New Product Helps Avoid Costly Panel Upgrades
IRVINE, CALIFORNIA, US, February 1, 2023 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Adding to its growing list of innovative products and manufacturers, Raiven, a leading group purchasing and procurement platform, has announced the addition of SimpleSwitch to its online electrical marketplace. Making complex upgrades to a home’s existing electrical output simple, SimpleSwitch offers an advanced new product allowing contractors to install a level 2 electric vehicle charger in a client’s home without the need for a costly electrical panel upgrade and existing load calculations.
HOW DOES SIMPLESWITCH WORK?
SimpleSwitch has developed an easy-to-use inventive new device that allows for the addition of high-amperage appliances, such as EV chargers, home spas, or an electric water heater, to any home without the need to upgrade a home’s maxed-out electrical panel and without the need for modification to the load calculations. SimpleSwitch offers a singular unit, the 240 with two installation configurations. The basic configuration uses internal CT’s, and the second configuration offers two different external current transformers (CT) options. One option is a traditional clamp-style CT, while the other offers a flex rope-style CT, allowing contractors greater flexibility when performing an installation.
The SimpleSwitch basic installation configuration operates by allowing the user to designate one device as the primary and the other as a secondary. From there, it monitors the current load of the primary device at a given time, and smartly switches power to the secondary device to prevent the panel breaker from being overloaded. Specifically, when the primary device, such as an oven, a washer, or a dryer, is not being used, it automatically applies power to the secondary device, such as a level 2 charger. The primary device never loses power allowing time displays, etc. to never lose power. Recent changes to the NEC now allow energy management devices to share a common breaker with an EVSE (EV charger) (NEC 625.40).
The SimpleSwitch alternate installation configuration uses external CT’s and operates by monitoring the total panel load and at a given panel load it smartly switches power to the secondary device. When the total panel load is exceeded (80% of the main breaker rating), the secondary load will be switched off to prevent the panel breaker from being overloaded.
Both configurations (internal and external CT’s) use the same basic product and is configured in the field by setting a series of dip switches as indicated in the installation instructions. Additionally, the SimpleSwitch implements a delay before switching the secondary load on to account for the cycling of the measuring load (ie electric oven cycling heating elements). For contractors and electricians, the device is incredibly user-friendly, allowing an electrician to wire it directly into an existing electrical panel, saving time and money.
WHY MAKE THE SWITCH?
With the increased demand for new, high-voltage appliances, many electrical contractors are forced to execute a costly and time-consuming upgrade of a home’s existing electrical panel to fulfill a client’s request for a new appliance. This, coupled with the nationwide shortage of electrical panels and meters, can extend project timelines by weeks or even months, leaving jobs unfinished and electricians with the difficult task of having to be the bearers of bad news.
SimpleSwitch devices aren’t just for standard single-family homes either. They also work just as effectively in multi-family duplexes, apartment buildings, commercial spaces, and high-rises, saving businesses, property owners, and facility managers from the pain of an expensive panel upgrade.
“What SimpleSwitch offers to our contractor members is more than just an innovative new gadget,” says Raiven CEO Brett Knox, “It is a very cost-effective alternative to an electrical panel upgrade that is commonly required for EV charging stations and electric heat pumps. With demand soaring for affordable electrification technologies, we are excited to offer their solution in the Raiven Marketplace.”
ABOUT SIMPLESWITCH
SimpleSwitch provides an alternative to costly and complicated panel upgrades when installing a Level 2 EV charger or new appliance. With the growth in demand for in-home EV chargers, many are running into issues with existing electrical panels not having the capacity to properly support a Level 2 EV charger addition. SimpleSwitch allows for the panel power to be shared between multiple sources, avoiding a panel upgrade, and using the existing load calculations. SimpleSwitch 240, is a cutting-edge power management device that allows 2 devices to share the power of one breaker or allows an additional device to share power with the whole home.
ABOUT RAIVEN
Raiven is a leading purchasing, procurement, and supply chain management platform enabling contractors and facility managers to digitally transform their procurement process and obtain significant discounts on their most commonly purchased items. Raiven's cloud-based procurement platform helps businesses purchase smarter and more efficiently through patent-pending AI algorithms that find in-stock products at the lowest prices. Learn more about Raiven at www.raiven.com and on LinkedIn or Facebook.
