Critical Loads Panel
Also known as: Backup loads panelsub-panel for critical loadspartial-home backup
A critical loads panel is a separate sub-panel that contains only the circuits you want backed up during an outage — typically refrigerator, well pump, key lighting, internet/router, garage door opener, maybe a freezer and a charging outlet. The critical loads panel is fed by the backup power source; everything else stays on the main panel and goes dark during an outage.
Why this design: It's much cheaper than backing up the whole house. A 5 kWh battery or a small generator can run a critical loads panel indefinitely; the same backup source can't run the whole house. The tradeoff is that during an outage, only the critical-loads circuits work — no AC, no electric dryer, no electric range, no full lighting.
This is the typical setup for budget-conscious PSPS preparedness. A whole-home backup is the alternative — significantly more expensive but no compromise during outages.
We walk through both options on every backup power consultation. Whole-home backup makes sense if you have specific medical equipment, work-from-home obligations, or just don't want to think about which circuits work during outages. Critical loads is the value-engineered path.
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