CalNEXT: Electrification Enablement via Load-Balancing Solutions Focused Pilot

The Electrification Enablement via Load-Balancing Solutions Focused Pilot was launched in early 2025. Its primary objective was to understand how load-balancing solutions or technologies were being used in existing electric vehicle supply equipment installations and validate load-balancing technologies’ potential to enable additional electrification without requiring costly electrical panel or service upsizing. A review of California’s existing building stock suggests that an estimated 33 percent of existing homes in California have a 100-ampere panels (CPUC 2024). The Electric Power Research Institute estimates that more than 50 percent homes have two or fewer open breaker slots in their existing electrical panel, resulting in the need for electrical modifications like adding subpanels to accommodate the new electrified loads.

In residential homes, there has been a notable shift towards an increasing number of electric vehicle drivers using Level 2 home charging. According to contractor survey findings, Level 2 electric vehicle chargers are one of the top triggers for electrical panel upsizing that can also translate to service upsizing.2 The relatively new load-balancing technologies, with this validation can foster electrification without expensive panel and service upsizing. However, there is no comprehensive research that helps the market identify the right use case and installation applications for these technologies. This pilot contains findings and recommendations to address barriers to integrating load-balancing technologies into electrification projects.