A startup is betting that one of the biggest barriers to home electrification is not interest, but installation and upfront costs. 

Merino Energy has a redesigned room-by-room heat pump unit that can be installed in under an hour and costs a fraction of the price of a traditional whole-home system. 

Merino Energy is focused on making the switch to an all-electric home easier, starting with heat pumps. Its core pitch is simple: reduce the hassle, and more households may be willing to upgrade.

On its website, the startup explained that its founders, Mary-Ann Rau and Brad Hall, had already electrified much of their own homes with solar panels, batteries, and induction ranges. But when they looked into heat pump HVACs, they were met with "staggering" quotes, multi-day installations, and outdoor units that felt larger than expected.

That experience helped shape the company's product, called the Merino Mono. According to its website, the Mono can be installed in about an hour, uses a standard outlet, and blends into the home more like a designed object than a bulky appliance.

The startup also pointed to its founders' consumer-tech backgrounds. CEO Mary-Ann Rau previously worked on AirPods, while chief product officer Brad Hall helped design Square's point-of-sale system — experience the company said informed its effort to make a traditionally complicated category feel simpler.

Heat pumps are widely seen as a key technology for cleaner heating and cooling, but the real-world process of getting one installed can be intimidating.

For many homeowners, even an energy-saving upgrade can become a nonstarter if the upfront quote is too high, the installation takes too long, or the equipment feels disruptive.

The faster installation and a standard-outlet setup of the Mono could reduce some of the friction that keeps people from moving ahead with electric heating and cooling, especially in homes where construction complexity is a major concern.

Design may also matter more than it gets credit for. HVAC equipment is essential, but it is not usually something homeowners consider elegant. Merino is trying to change that by treating the unit as part of the living space, not just a back-of-house machine.

If that strategy works, it could broaden the appeal of home electrification beyond early adopters who are already willing to navigate a drawn-out and expensive process. In other words, convenience and upfront cost could become just as important as efficiency.

Merino said it is tackling the problem by focusing on product design and installation at the same time, rather than treating setup as an afterthought. 

If you're curious about heat pump HVACs but aren't ready for a whole-home upgrade, the Merino Mono might be a worthwhile investment. 

Merino is taking preorders, with first installations expected in winter 2026. 

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