The turbulence of the past two years has driven home the point that the unexpected can happen at any moment, causing many people to re-assess their own home preparedness. The scenario that you’re most likely to encounter is an extended power outage, be it due to rolling blackouts, brownouts, natural disasters, or even just nasty storms. A grid failure is more than just an inconvenience: Not only will your electric appliances be rendered useless, but so too will any medical devices that require a power source, which could become a serious situation in a hurry.
The good news is that the new EcoFlow Smart Home Panel, now available for purchase for the first time, is a great way to defend your home against extended power outages while also making it easy to monitor and manage your daily energy use.
EcoFlow’s Smart Home Panel is essentially a backup circuit breaker designed to interface with the electronics in your home as well as the EcoFlow DELTA Pro ecosystem. The Smart Home Panel allows you to connect up to 10 circuits in your home (the average American household has about 12 circuits), and in the event of a power outage, it automatically switches within 20 milliseconds to your DELTA Pro Portable Power Station. Ten circuits are enough to power multiple rooms and appliances in your home, meaning that the EcoFlow Smart Home Panel offers a much-improved energy solution over a standalone power station as well as gas-powered generators which are noisy, must be turned on manually, and can present safety hazards.
Along with its 10 circuits for your home, the EcoFlow Smart Home Panel can hook up to the DELTA Pro ecosystem (25kWh): two DELTA Pro Portable Power Stations, two Delta Pro Smart Extra Batteries, and two EcoFlow Smart Generators. This does more than just keep those portable batteries juiced up: During peak hours, the Smart Home Panel can switch from grid power to your DELTA Pro ecosystem. Any parts of your home that are on the Smart Home Panel’s 10 circuits will draw energy from your backup power stations instead of the grid during peak hours, reducing your energy consumption (and also your energy bills) while easing strain on the grid. The Smart Home Panel will also charge any connected DELTA Pro Portable Power Stations during off-peak hours, as well.
You can improve your home energy independence and backup power system even further by adding solar panels to the mix. The Smart Home Panel can interface with almost any roof-mounted MC4-compatible solar panels. If you don’t have or want roof-mounted solar panels and prefer a more portable solution, the foldable EcoFlow 400-watt Solar Panels can be deployed. Solar panels naturally reduce your reliance on the grid while also offering alternative power for your home in the event of a grid failure.
All of this can be managed and monitored via the EcoFlow companion app, which delivers real-time use metrics for your DELTA Pro ecosystem right to your mobile device. You can see and control power usage for each of your connected home circuits, analyze your energy consumption, and avoid peak rates. Similar home panel systems can only monitor whole-home energy consumption, but the EcoFlow Smart Home Panel can track the power usage of each of its 10 individual circuits. You have full control over which energy source each of these circuits uses — either the grid or any connected EcoFlow DELTA Pro Portable Power Stations — and you can use the EcoFlow app to set schedules for this based on your needs and habits.
If you’re looking to better manage your power consumption, save on energy bills, and reinforce your home against power outages and extended grid-down scenarios, then the EcoFlow Smart Home Panel is now available for purchase.
The limited-edition Current LTD comes loaded with premium upgrades, powerful motor assistance, and features designed for serious trail riding.
Aventon is taking things up a notch with its latest electric mountain bike. The new Current LTD is a full-suspension eMTB packed with high-end components, plenty of power, and some impressive technology. There's one catch, though. Only 99 are being made, and each comes with a $7,999 price tag.
INIU has launched the Rugged 10000, a $54.99 power bank with 45W fast charging and IP67 dust and water protection. Its 10,000mAh battery supplies power through two USB-C ports for phones and outdoor gear.
It’s the first product from the company’s new INIU Outdoor division. Weighing roughly 196g, the silicone-armored battery is designed for hikers who need backup power but want to keep their pack light.
Keeping devices charged and a campsite lit takes a little planning once wall outlets disappear. These four Amazon offers cover portable solar power, satellite communication, and two different approaches to camp lighting. The BigBlue, BioLite, and LuminAID prices require Prime membership.
BigBlue 28W solar charger - $50.97 (15% off)