If your home was built more than 20 years ago, there's a good chance your electrical panel is struggling to keep up. Between EV chargers, heat pumps, home offices, and modern kitchen appliances, today's households draw significantly more power than homes were originally designed to handle.
At Goodnow Electric, we see it all the time — flickering lights, tripped breakers, and panels that are well past their safe operating life. An electrical panel upgrade isn't just a convenience improvement — it's a safety upgrade that protects your family and your home.
Signs Your Panel Needs an Upgrade
Not sure if your panel is due for replacement? Here are the most common warning signs we see during inspections across Portland, Westbrook, and Scarborough:
- Frequent breaker trips — If you're resetting breakers regularly, your panel is telling you it can't handle the load.
- Burning smell or scorch marks — This is a fire hazard and requires immediate attention.
- Fuse box instead of breaker panel — Fuse boxes are outdated and don't meet modern safety codes.
- Buzzing or crackling sounds — These indicate loose connections or arcing, which can cause fires.
- You're adding major appliances — Heat pumps, EV chargers, and hot tubs all require dedicated circuits your old panel may not support.
What Does a Panel Upgrade Involve?
A typical panel upgrade with Goodnow Electric involves replacing your existing panel with a modern 200-amp service panel. This gives your home plenty of capacity for current and future electrical needs. The process usually takes a full day, and we coordinate with the utility company to ensure a smooth transition.
For homeowners planning a kitchen or bathroom remodel, we often recommend combining the panel upgrade with the residential electrical work for the remodel — it's more efficient and cost-effective to do both at once.
The EV Charger Connection
One of the biggest drivers of panel upgrades we've seen recently is EV charger installation. A Level 2 home charger typically requires a 50-amp dedicated circuit. If your panel is already near capacity, you'll need an upgrade before the charger can be installed. We handle both the panel upgrade and charger installation as a single project, saving you time and money.
Smart Homes Need Smart Panels
If you're investing in smart home technology — automated lighting, security systems, smart thermostats — a modern panel ensures your home's electrical backbone can support all those connected devices reliably. We've seen older panels in Gorham and Windham homes struggle with the constant low-level draw of smart devices on top of regular household use.
New Construction & Solar
For new construction projects, we install panels that are sized for both current needs and future expansion. And if you're considering solar panel installation, your electrical panel needs to be compatible with a solar inverter and potentially battery storage — another reason to ensure your panel is modern and properly sized.
Why Choose Goodnow Electric?
When you work with Goodnow Electric for a panel upgrade, you get the owner on-site for every job. We're fully licensed, bonded, and insured, and we serve homeowners and businesses across South Portland, Falmouth, Cape Elizabeth, Saco, Biddeford, and all of Southern Maine.
We also handle commercial electrical panel upgrades for businesses that need to expand their capacity.
Curious whether your panel needs an upgrade? Contact us for a free assessment. You can also learn more about our team or browse our recent projects to see the quality of work we deliver.
Call us at (207) 318-1022 — we're available 24/7 for emergencies and happy to schedule a convenient time for a free estimate.