PHILADELPHIA & REDWOOD CITY, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Comcast announced today it has entered into an agreement with EcoFactor, a provider of energy management solutions, to create a new service that optimizes the heating and cooling patterns of a home and integrates with the Xfinity Home platform. By collaborating with EcoFactor, Comcast is further enhancing its Xfinity Home service and developing a new solution that, when available, can help customers potentially reduce their energy use and save money on their utility bills year round. EcoFactor’s proprietary, cloud-based software incorporates real-time weather data and consumer interaction to give customers continuously evolving, personal “smart home” energy plans.
“Through our Xfinity Home service, we’ve created a broadband and cloud-based platform for security, remote home control and energy management and we’re always looking to collaborate with innovative companies like EcoFactor,” said Mitch Bowling, Senior Vice President and General Manager of New Businesses for Comcast Cable. “With EcoFactor, we see an opportunity to bring new and exciting technologies to our customers through an automatic energy management solution that works in real-time.”
EcoFactor provides a “smart home” solution that learns the unique heating and cooling patterns of a home and makes automatic and incremental adjustments to the thermostat based on real-time weather data, the thermal characteristics of the house and the temperature preferences of the occupants. The homeowner maintains full control over the thermostat. Over time, the system adapts to user inputs to help reduce energy while keeping the home comfortable.
“Comcast wants to bring its customers a solution that reduces energy use, but doesn’t ask them to compromise comfort or change behavior. That has always been EcoFactor’s mission and it’s great to see a major service provider validate our approach,” said Roy Johnson, CEO, EcoFactor. “Comcast did its due diligence and concluded that EcoFactor was the best option to both provide value to consumers and help them extend their service portfolio into a strategically important new area.”
EcoFactor also is working with Comcast to integrate its complete back-office solution, including training, support for on-boarding, installation and the reporting that provides customers with the details of their energy use. Comcast will announce launch details and pricing for the EcoFactor-enabled service later this year.
Xfinity Home is a broadband and cloud-based platform that provides next-generation home security, control and energy management features that allow customers to stay connected to their home and family through the use of an interactive Web portal, mobile devices and the free Xfinity Home app. In addition to 24/7 professional monitoring, Xfinity Home offers an expanding suite of home control and remote energy management services that include lighting controls, digital thermostats, live video monitoring, custom text and e-mail alerts, remote arming and disarming capabilities and, coming soon, water and carbon monoxide sensors.
For more information about Xfinity Home, please visit www.xfinity.com/home.
About Comcast Cable
Comcast Corporation (Nasdaq: CMCSA, CMCSK) (www.comcast.com) is one of the nation's leading providers of entertainment, information and communications products and services. Comcast is principally involved in the operation of cable systems through Comcast Cable and in the development, production and distribution of entertainment, news, sports and other content for global audiences through NBCUniversal. Comcast Cable is one of the nation's largest video, high-speed Internet and phone providers to residential and business customers. Comcast is the majority owner and manager of NBCUniversal, which owns and operates entertainment and news cable networks, the NBC and Telemundo broadcast networks, local television station groups, television production operations, a major motion picture company and theme parks.
About EcoFactor
EcoFactor provides a residential energy management service that enables home service providers to offer an energy management service to their customers that does not require them to compromise comfort or change behavior. The EcoFactor platform uses data from communicating thermostats to determine the unique thermal characteristics of each home and automatically optimize energy use to eliminate waste and save money. Based in Redwood City, Calif., EcoFactor was founded in 2006 to provide an automated alternative to behavior-based residential energy management solutions. EcoFactor is privately held and funded by Claremont Creek Ventures and RockPort Capital Partners.