PowerBlaster® is an electrical metering device installed for monitoring home power consumption, and can also track power production for homes with solar panels. It is manufactured by Energy Aware Technology Inc., and recognizable from the name on the box installed in the electrical panel and the C.T. coil sensors surrounding each of the two service lugs in a panel. It is similar to the TED 5000 by Energy Inc.

    Here’s a further description from a report on “Non-Intrusive Load Monitoring Assessment” by the U.S. Department of Energy: The product, called the PowerBlaster, combines metering hardware that is installed at the electrical panel (CTs and voltage taps), to measure energy use. Data are collected and transferred using power-line carrier technology to a gateway where they are uploaded to the company’s servers. Once uploaded, the user can reportedly access and disaggregate the data via web-based analytical tools. The Energy-Aware product reportedly does not have a limit on the number of appliances it can disaggregate, and does not require the users to manually teach the algorithm which electrical loads are currently operating to improve the disaggregation.

    Also see What's the box that's marked "Power Save" or "Power-Saver" next to the electric panel do? and What are the black metal things marked GMX800 that are clamped around the hot and cold pipes above the water heater?

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Field Guide for Home Inspectors, a quick reference for finding the age of 154 brands of HVAC systems, water heaters, and electrical panels, plus 210 code standards for site-built and manufactured homes, and the life expectancy rating of 195 home components. Available at amazon.com for $19.95.
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Here’s links to a collection of our other blog posts about ELECTRIC PANELS:

• What causes copper wires to turn green or black in an electric panel?  

• What is the maximum number of circuit breakers allowed in an electric panel?

• When should a corroded or damaged electric panel cabinet or disconnect box be replaced? 

• What is a tandem circuit breaker? 

• When did arc fault circuit interrupter (AFCI) breakers first become required?

• What does a circuit breaker with a yellow or white test button indicate? 

• What is the maximum gap allowed between the front of a recessed electric panel box and the wall surface surrounding it? 

• What are the requirements for NM-cables entering an electric panel box?

• Why is a fuse box/panel an insurance problem for homebuyers? 

• Why is bundled wiring in an electric panel a defect?

• What is the difference between GFCI and AFCI circuit breakers? 

• Why are old electrical components not always "grandfathered" as acceptable by home inspectors?

• What happens when you press the "TEST" button on a circuit breaker in an electric panel?

• What is a Dual Function Circuit Interrupter (DFCI)? 

• What is the difference between a Combination Arc Fault Circuit Interrupter (CAFCI) and an Arc Fault Circuit Interrupter (AFCI) circuit breaker?  

• What is the difference between "grounded" and "grounding" electrical conductors? 

• What does it mean when a wire is "overstripped" at a circuit breaker?

• Why is an old fuse panel dangerous?  

• Who is the manufacturer of those "bad" electric panels?

• Why is the circuit breaker stuck in the middle? 

• What is a double tap at a circuit breaker?

• What is the right electric wire size for a circuit breaker in an electric panel?

• What is the life expectancy of a circuit breaker? 

• What is the maximum allowed height of a circuit breaker (OCPD) above the floor?

• What is the maximum height you can mount an electric panel above the floor? 

• What is the code required clearance in front of an electric panel?

• What is the main bonding jumper and where do it find it in an electric panel? 

   Visit our ELECTRIC PANELS page for other related blog posts on this subject, or go to the INDEX for a complete listing of all our articles.