Bob hangs out with his 2500 gallon rainwater tank | | "Watt" About Bob: Demystifying the Green@Home Tour Hosts If you've found yourself wandering through an upgraded home in Marin on a house tour (at Acterra, we call that a Saturday ), you might have met Bob: an electric home evangelist and one of the homeowner hosts at this year's Green@Home Tour in Marin. Bob loves to show off his green components of his home to attendees. “Our goal is to convince you that you can have a really nice lifestyle with little demand for energy,” he says. While many Green@Home Tour: Marin homeowners have come back to host again, Bob has been hosting the energy-saving-curious since before the tour was official! “I'm thrilled that people get ideas from what I've done,” he says. What's your #1 favorite thing to demonstrate? “I like to show people how much landscape I can water with my greywater and rainwater system.” Bob has 12 fruit trees and a full vegetable garden!! In fact, his trees (yes, TWELVE fruit trees) are so healthy and thriving that Bob not only provides trail snacks for passing-by hikers, but he recently dropped off 4 cases of plums to the local homeless shelter. Way to share the bounty, Bob! | | | What about the tour attendees surprises you most? “I love how curious the tour guests are.” He's always impressed at the excited attendees that want to dive into the more technical aspects of his home improvements. (He can talk some serious shop, having both worked and volunteered for sustainability efforts AND in community development and urban planning in several Bay Area communities.) But wait, Bob! What if I DON'T have 40 years of experience under my belt, like you? I'm afraid I'll get asked something I don't know! “The info sheet that Acterra provides for each tour home is perfect,” Bob says. “All the details are right there on a handout for guests to take with them.” (We also have volunteers and our trusty Team Acterra ready and able to help with questions!) Some homeowners even invite their contractors, who are happy to have the opportunity on tour day to showcase their work. | | | | | | Yeah, but I've only done a handful of upgrades, my home isn't eco-perfect... “That's ok!” Bob assures us. “I have a gas range in my kitchen that was too new to be replaced.” He tells us that guests like to hear from the homeowners about WHY they made the changes they did, about the process, and the benefits they've experienced. Even if you’re not ready to replace major appliances, there are always options to explore. Since Bob is such a fan of induction cooking, he has a single portable cooktop ( like the ones Acterra lends out... hint, hint) right next to his range. About 75% of his cooking is done on that induction burner! We stan a one-pan dinner too, Bob! | | | So you obviously have to have some new-build glassy Big-Little-Lies-style modern home, right? “Absolutely not,” Bob tells us. “We sought out a diversity of situations , everything from older retrofits, multi-family homes and townhomes or condos.” He says that attendees are just looking for ideas, and projects to implement. They want to be proactive when their heat pump or HVAC or stove need replacing. “With sequential upgrades and DIY, people have researched and done some amazing things themselves,” he says. “Tour guests like to hear that people are doing things in small stages.” (That means that YES, your induction stove and heat pump HVAC in your condo count. You navigated upgrades with an HOA, tell us more!) Ok, I'm sold. I'm excited about my upgrades and I want to share them with my community! You've done this for years, Bob, what are you excited about for this tour? “I look forward to actually being live!” Bob exclaims. Launched during COVID, the Green@Home: Marin tour very creatively showcased houses virtually on YouTube. “It's hard sometimes to speak in the abstract,” he says. “It's way better to see these upgrades in reality.” Want to connect with Bob and other Marin hosts? Sign up to showcase your house, townhome, or apartment (renters are welcome too!). Want to check out his house and more? Join us for the 2025 Green@Home Tour: Marin on September 27. | | | Heat Pump HVAC System Workshop
Are you considering upgrading to a Heat Pump Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) system, but don't know where to start? Our next workshop is for you.
Our electrification expert, J. Campbell Scott, will share his personal experience, answer your questions, and walk you through the benefits of upgrading.You'll also learn about available rebates and incentives that can significantly lower your installation costs. Questions welcome and encouraged! | | Tuesday, Aug. 19, 6 – 7PM Virtual | | | EV Financial Incentives Clinic Our EV Financial Incentive Clinics are a place for people to learn about Electric Vehicles (EVs). From the many benefits and perks of buying an EV, to the currently available incentives and rebates offered to Bay Area residents, we will guide you through it all! If you're interested in EVs but you're concerned about the price, please come to our workshop and allow us to assuage your fears! | | Thursday, Aug. 21, 3 – 4PM 1400 Parkmoor Ave. San Jose, CA | | | Marin Green@Home Tour
Join us for a FREE event to explore innovative, electrified homes.
Attendees will have the opportunity to see firsthand a wide variety of electric appliances and environmentally conscious home upgrades, including energy-efficient heat pumps for heating and cooling, heat pump water heaters, induction cooktops, rainwater catchment systems, compost bins, electric vehicles (EVs), solar panels, battery storage systems, and more.
Attendees will also be able to engage with tour hosts to learn about their choices, including financial considerations, rebate programs, contractors, and appliance models. | | Saturday, Sept. 27, 11 AM – 3PM Locations throughout Marin | | | NEW BLOG POST - The Paradox of Plenty: Farmworker Food Insecurity on the Coast
Farmworkers in Half Moon Bay fuel California’s agriculture but often face poor living conditions and low wages.
Despite their essential role, lasting change requires rethinking how we value those who grow our food.
Learn more about the challenges the workers face, and about push for a fairer, more sustainable food system in our most recent blog post. | | | | | | Did you know about Acterra's Farm Fresh Futures Program ? We connect public schools to local farmers ensuring fresh, seasonal food fills school cafeterias. As Program Manager Linda says, "They want to feed the kids, we want to connect the dots" .
Acterra provides hands-on technical support to food service directors in navigating procurement regulations, building supplier relationships, and setting sustainable purchasing goals. On the other side, we guide farmers in planning and producing high-quality products tailored for school meals . (Lunchtime is starting to look a lot different!)
Our Farm Fresh Futures Program is win for our much-loved farmers and a win for local kids! | | | EV Charging for All Coalition Joins Movement for Clean Trucks A letter signed by Acterra’s EVCAC and key allies such as the Electric Vehicle Association, California Environmental Voters, and the Sierra Club expressed strong disapproval of leading manufacturers and their trade groups — including truck industry titans Daimler-Benz and Volvo—for actively opposing agreements and walking back commitments to reduce vehicle emissions. Acterra argues for the need to maintain transportation electrification progress and uphold the goals set out in California’s Clean Truck Partnership. Read more . Electrification Milestone in Southern California In good news late last month, a rule on zero-emissions hot water heaters (rule 1146.2) from the South Coast Air Quality Management District, which works to protect air quality in southern California, was upheld by a U.S. District Court. Back in December, the gas industry and its allies sued in an effort to strike down the zero-NOx air regulations in the region. In July, the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California found in favor of Earthjustice and others in the coalition who were supportive of the pollution-reducing rule. Read more . Rooftop Solar Fights Back In response to a strong public outcry over the proposed canceling of some two million rooftop solar contracts under the original design of AB 942 (Calderon), state legislators within Senator Josh Becker’s Budget Committee executed a major bill revision known as a “gut and amend,” to preserve the net energy metering agreements. Removing language that specifically punished residential solar customers counts as a great win for renewables in California. Read more . What’s New with Reach Codes? (A Developing Story) A few years ago, 74 California communities enacted reach codes furthering base 2022 building standards in a historic win for building decarbonization. However, the Governor’s recent signing of the huge AB 130 budget trailer bill (with AB 306 language incorrectly blaming strong code for high building costs), essentially bars any progressive building code updates over the next six years (with very limited exceptions). On the bright-ish side, cities can add advanced features like heat pump upon AC replacement to 2025 code if they act quickly over the next few weeks. Menlo Park, Palo Alto, San Jose, and San Francisco are hotbeds of August activity racing against the deadline. Acterra is looking to help these efforts wherever we can. You can make an in-person public comment in support of single-family reach codes at the San Jose City Council meeting on August 12 (agenda , item 6.1). | Endorsed Events Silicon Valley Youth Climate Action's 2025 IMPACT Summit Aug. 9, from 11 AM – 5 PM. Link . Webinar: Marketing Your MEHKO Aug.12, 5:30 PM. Link . Webinar: Mastering Local Climate Advocacy Training Aug.13, 7 – 8 PM. Link . 2025 Extreme Heat Summit Aug.17, 1 – 3 PM. Link . Waves & Watts Aug. 23, 10 AM – Noon. Link . | | | Acterra has newsletters for everyone. Our offerings include sustainable food, electric vehicles, EV charging equity, young professionals, and more. Click the "Subscribe to our Newsletters" link below and make sure to select each one you want to receive, even if you are already subscribed! | | | Our Contact Information
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