Merino Energy Emerges From Stealth, Ushering in a New Era for Home Heating and Cooling

Merino Energy, a San Francisco-based climate hardware company built to make buying and installing a heat pump as efficient as the technology itself, today emerged from stealth with the introduction of its flagship product, the Merino Mono. Designed to eliminate the cost and installation barriers that have kept heating and cooling out of reach for millions of homes, the Merino Mono is priced at a single, transparent flat rate of $3,800, hardware and professional installation included, with installs completed in under one hour.

Heat pumps are widely recognized as the most consequential path to home electrification. California alone has set a goal of 6 million installations by 2030, yet at the current pace, the state is on track to fall 2 million units short (1). The bottleneck is not heat pump technology or policy; it is the path to purchase that remains out of reach for most. Traditional mini-split systems carry installed costs ranging from $8,000 to over $30,000 (2), require 240-volt electrical service, and demand multi-day projects involving outdoor units and invasive retrofits. For the tens of millions of households in condos, older homes, apartments, and ADUs without outdoor space or electrical capacity for conventional systems, this has meant choosing between five-figure projects that are difficult to justify, and enduring temperatures that are only getting harder to ignore.

Designed with these barriers in mind, the Merino Mono’s room heat pump system houses all components in a single indoor unit, removing the need for an outdoor unit. Installation uses a simple through-wall ventilation connection rather than refrigerant lines, enabling a certified technician to complete the job in under one hour using standard tools, and with no electrical upgrade required. The result is a system that runs on a standard 120V outlet, installs in under one hour, and comes at a single published flat rate price of $3,800 — hardware and professional installation included.

“Last year during an unexpected heat wave, I learned firsthand why getting a cooling system in your home is such a massive undertaking. Traditional solutions can cost as much as a car, take a week to install, and require sacrificing precious outdoor space," said Mary-Ann Rau, Co-Founder and CEO of Merino Energy. "These aren't unsolvable problems — they just require a different approach, one that puts the customer and the installer at the center of every design decision.”

Engineered for the Real World

The Merino Mono delivers 7,500 BTU of heating and cooling capacity for spaces up to approximately 350 square feet — performance that rivals conventional mini-splits, without the infrastructure they require. Because the design eliminates refrigerant lines and outdoor equipment, certified technicians can complete installation in under one hour with no electrical panel upgrade, and no disruption to the rest of the home. The system is operational the same day, transforming heating and cooling retrofits from a weeks-long project into an immediate solution for whatever the weather demands.

The unit is also designed to integrate into existing homes without visible disruption: paintable wall vents blend into exterior architecture, automated louvers manage airflow without manual adjustment, the air filter is dishwasher safe, and the unit operates quietly in both heating and cooling modes. The system is as technologically advanced or straightforward as the owner prefers, with control options ranging from a simple remote to the Merino app to natural language commands. Integration with Apple HomeKit and Google Home is built in, and a sleep optimization feature currently in development will connect the system to wearable devices including the Oura Ring.

A New Model for the HVAC Industry

The Merino Mono is distributed through a network of certified installer partners, a model designed to benefit both the customer and the contractor. Every purchase includes professional installation, eliminating the need for customers to source, vet, and negotiate separately with HVAC contractors. For residents, that translates to genuine peace of mind, with every installer meeting the same certification standards, every job priced equally, and scheduling coordinated on a first-come, first-served basis, all with installation completed the same day.

For installer partners, Merino’s approach addresses one of the industry’s most persistent economic challenges. HVAC contractors report quote-to-close rates of just 30 percent on conventional mini-split installations, with upfront cost cited as the primary reason customers decline. The Merino Mono’s transparent flat-rate pricing eliminates the estimate and negotiation process, increasing proposal acceptance and reducing time spent on jobs that don’t close. Because installation takes under one hour with no refrigerant handling or panel work, a single technician can complete multiple Merino installations per day. The result is a solution that expands installer capacity, increases revenue per day, and opens access to a new segment of households that conventional systems have been unable to serve.

“Not every home can take a full heat pump retrofit because of space, electrical, or budget constraints. Too often, those homeowners end up installing a brand-new gas appliance instead,” said Owen Krebs Grimsich, Founder and CEO of 1-888 Heat Pumps. “With the Merino Mono, my team can now keep them moving toward electrification. Installation is fast and simple, and we can complete 4 to 5 installs a day. That's a huge win for all of us, and the planet!”

To date, six California installer partners have committed to deployments ahead of commercial availability, and Merino is continuing to expand its certified installer network nationally. Initial commercial installations are underway at Civic Center Apartments in the Bay Area as part of Merino’s early deployment program with multifamily property owners, with 1-888-Heat-Pumps serving as the installation partner.

Built From a Different Brief

Merino Energy was founded by Mary-Ann Rau and Brad Hall, engineers with experience bringing category-defining consumer hardware to scale at Apple and Square, and firsthand knowledge working in the heat pump industry. The company was built on a single conviction that has defined both founders' careers: that the gap between a technology that works and one that works for everyone is an engineering problem waiting to be solved. For Merino, that meant rethinking not only the heat pump itself, but everything required to get one into a home.

"Heat pumps are proven technology, but the installation requires complicated steps like running long copper pipes and charging with refrigerant. We built Merino to remove these barriers to electrification. This new form factor makes heat pumps 8 times faster to install so the technician's needs and the customer's needs are aligned and everyone can win," said Brad Hall, Co-Founder and Chief Product Officer of Merino Energy.

The Merino Mono is available for pre-order today at www.merinoenergy.com, hardware and professional installation included, with reservations secured for a $38 deposit. Initial installations begin in California this winter, with broader availability across the United States to follow as Merino's certified installer network grows.

(1) California Heat Pump Partnership

(2) Energy Sage