Noble Carbon, a startup based in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, has developed a smart circuit breaker aimed at making the installation of electric vehicle (EV) chargers, heat pumps, and induction stoves more straightforward. The company states that its breakers can adjust the amount of electricity delivered to an EV charger in real time, potentially allowing chargers to be integrated into electrical panels that are otherwise at capacity.
This technology could help avoid the need for a main electrical panel upgrade, which one study found can more than double charger installation costs. According to Spencer Fields, Noble Carbon's head of marketing, electrical panels are typically designed for absolute peak usage, which may only occur for a few hours annually.
The company claims its breakers fit into existing slots within a home's electrical panel and can be installed in under five minutes. Noble Carbon is currently collaborating with the utility Eversource to install its breakers in up to 200 multifamily units in Massachusetts. The product is also undergoing evaluation for UL certification, an electrical safety standard.