Arrow has built a powerful alliance to demonstrate the benefits of equipping affordable housing projects with smart home technology.

Arrow Engineering Manager Madhu Vatte spends most weekdays working with her team, Arrow suppliers and customers solving customer challenges and developing solutions. But one warm spring day, she found herself positioned behind a circular saw instead, learning how to cut wood. She and a teammate were building a storage nook for a home in the Mountain View Community Homes that Habitat for Humanity of Metro Denver is constructing in Aurora, Colo.

“This is my first time in a construction facility and it’s a lot of fun,” shared Vatte, one of 100 Arrow employees who has volunteered at the building site since the project broke ground in November 2023. “Having a smart home is the next step for energy efficiency and the environment and that’s what we are moving toward, and I am happy to be a part of it.”

“It’s a blessing and I am just so thankful for everything that people are doing for us homeowners,” said Gladys, a future Habitat homeowner, who will move to Mountain View with her husband and four children.

Arrow employees have contributed nearly 600 hours to building the Mountain View development, the first Habitat project to incorporate a comprehensive smart home technology solution. Each of the community’s 20 homes will include a bundle of smart home products designed to enhance security and safety, save energy, conserve water, improve air quality and reduce energy costs. While industry organizations estimate that more than 60 million U.S. homes are equipped with smart home technology, the devices are less common in affordable housing projects due to cost and connectivity issues.

To overcome those barriers, Arrow has assembled a diverse coalition of customers and suppliers who are contributing vital hardware, technical expertise and sweat equity to help ensure the project’s success.

Resideo, a longtime Arrow customer and Habitat supporter, is contributing a full suite of connected, smart home products to each Mountain View home, from Honeywell Home smart thermostats for more efficient climate control and Honeywell Home UV Air Treatment systems to help reduce airborne bacteria and odors, to First Alert video doorbells to monitor security and First Alert water leak detectors that can automatically shut water off when a leak occurs to prevent damage.

Homeowners can program and monitor the devices remotely through the user-friendly First Alert app.

“Honestly, I wouldn’t have naturally considered that our supplier would suggest doing something of this magnitude and scale. But they (Arrow) meaningfully want to make change and making change starts in places like Mountain View, one home at a time, one room in the home at a time, one family in the home at a time.”

– Jeannine Lane, Resideo’s general counsel, corporate secretary and ESG leader.

Silicon Labs, an Arrow supplier, is also a key player at Mountain View. Silicon Labs produces wireless solutions that enable the connectivity inside of Internet of Things devices. As a reseller of Silicon Labs’ semiconductor products, Arrow serves in the center of the relationship, helping guide our customers to the right Silicon Labs’ components for their products. To make it as easy as possible for homeowners to control their smart devices, Silicon Labs is donating tablets to each home, pre-loaded with the First Alert app.

“The partnership between Habitat, Arrow and our team is just one example of how we can come together to create meaningful change in our communities. This is only the beginning of the impact that we can have by integrating innovation with purpose.”

– Jake Alamat, Silicon Labs senior vice president of Home and Life Business that has supported Habitat projects in Austin for two decades.

While Resideo Honeywell Home and First Alert will keep the Mountain View homes running efficiently inside, Arrow tapped another customer, Rachio, to extend smart home technology outside.

A maker of smart watering devices, Rachio is providing homeowners with products that make it easier to maintain their yards without wasting water. The company’s Smart Sprinkler Controllers allow homeowners to set and customize watering schedules easily through their smart phones. Equipped with Weather Intelligence Plus, the controller can automatically adjust watering based on local weather and seasonality. Rachio’s Smart Hose Timer attaches to any outdoor faucet and automates the process of hand watering gardens, flower beds and other plants. Homeowners can control schedules through the Rachio app on their phones, or smart home systems like Alexa and Google Assistant.

“We’re thrilled to partner with Arrow Electronics on Habitat for Humanity’s Mountain View Homes project. Everyone deserves access to responsible water management, and we’re honored to help the new Mountain View residents create sustainable, beautiful outdoor spaces while conserving water and saving money.”

– Rob Denton, Rachio’s director of marketing.

Mountain View residents are not only expected to save money on water and energy but should also spend less on maintenance thanks to more efficient heating and cooling systems. They may also be eligible for insurance discounts because the water leak sensors, security system and smoke alarms could help homeowners avoid filing claims.

“Every dollar really counts. So, when you’re talking about smart thermostats or smart sprinkler systems that allow our homeowners to save money, that’s really important because then that leads to even greater stability,” explained Jaime Gomez, CEO of Habitat for Humanity of Metro Denver.
Gomez says that helping homeowners reduce housing expenses allows them to allocate more money to essentials like health care, education, childcare and transportation.

To ensure that Mountain View residents make the most of their smart home devices, Resideo is offering in-person training sessions to teach them how to use the technology. Employees from Resideo, Silicon Labs and Rachio are also volunteering on site to build homes. For many, it provides a unique opportunity to see the technology they work with daily applied in a real life.

“To lift the hammer with other people from our industry to make a difference in someone’s life for not just now, but five to 10 years out, is amazing. We feel really privileged to play a part in these homeowners’ houses,”

– Gary Debling, Resideo’s vice president of energy solutions and services.