Vivint to provide PV system owners with smart home tools

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Many companies are talking about solar as a component of an integrated and intelligent control system for home energy. Yesterday Vivint Solar took a concrete step towards making that a reality for its customers, which it says makes it the first company to provide a full “smart home” offering.

At the mammoth Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, the company announced a strategic partnership with Vivint Smart Home which includes supplying a free energy management package featuring the Vivint SkyControl panel, Vivint Element thermostat and home sensors to its solar customers.

“Before long, every home will be intelligent, and we believe solar energy is a key component of the smart home experience,” said Vivint Smart Home President Alex Dunn.

The system can be managed through the Vivint Smart Home app, which provides insights into current and historical energy usage, as well as showing real-time power generation and allowing users to set up automated energy conservation measures.

Vivint Solar has been getting ready for this moment for some time, and on its third quarter earnings call in early November announced positive results form a pilot collaboration between itself and Smart Home.

The significance in this collaboration is not only what it offers Vivint customers, but the benefits for Vivint’s sales. The company has noted an overlap in interest between its Smart Home customers and its PV customers, and has hinted at utilizing the sizable sales forces of both divisions to mutual benefit.

This will be important for Vivint, which continues to rebuild its financial position nine months after the botched acquisition attempt by SunEdison.

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