Everyone is offering some form of load control or smart breaker these days, to reduce the need for costly and complex traditional electrical service upgrades. Not to be outdone at its own game, Schneider Electric continues refine its smart tech too. The legacy electric panel brand debuted the new Smart Power Manager feature in the Square D QO Smart Panel Solution for the first time at the 2025 NAHB International Builders Show in Las Vegas.

Available this summer, Smart Power Manager will provide smarter energy management to homes anywhere in the country. This new software-based solution will help homebuilders avoid the significant cost of upgrading a home’s electrical service from 200 amp to 400 amp, and be prepared for significant electric power expansion down the road.

“As the shift to a more electrical home continues, builders, electricians, and installers are looking for new solutions to address the growing energy demand in both new and existing homes, while avoiding the traditional 400 amp utility service upgrade that we’re told can add as much as $17,000 in builder development costs per home,” said Richard Korthauer, Senior Vice President, Home & Distribution, Schneider Electric.

Smart Power Manager

Smart Power Manager allows larger loads to be added to home electrical systems, even when a service has reached its capacity, by automatically shedding controllable loads to safely keep energy usage under that capacity limit. Smart Power Manager identifies overages and when best to reduce them minimizing interruptions and maintaining safety.

QO Smart Panel

The QO Smart Panel Solution is a modular, flexible offer developed to add smart panel functionality to standard home electrical systems nationwide. Made up of the Square D QO Plug-on Neutral main or sub electrical panel, Square D Control Relays, and the Schneider Energy Monitor, this solution offers homeowners app-based control with easier installation and at a lower cost than current smart panel options. The QO Smart Panel solution empowers homeowners nationwide with cutting-edge smart panel benefits, including circuit-level-control only where needed to save energy and enhance safety, and system-wide energy monitoring, to better manage energy use and reduce utility bills.

Tags: Schneider Electric, smart panels