The company formerly known as PVT Solar rebranded today as EchoFirst, Inc. At the same time, the company appointed Cisco Systems executive Surinder Brar to its advisory board. Brar is Cisco’s chief strategist of the worldwide partner organization. Both changes should help the company popularize its unique hybrid photovoltaic/solar thermal technology, which is already being used in 24 communities across the Southwest.

The name change aligns the company with its main product, the Echo solar power system, which includes photovoltaics and a solar thermal component.

“The name was causing a little bit of confusion, and we wanted to reinforce that in the market,” said EchoFirst co-founder and Chief Marketing Officer Gordon Handelsman.

The Echo product is adaptable to different types of photovoltaics.

“Designwise, we’re technology agnostic. Our system can use any type of photovoltaic panels. Right now we’re using Solar World products,” Handelsman said.

Unlike most other solar thermal technologies, Echo uses air, not water, to capture heat produced by the sun hitting the photovoltaics. The air is moved by a computer-controlled fan then used in a heat exchanger to provide the home’s heating, cooling, venting and hot water needs, according to Handelsman.

It typically costs about 25 percent to 45 percent more than a basic photovoltaic system. But in new homes, some of that cost is offset by eliminating or reducing the size of other components like hot water or HVAC systems.

The company’s products are already installed in many homes in the southwest.

“Right now, we’re standard in 24 different communities in Arizona, California and Utah. [Development] size ranges from 50 to 75 homes to a couple hundred homes,” Handelsman said.

The addition of Brar to the board was made in an attempt to further grow the company’s business.

“Our strategy as a company is to participate in multiple segments. We’ve been fortunate and have had a lot of traction in the new-home segment. We’re now bringing it to existing homes through a partner network,” Handelsman said. “We want to build a partner network where we treat the customer very well. He’s probably one of the leading people in the world on how you mange partner networks.”

In addition, the company is looking to his experience in building companies.

"His proven Silicon Valley experience and the industry perspectives he brings to building great companies, as well as his deep understanding of technology adoption, will prove invaluable to EchoFirst,” said EchoFirst CEO Vikas Desai in a press release. “We look forward to working closely with Surinder to grow EchoFirst into one of the most successful renewable energy technology companies in the U.S."