Acterra, a Palo Alto nonprofit, runs free Green@Home tours of real all-electric homes, and more than 750 people attended in 2025. Its monthly Palo Alto tour of the Bell-Brown home shows heat pump heating and cooling, a heat pump water heater, induction cooking, EV charging and a new all-electric ADU. Go with a checklist: listen to the outdoor unit, find the water heater and panel, and ask the owners what they paid after City rebates. Then translate what you saw to your own house type.
What Green@Home tours are
Acterra is a 501(c)(3) environmental nonprofit based at 3921 East Bayshore Road in Palo Alto. Its Green@Home tours open the doors of homes that have switched from gas to electric, from new builds to 1950s houses partway through the change. Hosts talk through their appliance choices, contractors, installation and incentives. The tours are free, and sponsors include the City of Palo Alto Utilities.
| Tour | Where | What you see |
|---|---|---|
| Bell-Brown home (monthly) | Palo Alto; address sent to registrants | Heat pump heating and cooling, heat pump water heater, induction cooktop, EV charging, an all-electric two-bedroom ADU (outside only) |
| Peninsula and South Bay Green@Home Tour | Multiple homes in Santa Clara and San Mateo counties; held October 10, 2026 | Heat pumps, heat pump water heaters, induction, solar, batteries, EVs, rainwater catchment |
Check Acterra’s tour page for upcoming dates. ComfortFlow HVAC Palo Alto is not affiliated with Acterra; we just think the tours are the best way to see the real thing before you decide.
Seven things to look at on a tour
- The outdoor unit. Stand next to it while it runs and have a conversation. Palo Alto’s instant heat pump permit requires units rated under 65 dBA, not on the roof and not visible from the street, with a setback from the property line.
- The line set. See how the refrigerant lines run from the outdoor unit to the indoor units, and whether they are covered.
- Indoor units. Wall heads, ceiling cassettes or a ducted air handler? Note where they sit and how loud they are.
- The heat pump water heater. Is it in a garage, closet or basement? Does it have a louvered door, a drain pan, a condensate line?
- The electrical panel. Did they replace it, add a smart panel, or use circuit-sharing devices to avoid an upgrade?
- The kitchen. Try the induction cooktop. Ask whether they needed new pans.
- The EV charger. How does it share capacity with the heat pump and water heater?
Questions to ask the hosts
- What did each piece cost after City rebates, and what surprised you?
- How did your gas and electric bills change in the first winter?
- Is the house comfortable on the coldest nights and the hottest afternoons?
- Did you need a panel upgrade, and how long did the permit and the utility take?
- What would you do in a different order if you started over?
- Would you hire the same contractor again?
Translate what you saw to your house
Every tour home is different from yours. Here is how the same upgrades usually play out in the main Palo Alto house types.
| Your house | Heating and cooling path | Water heater path | Watch-outs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eichler, Greenmeadow or Fairmeadow | Ductless mini-splits for cooling and backup heat; air-to-water heat pump if the radiant loops are healthy | Garage or utility closet; separate it from the radiant heat source | No attic, glass walls, flat roof; read our best system for Eichlers |
| Pre-war home, Professorville or Old Palo Alto | Ducted heat pump if existing ducts are usable; slim ducted or ductless where they are not | Basement or service porch; drain pan on wood floors | Historic character, outdoor unit placement, older panels |
| 1950s or 1960s ranch, Midtown or Barron Park | Ducted heat pump in the furnace’s place; often the simplest switch | Garage on slab; new 240V circuit | 100A panels, possible Federal Pacific breakers |
| ADU | Ductless mini-split | Compact heat pump water heater | Many new detached ADUs are already all-electric |
Palo Alto electrification by the numbers
| Measure | Number |
|---|---|
| Residential gas accounts (FY2025) | 21,610 |
| Heat pump water heaters installed through City programs, as of Dec. 19, 2024 | 498 |
| Recent pace of City-program water heater switches | About 250 a year |
| City electricity carbon neutral since | 2013 |
| Gas rate increase, July 1, 2026 | 9% (electric: 4.5%) |
Details and original sources are in our news posts on the heat pump water heater discount and July 2026 utility rates.
What the tour home’s upgrades cost in Palo Alto
These are the City’s Electrify My Home program prices, effective February 2026, with City rebates already applied.
| Upgrade | Installed price | City rebate built in or available |
|---|---|---|
| Ducted heat pump, 3-ton | $9,800 | $2,500 ($5,000 income-eligible) |
| Ducted heat pump, 4-ton | $11,700 | $2,500 ($5,000 income-eligible) |
| Mini-split, 1 to 3 zones | $3,250 to $10,900 | $2,500 when it replaces gas heat |
| Heat pump water heater, 65-gal 240V | $3,350 | $3,500, plus $500 through Oct. 31, 2026 |
| Induction range | $1,950 | $500 ($1,000 income-eligible) |
| Panel replacement | $3,850 to $8,450 | $1,000 add-on ($2,000 income-eligible) |
| Gas meter removal (full electrification) | Not listed | $2,500 |
Our take: the order we usually recommend
- Water heater firstThe cheapest switch, it removes 10 to 12 therms a month, and the extra $500 ends Oct. 31, 2026.
- Panel planDecide now between a new panel, a smart panel or sharing devices, so every later step fits.
- Heat pump at the right timeSwap the furnace and AC together before either fails, so you are not choosing in an emergency.
- Kitchen and EVInduction and EV charging go last, once the panel is ready for them.
The 2026 heat waves made the case for cooling, too. A heat pump gives you air conditioning from the same system. See what this year’s heat waves taught us, check your costs in the heat pump cost guide, and read about heat pump noise and placement before you pick a spot for the outdoor unit.
Sources
- Acterra: Green@Home Tours
- Acterra: Green@Home Sustainable Living Showcase, Tour the Bell-Brown Home
- City of Palo Alto: Acterra Peninsula and South Bay Green@Home Tour
- City of Palo Alto: Heat Pump Space Conditioning Systems Instant Permit
- City of Palo Alto: Electrify My Home (prices effective February 2026)
- City of Palo Alto: Rebate Hub
- ComfortFlow HVAC Palo Alto: Extra $500 off a heat pump water heater ends October 31 (with original sources)
- ComfortFlow HVAC Palo Alto: Palo Alto utility rates, July 2026 (with original sources)