Building a Sanctuary for Homeowners

Building a resilient home with clean air and clean energy can be accomplished with the right systems.

Building professionals understand that the systems and products in any house need to work together for the best homeowner experience. Putting solar panels and energy efficient HVACs in a house without a tight building envelope will have less impact on the home’s performance than layering in good design and smart building science along with efficient systems.

Not every consumer may be aware of all the components that go into a new home, but they know what it feels like to live in a home with fresh air, quiet and efficient mechanical systems and the security of a personal energy supply.

“Panasonic’s indoor air quality system supports the idea of your home as a sanctuary, and so do our solar panels and battery storage systems,” says Ken Nelson, group sales manager, ventilation for Panasonic. “Homebuilders build super insulated homes today, which means you can heat and cool a home with less power. Our ventilation systems make the home more comfortable and keep fresh air flowing, which helps people sleep better.”

Energy savings features are top of mind for most builders and consumers today. Over the next 12 months, builders anticipate including a number of energy saving features in their homes, according to Green Builder Media’s COGNITION Smart data surveys.

The most common features include energy efficient appliances, heat pump HVAC systems, efficient insulation and LED lighting. Nearly 30% of builders plan to include solar photovoltaics and smart thermostats.

The smallest percentage of builders (less than 10%) say they will add a cool roof and a demand side energy management system. Approximately one-fifth to one-fourth of builders intend to include heat pump dryers, heat pump water heaters, battery storage, high performance windows and doors, and an induction cooktop in their homes over the next year.

Source: COGNITION Smart Data

Products that Work Together to Lower Energy Consumption

For builders, forecasting the energy consumption for a house and the production of energy from solar panels can be complicated. While Panasonic’s products can work with products from other companies, the synergy between Panasonic’ solar, storage and ventilation systems can make for smoother energy forecasting, which allows for more precise energy modeling, potentially lowering the cost of installation and operation of all of the connected products.

“Because we have an alignment across all our products, we can honestly say they will all perform together if a builder chooses to install Panasonic solar, storage, heating and cooling ductless heat pumps and ventilation systems,” Nelson says. “Builders already take on a ton of risk for their projects, so we don’t want them to take on more. Performance is extremely important to us, so if something doesn’t work, we’ll make adjustments. That can be easier if the products are connected.”

Including a whole house ventilation system in a new or remodeled home can help maintain temperature and humidity levels within a degree or two, Nelson says.

“This means year-round predictable comfort throughout the house,” Nelson says. “There won’t be any hot or cold spots, and the ERV balances humidity levels inside all the time.”

While Panasonic has been a pioneer in solar power with nearly 50 years of research and development, the company’s new EVERVOLT battery storage for residential use adds a new dimension for a seamlessly integrated system, says Vikki M. Kumar, product engineering manager, solar and storage for Panasonic.

"There's been a significant evolution in energy storage with the rise of EVs, increasing energy usage and need for grid resilience." Kumar says. "With our 60-plus years in battery technologies, we combined our solar panel offering with battery systems and home energy management for homeowners from a single reliable company"

Flexibility for Builders and Consumers

Some builders opt for a “solar ready” home rather than installing solar panels upfront, while others include panels but not storage. Panasonic’s systems allow for customization and streamlined addition of more panels or storage in the future.

“Most companies offer AC or DC coupling for the panels with the battery, but few offer both,” Kumar says. “We offer both, including true DC coupling for standalone panels, which makes it easier to add batteries later.” 

Particularly in extreme climates or areas prone to power outages, people want their home to be battery ready, Kumar says. Panasonic can install their batteries with and without solar panels since they are also generator compatible.

“You can stack up to four systems for maximum energy output and minimize their dependence on the grid,” Kumar says. “They can choose power from the grid when costs are lowest, then use stored power from the battery at peak hours or during a power outage.”

Simplified Installation and Operations

Installing some battery systems can be tedious and require additional equipment to lift the battery, but the EVERVOLT's modular design enables easy installation with minimum wiring and no special equipment is needed to lift the components, Kumar says.

“They stack like a Lego kit, so if you want to add more batteries it looks seamless,” Kumar says. “They’re just six inches deep, so homeowners like that, too. The storage takes up less room that way and doesn’t project out from the wall.”

In addition, installers can scan a QR code to quickly set up the app to monitor the system.

“Consumers can get access to the system remotely and link it to their smart phone to control their energy use,” Kumar says.

Panasonic’s ventilation system can be controlled by homeowners, but it can also function automatically.

“If there’s a warmer part of the house, such as the area facing west, the system can be set up with our Swidget monitoring system to automatically speed up or slow down the airflow,” Nelson says. “The same system can be set up to monitor indoor air quality, so there will be no CO2 buildup in closed door spaces such as a bedroom.”

Consumer Benefits

The indoor air quality system seamlessly functions to keep air moving, filtered, purified and at the ideal temperature, Nelson says.

“Because of the continuous fresh air circulation, if you burn a piece of toast in your kitchen, the system will immediately dilute the smell and flush the particulates out via the fresh air exchange,” he says. “This level of function is especially important to people with asthma or pets.”

The Panasonic system operates with MERV 13 supply air filters, but if wildfire smoke is present, Nelson recommends switching to charcoal filters and changing them more frequently. Otherwise, he says homeowners simply need to check their filters about every 90 days and change them if they’re dirty.

Panasonic monitors their solar and battery systems to ensure they are working properly and will receive an alert if any maintenance is required, Kumar says.

“Homeowners can also monitor and program their energy management system, which is especially helpful in a power outage,” Kumar says. “The system is automatically linked to their backup smart battery and can be programmed for up to six ‘smart loads’ in addition to backing up essential loads like the garage door, internet and refrigerators during a power outage. 

Homeowners can turn the smart loads on and off, even remotely, such as their EV charger and their heat pump if they don’t need them and want to conserve energy.”

Solar and battery storage are long-term investments, which is why Panasonic includes a strong warranty on both, Kumar says. Customers have a 25-year warranty on the panels and a 12-year warranty on the battery. Both warranties cover the product, performance, labor and components. 

Integrating multiple systems from one company gives homeowners a single point of contact, which can add a measure of confidence that their sanctuary will be easy to maintain.