{"id":3526,"date":"2026-04-13T05:23:00","date_gmt":"2026-04-13T05:23:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/climatevdo.com\/?p=3526"},"modified":"2026-04-14T19:46:11","modified_gmt":"2026-04-14T19:46:11","slug":"u-s-startup-debuts-low-cost-plug-and-play-indoor-heat-pump-for-residential-use-pv-magazine-international","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/climatevdo.com\/?p=3526","title":{"rendered":"U.S. startup debuts low-cost, plug-and-play indoor heat pump for residential use \u2013 pv magazine International"},"content":{"rendered":"<div>\n<div class=\"article-lead-text\">\n<p>San Francisco-based Merino Energy has launched the Merino Mono, a plug-and-play indoor heat pump that can be installed in under an hour and is priced at a flat $3,800 including installation.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>                                                                                <time class=\"entry-published updated\" datetime=\"2026-04-13T07:23:52+02:00\" itemprop=\"datePublished\" title=\"Monday, April 13, 2026, 7:23 am\">April 13, 2026<\/time><br \/>\n                                            <span class=\"entry-author\" itemprop=\"author\" itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"http:\/\/schema.org\/Person\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pv-magazine.com\/author\/emilianobellini\/\" title=\"Posts by Emiliano Bellini\" class=\"author url fn\" rel=\"author\">Emiliano Bellini<\/a><\/span><\/p><\/div>\n<div>\n<p>San Francisco-based climate hardware company has launched an indoor plug-and-play heat pump system for residential applications.<\/p>\n<p><span data-olk-copy-source=\"MessageBody\">\u201cTaking a page from the ease of appliance delivery and installation, the company&#8217;s flagship system, the\u00a0<\/span>Merino Mono, is the first room heat pump that installs in under an hour, requires no outdoor unit, and comes at a single transparent flat rate \u2013 $3,800, including hardware and professional installation,\u201d the company&#8217;s CEO <span data-olk-copy-source=\"MessageBody\">Mary-Ann Rau told <strong>pv magazine<\/strong>.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe plug-and-play system is designed to remove the friction that has kept efficient heating and cooling out of reach for the tens of millions of households in condos, apartments, accessory dwelling units (ADUs), older homes, and in urban areas that traditional systems have never been able to serve,\u201d she went on to say.<\/p>\n<p>The product, branded Merino Mono, can be installed in less than one hour, using a \u201cdrill, plug, and play\u201d approach that requires only standard tools and a conventional household outlet, the manufacturer said.<\/p>\n<p>The wall-mounted unit integrates all heating and cooling components into a single indoor device, eliminating the need for a separate outdoor condenser. Unlike traditional split systems, which often require refrigerant lines, electrical upgrades, and outdoor units, the Mono operates on a standard 120 V connection and uses a through-wall air exchange system, which reportedly avoids invasive retrofits and enables deployment in buildings with limited outdoor space or restrictive homeowner association (HOA) rules.<\/p>\n<p>The Merino Mono delivers 7,500 BTU\/h of heating and cooling capacity and is designed for spaces of up to approximately 32.5 m\u00b2.<\/p>\n<p>From a performance perspective, the system delivers a seasonal energy efficiency ratio 2 (SEER2) of 15.2 for cooling and a heating seasonal performance factor 2 (HSPF2) of 7.2 for heating. While these values are lower than those of some high-end split systems, they represent a deliberate trade-off in favor of simplified installation and broader accessibility. The unit operates within a temperature range of approximately \u22129 C to 46 C, making it well suited to moderate climates.<\/p>\n<p>The new product comes with a 1-year warranty for the hardware and up to 3-years for labor.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"0\" data-end=\"355\">\u201cThe unit is designed to fit seamlessly into existing homes with minimal visual impact,\u201d said Rau. \u201cIts paintable exterior vents can be matched to the building fa\u00e7ade, while automated louvers regulate airflow without requiring manual input. Maintenance is simplified with a dishwasher-safe air filter, and the system operates quietly in both heating and cooling modes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"357\" data-end=\"768\" data-is-last-node=\"\" data-is-only-node=\"\">In terms of controls, options range from a basic remote control to the dedicated Merino app and even voice-based, natural language commands. It also supports built-in integration with Apple HomeKit and Google Home. \u201cA sleep optimization feature currently under development is expected to link the system with wearable devices such as the Oura Ring,\u201d Rau added.<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<div class=\"disclaimer\">\n<p>This content is protected by copyright and may not be reused. If you want to cooperate with us and would like to reuse some of our content, please contact: <a href=\"http:\/\/www.pv-magazine.com\/cdn-cgi\/l\/email-protection#ddfbfea5ebe8e6fbfea5ebe9e6fbfea5ebe4e6fbfea5eae9e6fbfea5ebbbe6fbfea5eaefe6fbfea5eaeee6fbfea5e9ede6fbfea5eaede6fbfea5eaebe6fbfea5efb9e6fbfea5ebb9e6fbfea5ebece6fbfea5ebeae6fbfea5ebece6fbfea5eabce6fbfea5ebe4e6fbfea5ebb8e6fbfea5ebe8e6fbfea5efb8e6fbfea5ebeee6fbfea5ebbbe6fbfea5ebb9e6\">editors@pv-magazine.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"mid-article-wpp\">\n<h3>Popular content<\/h3>\n<div class=\"mid-article-wpp__main-content\">\n<div class=\"mid-article-wpp__image\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pv-magazine.com\/2026\/04\/13\/dismantled-28-year-old-pv-system-reveals-wasps-nest-in-junction-box\/\" target=\"_self\"><\/a><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>San Francisco-based Merino Energy has launched the Merino Mono, a plug-and-play indoor heat pump that can be installed in under an hour and is priced at a flat $3,800 including installation. April 13, 2026 Emiliano Bellini San Francisco-based climate hardware company has launched an indoor plug-and-play heat pump system for residential applications. \u201cTaking a page [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3527,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[34],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3526","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-renewable-energy"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/climatevdo.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3526","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/climatevdo.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/climatevdo.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/climatevdo.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/climatevdo.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=3526"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/climatevdo.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3526\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3528,"href":"https:\/\/climatevdo.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3526\/revisions\/3528"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/climatevdo.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/3527"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/climatevdo.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=3526"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/climatevdo.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=3526"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/climatevdo.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=3526"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}