliances. It is supplied by the power company to your house Household Power System in a system called the electric grid. It is also known as mains electricity, utility power, household power, domestic power or wall power and may be 120 (one hundred twenty) volts or 240 (two hundred forty) volts in different parts of the world.

The power grid starts at the power plant where electricity is generated. From there, it travels over miles of power lines to the power distribution substation in your neighborhood. The power is stepped down to lower voltages by a series of transformers. Once the voltage is low enough, it is brought into your neighborhood through green transformer drums on the street or poles in suburban neighborhoods or underground conduits in urban areas.

Once at your house, the power lines connect to a metal box mounted outdoors. This is your meter box or breaker panel and usually contains a main switch that can shut down most or all circuits. It may also contain individual switches (circuit breakers) that control the flow of power to specific circuits within your house.

Wires inside your breaker box connect to switches, outlets and appliances throughout your home. When you turn on a light by flipping the switch, you close a circuit that allows electricity to flow through the wire and illuminate your room.

Batteries

Batteries are a crucial part of a household power system and are often used to back-up or augment the energy generated by the solar panels, either in grid-connected systems or as a stand-alone battery system. When choosing a battery system it is important to consider factors such as peak, start and running voltage and current capacity, efficiency and expected lifecycles.

Home batteries are not suitable for all households, however, the right battery backup system can save money, reduce dependence on the grid, and deliver more control over energy use and better environmental outcomes. Batteries provide energy storage for demand that exceeds onsite production and can also be programmed to discharge during off-peak times, allowing you to buy cheaper electricity from the grid.

Battery backup systems should be installed by qualified electricians and are typically mounted in a protected box with the batteries at least 60cm away from any exit, window or ventilation opening to a room, and at least 50cm above a fire Household Power System suppression tank. Lead-acid batteries emit a corrosive mix of hydrogen and oxygen gases during the final stages of charging, and should be kept in a well-ventilated area that is not within reach of children.

Battery systems are expensive and may require extra equipment to override default protections and limit the number of appliances that can be powered, but prices continue to fall and government rebates are available. The operating behaviour and performance of a battery system can be monitored using in-home displays or remotely through an online dashboard. Battery banks will need to be equalised at regular intervals, the details of which should be explained by your installer.

Monitoring

A home energy monitor enables you to gauge how much electricity you’re using. These gizmos usually connect to your power meter or circuit breaker and display power usage in real time. They also give you a breakdown of which devices consume the most electricity. Most monitors display electricity usage in terms of actual kilowatts, and estimate how much it costs per kilowatt-hour. This is useful because it motivates you to use less power in the future.

A top-quality home energy monitor should have a customizable user interface, allowing you to set goals and track your progress. It should also offer a reliable customer support team in case you run into any technical issues. Finally, it should be compatible with smart home technology and platforms so that you can access all of your data from a single platform.

If you’re looking for a more advanced home energy monitoring system, consider one that manages your entire household at the breaker level. These systems, such as Lumin’s, allow you to discover problem areas, like a refrigerator or a heat pump that uses too much electricity, and then implement flexible solutions to reduce consumption. They’re also easier to install than a Sense or Emporia Vue monitor, and they typically include solar power system compatibility out of the box. They’re available for a slightly higher price, but they can save you money in the long run.