Home Energy Management

Know where every
dollar goes.

Before you buy solar, find out where your electricity is actually going. A $200 energy monitor pays for itself in 6 months. A $249 smart thermostat saves $150–300 every year. Start here.

$150–300Smart thermostat/yr6 monthsEnergy monitor payback40–50%Of your bill is HVAC
Find my power →
The right order

Build your energy stack
in this order.

Most people buy solar first. That's backwards. HVAC is 40–50% of your electricity bill. Fix that first with a smart thermostat. Then monitor what's left. Then add solar to offset what remains. The payback math works out dramatically better in this order.

Step 01
Smart thermostat
Cost$59–249
Savings$150–300/yr
Payback18 months
HVAC is your biggest load. Automate it first.
Step 02
Energy monitor
Cost$100–300
Savings10–15% of bill
Payback6 months
Find every hidden load dragging your bill up.
Step 03
Solar panels
Cost$600–15,000
Savings$90–800+/yr
Payback4–12 years
Now you know exactly how much solar you need.
Step 04
Smart panel
Cost$3,500–5,000
SavingsAutomates everything
Payback3–5 years
For homes with solar + battery + EV. Not for everyone.
Step 01 — Smart thermostats

Cut your HVAC bill
by 10–15% automatically.

HVAC accounts for 40–50% of the average American electricity bill. A smart thermostat learns your schedule, adjusts automatically, and enrolls in demand response programs that pay you credits when the grid is stressed.

At $150/month average bill:
$180–270
saved per year from smart thermostat automation alone
SOL COUNTRY PICK
Ecobee Smart Thermostat Premium
$249
Demand response enrolled
SmartSensor for room accuracy
Works with Alexa/Google/Apple
Best overall for savings
Buy on Amazon →
Google Nest Learning
$179
Self-learning schedule
Works with Google Home
Most popular thermostat
Easy to install
Buy on Amazon →
BEST VALUE
Amazon Smart Thermostat
$59
Alexa built-in
Energy Star certified
Best budget option
Works with most HVAC systems
Buy on Amazon →

All three qualify for HEAR rebates in participating states. Sol Country checks your state's rebate availability in Find My Power.

Step 02 — Energy monitors

Find every watt
wasting your money.

Most homeowners have no idea what's using their electricity. A home energy monitor shows every circuit in real time — so you can find the old fridge in the garage that's costing $200/year and the phantom loads draining power while you sleep.

What homeowners typically find:
Old second fridgemost common hidden load
$180–240/yr
Pool pump (peak hours)can be scheduled off-peak
$300+/yr
Always-on devicesTVs, gaming consoles, modems
$100–200/yr
HVAC inefficiencywrong size or degraded
$200–400/yr
SOL COUNTRY PICK
Emporia Vue 3
$200
16 circuit-level CT clamps
±1–2% accuracy
Solar + net metering compatible
Best value in home monitoring
Buy on Amazon →
Sense Energy Monitor
$299
AI device detection
No circuit clamps needed
Good for renters / no panel access
Identifies individual appliances
Buy on Amazon →
Emporia vs Sense: Choose Emporia if you can access your breaker panel and want exact circuit data. Choose Sense if you want AI device detection without installing hardware on breakers.
Step 04 — Smart panels

The panel that manages
everything automatically.

The Span smart panel replaces your electrical panel and gives you circuit-level control from your phone. It automatically manages solar, battery, and EV charging — shifting loads to the cheapest times and protecting critical circuits during outages.

Sol Country's honest take:
The Span panel makes the most sense when you're already replacing an aging panel, installing solar + battery, or building new. At $3,500–5,000 installed, it's hard to justify as a standalone upgrade when a $200 Emporia provides 80% of the monitoring benefit.
Span smart panel
$3,500–5,000 installed
Circuit-level control via app
Solar + battery + EV integration
Automatic load management
Outage protection built-in
Requires licensed electrician
Get a Span quote →
Get paid by the grid

Your thermostat can
earn you money.

Demand response programs pay you to reduce your energy use during peak grid demand — usually hot summer afternoons when air conditioning stresses the grid. Your smart thermostat adjusts automatically. You earn credits on your bill without doing anything.

Utility demand response
Available · Most utilities nationwide
$25–150/yr in credits
Enroll your thermostat. Grid adjusts it automatically during peak events.
OhmConnect
Available · TX · CA · NY
$100–300+/yr
Alerts before peak events. Reduce usage, earn OhmHours. Cash out via PayPal.
Xcel Battery Connect
Available · Colorado only
$250/kW upfront + $100/yr for 5 years
Currently closed — may reopen mid-2026.
Closed
Find my power →
Where to start

Which devices make
sense for your home?

I want the fastest paybackSmart thermostat — 18 months
I want to know where my money is goingEmporia Vue 3 energy monitor
I have solar or battery and want to automateSpan smart panel
I want to earn money from the gridEnroll in demand response
Run Find My Power →
For personalized recommendation including HEMS readiness score.

Find your complete
energy savings picture.

Sol Country checks your HEMS readiness score alongside solar, community solar, and bill assistance — all in one 30-second analysis.

Free · No signupHEMS score included30 seconds