Rachio Partnership to Bring Water Savings to Residential Solar Offering in Parts of California

SAN FRANCISCO--Faced with the historic drought ravaging California, NRG Home today announced a new service plan that combines water conservation and solar energy into a single, smart consumer offering. The new smart watering/solar energy bundle includes a consultation with an NRG Home Solar specialist to determine how suitable a home is for solar, plus ways to help conserve water. The key technology behind the bundle is a smart irrigation controller from Rachio, Inc., a leading smart water home technology provider. The bundle launched initially in Fresno and San Diego and more areas of the state will be eligible for the package soon.

"Were 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 Steve McBee, President and CEO of NRG Home. "This is an opportunity for us to stand by our customers and get them the products they need when they need them."

The Rachio solution is certified with the EPAs WaterSense program and eligible for rebates from many California water districts. The companys Iro controller connects to a homeowners WiFi network and/or smartphone to reduce the water used for irrigation by an average of 30 percent.

NRG Home will also be offering turf replacement rebates as an additional option starting in May to incentivize California residents to consider sustainable, drought-resistant plants for homeowners who want to go beyond smart irrigation control and start replacing turf with less water-intensive plantings. Over time, additional conservation options are planned such as low-flow fixtures, water barrels and leak monitoring technology.

"In many ways this is a no-brainer," said Chris Klein, Rachio founder and CEO. "Our smart technology is a perfect fit for NRG Homes vision of giving consumers innovative sustainable offerings. Thats 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."

"For so many people across America, solar is a statement that they are making positive energy choices at home," said Kelcy Pelger, Jr., President of NRG Home Solar. "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."

More information about the new bundle is available at http://www.nrghomesolar.com/contact-us/get-a-quote/rachio/.

About NRG Home
NRG Home is a leading consumer energy solutions provider, offering greater control over the creation and use of energy, both at home and on the go. It unifies more than three million customers through a growing portfolio of seamlessly integrated power products, including retail electricity, home solar systems and smart energy solutions that allow customers to generate, manage and share more of their own energy in ways that are clean, reliable and affordable. NRG Home is part of NRG Energy, Inc. (NYSE: NRG), a Fortune 250 company delivering cleaner and smarter energy choices. For more information about NRG Home products and services, please visit nrg.com and nrghomepower.com, and connect on Facebook at facebook.com/nrg and on Twitter @nrgenergy and @nrgmedia.

About Rachio, Inc.
Rachio's intelligent water management solutions change the way people think about water. As the innovative leader in smart WiFi sprinkler controllers, Rachio has made it their mission to apply cloud-based intelligence to household water management, saving customers money and conserving our precious natural resources. For more information, visit www.rachio.com. Connect with Rachio on Facebook at facebook.com/rachioco and follow us at Twitter twitter.com/_rachio.