We live in an age where just about everything can be “smart.” Your TV, lights, refrigerator and even your pet’s food dispenser can all be controlled wirelessly via an app on your phone.

But how exactly can energy be smart? With a Wi-Fi or Bluetooth connection, new products allow you to monitor and control the circuits of your electrical panel from your phone.

You can switch circuits on or off, monitor each circuit’s energy usage and set automations. This might not seem all that valuable at first glance. But add some solar panels or a solar battery to the mix, and things get even more interesting.

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What are the benefits of a smart energy system?

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Avoid peak time of use rates

Most smart energy systems are designed to help you be as energy efficient as possible. This includes accounting for peak time of use rates, when some utilities charge more for electricity during hours of high demand. Smart energy can help you find the cheapest times to charge your EV, run the dishwasher or even make dinner.

Optimize your solar

If you have solar panels with a solar battery, a smart energy system can help you get the most out of your electricity production. A solar battery essentially gives you a reservoir of energy that can be used to store and remove energy as necessary. Smart energy systems work with the battery by pulling energy from storage and pushing it to wherever it’s needed the most, whenever it’s most cost-effective to do so. Things like charging your EV or running your AC off solar might be be much cheaper than buying energy from the grid. It’s all about correctly allocating your energy to get the most bang for your buck.