Solar power systems provider EchoFirst, formerly known as PVT Solar, appointed Surinder Brar to its advisory board. Brar is the chief strategist of the worldwide partner organization at Cisco Systems.

EchoFirst CEO Vikas Desai called the appointment a boost for the Fremont, Calif.-based supplier. Brar's "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."

EchoFirst is the creator of Echo, a high-performance solar energy system. Echo generates not only electricity, but also hot water for washing and bathing.