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I finally talked with a solar installer who convinced me the 200 amp panel upgrade isn't always the right call.
I was wiring a house in Boise and the owner had a guy from Sun Valley Solar out. He argued that with a smart load controller and a heat pump water heater, a 150 amp service could handle a full solar and EV charger setup just fine. It hit different because he showed me the actual math on peak draw, not just the old rule of thumb. Has anyone else sized a modern all-electric house on a 150 amp panel successfully?
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amy_reed796mo ago
That "how you actually live" part is key. Did he talk about how the smart controller handles those rare times when everything kicks on at once?
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tara3455mo ago
Yeah exactly, that's the whole point of the smart controller lol. It staggers the start times so everything doesn't try to turn on at the exact same second. Logan's right, it's old thinking to just throw a bigger unit at the problem.
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the_logan6mo ago
Makes total sense to me. I see this all the time where old rules of thumb get treated like gospel, even when the tech has changed. People just default to the bigger, more expensive option because it feels safer. It's like insisting you need a truck for a job a van could do better. That installer showing the real math is the key. It forces you to actually look at how you live, not just check a box. Good on him for pushing past the standard sales pitch.
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