Vivint Smart Home and Vivint Solar announced a strategic partnership to offer a single, unified experience that will allow customers to intelligently manage both the generation and consumption of energy in the home. According to a study from Research Now, there is a strong consumer preference for bundling a residential solar energy system with smart home technology. The study found approximately half of consumers interested in installing a rooftop solar energy system were also interested in buying a smart home system and associated products. Later this year, new Vivint Solar customers will be able to receive an integrated energy management system from Vivint Smart Home, including a Vivint SkyControl panel, Vivint Element thermostat and home sensors, at no additional cost. Sky, Vivint’s smart home assistant, is the artificial intelligence at the heart of a Vivint smart home, providing intelligent management of both energy production and consumption. For instance, Sky uses data from sensors throughout the home to automatically adjust the temperature based on a homeowner’s specific activity and preferences. Sky also provides intelligent recommendations to increase the home’s energy efficiency, such as suggesting on temperate days that the homeowner open windows and turn off the air conditioner. Customers can get combined energy savings from a Vivint smart home that reduces energy usage and by receiving power from their solar system oftentimes at lower rates than their variable utility rate. For example, a smart thermostat can help reduce heating and cooling costs by 10-15%, and Vivint Solar customers typically save on average 10-30% on their current energy costs. Studies also show that a home with a typical residential solar energy system is valued up to $15,000 higher than it would be without the solar energy system.