Transfer switch/Service Panel integration

ironmanco

ironmanco

Member
Location
Colorado
Occupation
Engineer
I'm about to redo my entire 200A service panel and in doing so would like to add transfer capabilities. Optimally, I want to be able to select any of my 45+ circuits (well maybe not all, but definitely a lot) to be powered by the alternate power source. In a dream world, this would be a smart panel that would intelligently limit the circuits allowed to be transferred at any one time. I know there are a ton of options for separate transfer switches (and interlocks) that allow for pre-determined circuits to be transferred but what I would really like is something that allows this to be more dynamic. So if I want to shut off the circuit for my fridge and then turn on the circuit for my garage heater, I can choose to do this.

Anyone know if something like this exists?
 
ironmanco said:
I'm about to redo my entire 200A service panel and in doing so would like to add transfer capabilities. Optimally, I want to be able to select any of my 45+ circuits (well maybe not all, but definitely a lot) to be powered by the alternate power source. In a dream world, this would be a smart panel that would intelligently limit the circuits allowed to be transferred at any one time. I know there are a ton of options for separate transfer switches (and interlocks) that allow for pre-determined circuits to be transferred but what I would really like is something that allows this to be more dynamic. So if I want to shut off the circuit for my fridge and then turn on the circuit for my garage heater, I can choose to do this.

Anyone know if something like this exists?
Click to expand...
There is. It's called "Walking over to the Panel and turning off the Breaker and turning on the Other Breaker."

More seriously, unless you have a lot of electric heat something like a 15KVA generator should run the house.
 
Honestly I haven’t seen many, if any, homes, I couldn’t run the entire thing off a single air cooled home standby generator.

Biggest one I’ve installed for a residence is a 26kW.

Have an electrician do a load Calc, and unless you have an all electric house with multiple simultaneous EV chargers and hot tubs, that will all run at once while the power is out, you shouldn’t have a problem.

If there is a high demand load that you don’t want to run while on gen power, a simple load shed device will work.
 
If you're looking for automatic and expensive, go for an ATS with load shedding and stationary generator.

If you're looking for manual and inexpensive, go for a manual interlock and an inlet for a portable generator.
 
ironmanco said:
Optimally, I want to be able to select any of my 45+ circuits (well maybe not all, but definitely a lot) to be powered by the alternate power source.
Click to expand...
IMO since you're willing to choose the loads there is no reason to spend a ton more money on a permanent/automatic generator system. A good inverter type portable generator, inlet, interlock kit, some miscellaneous parts, and you're done.
 
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