NRG
Home Solar – a wholly owned subsidiary of power company NRG Energy – has
launched a new solar/water bundle
designed to help California residents better manage their resources more
efficiently.
As
the worst drought in California’s history continues to ravage many parts of the state, water
preservation has become more important than ever. NRG Home Solar’s new offering
bundles its solar home system, complete with modules and inverter, with the
Rachio Iro water controller, developed by Rachio to help homeowners better
monitor their water irrigation flow.
The
water controller has been certified by the Environmental Protection Agency’s
(EPA) WaterSense program, making it eligible for rebates in many districts of
the state. The bundle will be rolled out in Fresno and San Diego initially,
before expanding across California soon.
Powered
by the NRG Home Solar system, the Rachio
solution connects to a residence’s WiFi network or homeowner’s smartphone and
allows users to monitor how much water is being used for irrigation. Users
intent on cutting down and consuming water more efficiently have reported a 30%
reduction in water usage.
NRG
Home Solar will also offer turf replacement rebates as an additional incentive
to cut their water consumption, replacing thirsty lawns with drought-resistant
plants. The company also revealed that it is working on further conservation
options, including low-flow fixtures, water barrels and leak monitoring
technology.
"We’re
committed to giving consumers energy-related products that help them be mindful
and deliberate about resource management in a way that suits their needs and
lifestyles," said NRG Home CEO and president Steve McBee. "This is an
opportunity for us to stand by our customers and get them the products they need
when they need them."
Chris
Klein, CEO and founder of Rachio, called the collaboration a "no-brainer",
stating: "Our smart technology is a perfect fit for NRG Home’s vision of giving
consumers innovative sustainable offerings. That’s especially true when you
consider that up to half of California homes have irrigation systems, which use
more water on average than any other residential end use."
Kelcy
Pelger, Jr, NRG Home Solar president, added that
solar and water conservation is exactly the type of statement Californians want
to be making right now. "Empowering water conservation – particularly in
California – is the right thing to do and a natural complement to helping these
customers build on their environmental commitment."
Solar’s
penetration in California is higher than in any other state, reaching 5%
recently and generating 9.9 million MWh of electricity in 2014. As hydropower in
the state has been hit by dwindling reservoir levels – dropping 46% last year –
solar’s timing could not be better.
"The
annual increase in California’s solar generation in 2014 offset 83% of the
decrease in hydroelectric generation," said a report by the Energy Information
Administration (EIA) in March.
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