LG solar and sense partnership overview

In May 2021, LG Solar and Sense announced their new partnership to empower homeowners to make smarter energy decisions. LG has long been a household name due to its high-quality electronics, and its subsidiary, LG Solar, has been no different. LG Solar is a leading manufacturer of solar panels with two residential series: the NeON 2 and the NeON R.

Sense entered the energy space in 2016 with the launch of its Home Energy Monitor. Their energy monitoring system provides insights into your energy usage, allowing you to make informed decisions about what devices you're powering and when you're powering them. We sat down with LG Solar to learn more about their new partnership and its potential benefits.

The Sense Home Energy Monitor is a small, red box that sits in–or around–your electrical panel (aka breaker box). The monitor includes current sensors that clamp onto the service mains in your electrical panel and can rapidly read your home's electrical current. Over a couple of days to a few weeks, the built-in artificial intelligence uses machine learning to recognize the "electricity signatures" associated with your home's appliances and identify when each device is in use.

You can then use the Sense app to track statistics about individual devices, including trends and costs over time. Not sure if you closed the garage door before you left? You can check your Sense app to see the last time it was operated. Is one of your devices drawing unnecessary power when you're not using it? The Sense app will show you this as well. If you live in any area with time-of-use (TOU) rates–in which you pay more for electricity when demand is higher–you can enter the different rates and increase the accuracy of your electricity costs in the app. You can also set electricity goals through the Sense app and opt-in to certain notifications that will alert you if some of your consumption data seems off–such as if you've left the fridge door open for a bit too long or if you're using more electricity than usual during peak rate hours!

Want to pair the Sense Home Energy Monitor with solar panels? With Sense Solar, you'll get the same benefits as the standard Sense monitor, but your device will also come with two additional current sensors that will clamp onto your solar wires. You'll then be able to use the Sense app to track how much electricity your panels are generating and how much you're consuming.

You don't need LG solar panels to purchase a Sense Solar monitor; doing so will provide additional benefits. Specifically, the partnership is intended for homeowners looking to pair the LG NeON R ACe panels with Sense Solar. The NeOn R ACe panels are unique in that they come with built-in microinverters–and while LG is new to the game in solar inverters, they've long been producing inverters for their other numerous power electronics. Sense Solar will integrate with the NeOn R ACe panels and the LG EnerVu 2 energy monitoring app for their microinverters to provide even greater insight into your energy production and consumption.

While LG doesn't require you to install Sense Solar with their NeOn R ACe modules, it might be worth your investment. Because Sense Solar is a functional part of your solar system when you install it with solar panels, it's eligible for the investment tax credit, and it will cost less than if you purchase it directly through Sense or Amazon–for reference, the standard Sense product is $299, and Sense Solar is $349. The installation is straightforward and should take less than 15 minutes. Because the Sense monitor empowers you to make smarter energy decisions, LG estimates that your electrical bill could drop by about six to eight percent if you use the app to adjust and reduce your energy consumption.

Like Sense can make you a more intelligent energy consumer, comparing multiple quotes can make you a smarter solar shopper. On the EnergySage Marketplace, you can receive multiple quotes from pre-vetted solar installers to find a system that meets your needs at the right price. Specifically interested in the LG NeOn R ACe panels? Make a note in your EnergySage profile. Most installers of LG panels are now offering Sense Solar as an installation upgrade, so if it's something you want to add, let your installer know!