Retrofit controllers lower installed cost

This is a classic case where software value is no longer tied to replacing the whole box. In a home that already has a modern load center, a retrofit controller like Lumin can sit next to the existing panel, switch and prioritize up to 12 circuits, and handle backup power and service upgrade avoidance without paying for a full rip and replace. That compresses labor, materials, and permitting scope versus swapping in a new smart panel.

• Lumin is built for add on deployment, not panel replacement. Its smart panel product extends an existing breaker panel and provides measurement and remote control for up to 12 circuits, which covers the highest value loads like HVAC, water heating, EV charging, and backup prioritization.
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• Savant follows a more modular path inside the existing panel. Its Power Modules fit standard breaker panels and start at $120 MSRP for two 20A circuits, which lowers the initial buy in, but costs climb circuit by circuit as more loads need proprietary modules and sensors.
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• Leviton pushes the same retrofit logic through smart breakers. A homeowner can make a load center smart one circuit at a time by swapping in second generation remote control breakers, which spreads spend over time but still ties every controlled circuit to branded hardware.
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The market is moving toward mixed architectures. Full smart panels still make sense in new builds and major rewires, but retrofit control will keep gaining share in existing homes because it captures most of the practical benefit, backup orchestration, load shedding, and electrification readiness, with less equipment change and a cheaper install path.