Bright Power Electric Expands Panel Upgrade and EV Charger Service Across San Diego County

San Diego electrician Bright Power Electric now handles panel upgrades, permits and Level 2 EV charger installs as one job for homeowners adding EVs and solar.

San Diego, CA (PRUnderground) November 4th, 2026

Bright Power Electric, a licensed electrical contractor based in San Diego, is expanding its electrical panel upgrade and EV charger installation service to homeowners across San Diego County. The company now handles the full job in one package, from the first load check through permits, SDG&E coordination, the panel swap, the charger install, and the final city or county inspection.

Older San Diego homes are running out of power capacity

A big share of San Diego’s housing was built between the 1950s and the 1980s. Many of those homes in Clairemont, Mira Mesa, Serra Mesa, La Mesa, and El Cajon still run on the original 100 amp electrical panel, and some still have the original breakers inside it.

That panel was sized for a family with a fridge, a washer and dryer, a few window units, and a gas stove. It was never meant to carry a Level 2 EV charger pulling 40 or 48 amps for hours every night. Add a heat pump in place of the gas furnace, swap the gas range for an induction cooktop, put solar on the roof with a battery in the garage, and a 100 amp panel is out of room fast.

Homeowners usually find this out the hard way. They buy an electric car, call an electrician to put in a charger, and learn the panel has to be replaced before the charger can go in. Sometimes the breaker trips every time the dryer and the charger run at the same time. Sometimes the inspector won’t sign off on the charger install because the load calculation doesn’t work.

Why the panel upgrade gets stuck

Replacing a main panel is not a one visit job. It needs a load calculation, a permit from the City of San Diego or the county, an inspection, and a scheduled service disconnect and reconnect with SDG&E, since the utility has to cut power at the meter before the electrician can work on the main service. If the home needs a larger service from the street, SDG&E also has to review and approve that work, and that scheduling can take several weeks on its own.

Most homeowners end up acting as their own project manager. They call the electrician, then the permit office, then SDG&E, then the electrician again. Some hire one company for the panel and a different one for the charger, and then deal with two schedules and two invoices.

One team, one job

Bright Power Electric’s expanded service is built to take that work off the homeowner.

The process starts with an in home assessment. A Bright Power electrician looks at the existing panel, the condition of the wiring, the meter, and what the household runs today and plans to add. The homeowner gets a written price for the full scope before any work starts.

Once the homeowner approves, Bright Power pulls the permit, files any paperwork SDG&E needs, and schedules the shutoff. On install day the crew replaces the panel, runs the circuit for the charger, mounts and connects the charger, and labels the new panel. The company then handles the inspection and stays on the job until it passes.

Bright Power installs chargers from the major brands, including Tesla Wall Connector, ChargePoint, Emporia, and Grizzl-E, and will install a charger the homeowner has already bought.

“Homeowners call us asking for an EV charger, and half the time the real job is the panel,” said Andrew Hanna of Clevrly, the parent company of Bright Power Electric. “People were getting stuck between the electrician, the permit office, and the utility, and some of them gave up and just kept charging off a regular outlet. We take care of all of it. They get a charger that works and a panel that can handle whatever they add next.”

Signs a home may need a panel upgrade

Bright Power Electric recommends homeowners call for an assessment if any of these apply:

• The home has a 100 amp panel or smaller and the owner plans to add an EV charger, heat pump, induction range, hot tub, or battery backup.

• Breakers trip often when large appliances run at the same time.

• The panel is a Federal Pacific Stab-Lok or Zinsco panel. Both brands were common in Southern California homes built in the 1960s and 1970s and have a long history of breakers that fail to trip.

• The panel shows rust, scorch marks, a burning smell, or a warm cover.

• Lights dim or flicker when the AC or another large appliance kicks on.

• The home is being sold or bought and the inspection report flagged the panel.

Service area

The expanded service covers homeowners throughout San Diego County, including Clairemont, Mira Mesa, Kearny Mesa, Serra Mesa, Point Loma, North Park, La Mesa, El Cajon, Santee, Chula Vista, National City, Poway, and Escondido.

Bright Power Electric also continues to handle the rest of its residential and light commercial work, including lighting installs, recessed lighting, whole home and partial rewiring, outlet and breaker repairs, ceiling fans, troubleshooting, and emergency electrical calls.

How to get started

Homeowners thinking about an electric vehicle, a heat pump, an induction range, or a solar and battery system can request a panel and load assessment through the Bright Power Electric website or by calling the office. Bright Power will tell the homeowner whether the existing panel can handle the new load or needs to be upgraded, and give a written price for either path.

About Bright Power Electric

Bright Power Electric is a licensed residential and commercial electrical contractor serving San Diego County. The company handles panel upgrades, EV charger installation, lighting, rewiring, and electrical repairs for homeowners and small businesses. Bright Power Electric is part of Clevrly, a group of electrical and HVAC companies serving San Diego, Orange County, and Riverside.

That’s about 1,000 words. Same checks as before: Andrew’s title and quote approval, whether they really do the full permit and SDG&E bundle, the charger brand list, the neighborhoods, and whether they do emergency calls.