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- Living Electric Fair 2026 | Los Altos
Top Event Map Exhibitors Visitor Info SUNDAY, MAY 3 | 11AM - 3PM State Street, Downtown Los Altos 100 block of State Street FREE ! REGISTER NOW! EVENT MAP EXHIBITOR INFO Thank you to the Event Sponsors! Event Map Exhibitors Exhibitors Silicon Valley Clean Energy With clean electricity provided by SVCE you have the power to make all-electric choices. Read More Emerald Eco We are electrification contractors. Our focus: Electrification of Appliances and Resiliency. Read More Shade Power Shade Power installs solar shade structures and battery backup. We will showcase example projects. Read More Electrification Collaboration Residential Electrification by and for Local Residents from Your Neighbors Read More ALSO e-bike TM-B Transcendent Mobility. Class 3 E-Bike Starting @ $3500. Read More Rivian See the Rivian R1T truck power an electric Fireplace! Read More Kindred Motor Works - Ford Bronco Classic Cars, reengineered to be driven. Meed the electrified Bronco! Read More QuitCarbon Free ENERGY STAR® certified guidance along with vetted contractors to electrify your home. Read More Harvest Thermal Smart Battery Harvest is on 24/7, working hard to make sure your home’s air and water temperatures are just right. Read More Acterra Electric Vehicle info with rebates & Incentives, home electrification resources and incentives. Read More The Switch is On The Switch Is On helps make home electrification easy! Read More Pebble Electrified RV Meet the electric RV - Pebble Flow ! Read More Chevrolet Equinox Meet the Chevrolet Equinox EV ! Read More eMotion Autos The best way to buy a USED electric car! Read More Cinnamon Energy Systems Bay Area's premier solar, storage, HVAC and home electrification contractor Read More Copper The World's First Battery Enabled Induction Range: The Charlie Read More Infinium Solar Roofing & Electric Demo products of solar and battery storage solutions. Read More Silicon Valley Electric Vehicle Association Educating the public about the many benefits of EVs Read More Kia EV6 Meet the Kia EV6 ! Read More Lucid Motors Meet the NEW Gravity Electric SUV! Read More Maker Nexus Making jewelry and art from upcycled aluminum cans. Read More IRBIS Heat pump systems, smart water heaters, EV-chargers Read More Air Care Heating & Cooling Efficient heating and cooling information from a locally owned HVAC company Read More 1-888-Heat-Pumps We look at your home, comfort goals, ductwork, panel, and room layout, then help you choose a system that actually fits. Read More Tesla Model Y Tesla Model Y, Tesla Wall Connector, Tesla Mobile Connector Read More Hyundai Ioni5 - 2026 Meet the 2026 Hyundai IONIQ 5! Read More Volvo PHEV Meet Volvo Electric! Read More Join Sparky the Firefly for this family-friendly event to learn how to make your home healthier by living Electric! Explore over 25 exhibitors in four featured zones and discover how you can Electrify, See the latest in e-mobility, Evs and enjoy interactive family activities. Check out the Silicon Valley Clean Energy Dream Home model as well as exhibitors showcasing various home electrification solutions. Select EVs and micro-mobility solutons will be on display showcasing their efficiency and alternatives to gas powered transportation Electric Avenue The latest and greater in E-scooters and E-bikes will be on display with retailers and brand reps present to answer your questions. EVs, Micro-Mobility Alt. Trasportation This interactive area will highlight educational Climate Carnival games, arts and crafts, a mini makerspace, face painting, and fun for the whole family.-to font for titles, paragraphs & more. Family Discovery Award Winning Music by Visitors Visitors Register Here More Event Info Hosted By We look forward to seeing you at the event. Please register to be kept updated with the latest. Register Here!
- Pollinator Gardens | GreenTown Los Altos
Pollinator Gardens Conservation NATURE IS CALLING! Want to encourage song birds and butterflies? Plant a pollinator garden with California native plants! Small pollinator gardens scattered throughout the city will form a healthy connection for the insects and birds that will help them thrive. NATIVE POLLINATOR GARDEN PROGRAM Pick out a small sunny location on your property, about 100sf, or a circle about 11ft. in diameter, and we will suggest some plants that will look attractive and as a group will provide color that spans the entire blooming season. We offer two levels of support: Premium Full Service: We consult with the homeowner, present our suggested plants, purchase the plants and mulch, and with the help of volunteers, plant everything. The homeowner will water the plants and weed as necessary. Cost: $250 Do it Yourself: We consult with the homeowner, present our suggested plants, purchase the plants and mulch, but the homeowner plants everything and waters the plants and weeds as needed. Cost: $175 These prices cover most but not all of our costs. We will start planting in January and will cap the Premium Full Service at ten (10) recipients for this first year. If you are interested please sign up using the form on this page. RESEARCH GreenTown's 2025 Summer interns, Luke Byrne, Huck Twerdahl and Sahana Srinivasan laid the groundwork for the pollinator gardens with their research in Sustainable Landscapes in Los Altos. They were mentored by Gary Hedden, Madhuri Davidson & KJ Janowski. Below are links to their presentation & Video Thank you for your interest in Pollinator Gardens but we are now fully booked and registration is closed for this planting season. FIRST NAME* LAST NAME* E-MAIL* ADDRESS PLEASE CHOOSE A LEVEL OF SUPPORT* Do it Yourself The Premium Service level is sold out for the season. Please check back with us in the Spring of 2026 for updates. Additional comments Submit RESOURCES Summer Intern Project Presentation Intern Presentation Video
- Electrify Your Home | GreenTown Los Altos
ELECTRIFYING YOUR HOME Clean Air BACKGROUND Electrifying your home is an important, rewarding process and a step towards a secure future. Here are some resources to read through for advice, tips, and recommendations. IMPORTANT FACTS Residential methane (aka gas) appliances make up nearly 32% of city-wide Greenhouse Gas Emissions Studies show that we need 14 million more electric appliances nationwide to achieve net-zero emissions Rising atmospheric concentrations of methane and CO2 affect our environment From the Los Altos Climate Action and Adaption Plan : "Los Altos will experience increased heat waves, floods, drought, and poor air quality from regional events... and...impacts of climate change" APPLIANCES & BENEFITS Heat Pump Space Heating More efficient, which means you can save money on your energy bills. Quieter, which can make your home more comfortable. Longer lifespan, so you won't have to replace them as often. Better for the environment, as they produce no emissions. A heat pump system can multitask: heating, cooling, dehumidifying, and filtering the air. This is your chance to get A/C if you haven’t already! Heat Pump Water Heating Over 3x efficient For every 1 unit of electric energy input, a heat pump produces 3 to 4 units of energy output. So a heat pump can transfer 300-400% more energy than it consumes. Most methane gas-powered furnaces are 80% efficient, with those above 90% considered high efficiency. Safer—zero risk of gas leaks Consider replacing it if your current heater is over 6 years old Especially consider replacement if you are currently using a gas tank less heater, which leaks twice as much methane as gas tank models do. Induction Stoves Gas stoves carry several health risks: poor indoor air quality with particles/carcinogens Fans provided with gas stoves do not properly ventilate Most of your pans should still be usable if they’re cast iron Induction stoves: heat faster than electric and gas counterparts offer more precise temperature control reduce the risks of burns since only the pan, not the cooktop heats up. All-in-one Washer/Dryer These can treat laundry gentler, prolonging life and maintaining quality of clothes Is quieter and requires less space, maintenance Ventless system, which is leads to lower construction costs and electricity bills Lower priority, but still valuable modifications: Fireplaces Electric garden tools Solar panels SVCE supplies us with clean energy so solar panel installation is not required for electrification. It can, however, drive down operating costs over time, put less strain on the grid, and provide you with onsite battery backup. FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS What if my gas appliances are new and I don’t want to replace them? Consider that embarking onto the electrification journey now will be taking advantage of peak rebate season and would lessen emissions immediately. Try small swaps, like purchasing a stand-alone induction hot-plate for your kitchen to reduce some of your gas use and indoor pollution. Models are available for under $100. There are also hacks to make installation cheap. As a renter, what can I do? Approach your landlord with these electrification suggestions. Make sure to highlight that electrification makes buildings more attractive to future renters Check out these suggestions: https://www.energy.gov/save/renters What if electrifying seems too inconvenient for my home? Arrange for an energy audit and work closely with professionals to find workarounds unique to your home. Consult our case studies for some examples. How do heat pumps work? Simply put: they use electricity to move heat around and use refrigerant to store and release heat in the cycle. Here is a breakdown by MIT Technology Review. Ok, so they need refrigerant. What kind do they use? Some units use naturally occurring CO2 refrigerants, which provide the lowest global warming potential (GWP). Others use synthetic hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) refrigerants, such as R410A or R134A. Here is a more in-depth overview addressing safety concerns. The EPA recently mandated that US manufacturers and importers reduce HFC use by 85% in the next 15 years, a move supported by virtually all US manufacturers. Climate-friendly alternatives to HFCs are increasingly available for most uses: natural or non fluorinated substances with low GWPs, and fluorinated substances with low to mid-range GWPs. For any appliance that uses refrigerants, check regularly for leakage. Won’t this further strain the grid? Planned and existing distributed and grid-level storage will be able to take excess energy and use it to manage the energy needs for the hours of transition in load. California itself has worked to meet this demand, increasing utility scale battery storage ten-fold in the last two years. This is how the state avoided major blackouts in the heatwave of Sept. 2022–the most severe ever recorded. That storage capacity is set to double again in the next few years. The state has also planned for an additional 20 Gw of offshore wind capacity. What if there’s an outage? Install solar panels with a solar battery backup. The best solution for cases of power failure is an all electric home with onsite battery backup. That allows the home to operate without interruption. In the future companies are exploring the potential to use the batteries in your electric vehicle as an electricity source for your home in times of peak usage or outages. It would also be possible to procure a solar-powered generator to keep critical appliances running during a power outage. AVOID petroleum-powered generators due to fire risks and dangers from carbon monoxide poisoning in enclosed spaces. Does electrification mean that I need to upgrade my electrical panel? Not necessarily: upgrading your panel can be a costly disturbance. The majority of all electric homes should be able to run off a 200-amp service or less. It’s important to choose power efficient electric appliances and utilizing power sharing devices that monitor circuit usage and control the power delivered to shared devices. This may help you avoid upgrading the utility service line or your circuit breaker panel. More details are provided in the Watt Diet Calculator Aside from electrification, how can I conserve energy? PGE demand-response programs connect you with third party programs that allow customers to save or earn money by adjusting energy usage. An example would be Ohm Connect Put in a smart thermostat, an inexpensive solution that can save you money on your energy bills. Make your ceiling/attic more energy efficient, using insulation to keep heat in during the winter, and attic fans to pull heat out during the summer. Lower your energy bills and improve your air quality by repairing leaky air ducts. If you have an EV, charge it during the middle of the day, when solar power is most abundant and sometimes over abundant. Your EV battery can store this “surplus” electricity, which would otherwise go to waste. The US Department of Energy’s Home Energy Saver tool can also help you make a plan to improve your home’s building envelope. Switch to LED bulbs, especially for the most commonly used bulbs. Install outdoor shades or awnings, which can reduce solar heat gain by up to 65 percent on south-facing windows and 77 percent on west-facing windows Plant a tree or shrubs to the west of your home to help keep it cooler. IMPORTANT REBATES You can get up to a 30% tax credit off a home energy audit via IRS Form 5695 SVCE’s FutureFitHomes allows you to receive up to 8,000 (up to 13000 if low-income qualifying) this is a program applying only to heat pump appliances For more granular rebates based on individual products, see Golden State Rebates by PG&E Rewiring America has resources dedicated to finding rebates funded by the IRA (Inflation Reduction Act) BayREN provides Bay Area specific rebates and a free consultation with a Home Energy Advisor Stack stack stack! Take advantage of all the rebates available now and apply several at the same time to shave down the price of electrification RECOMMENDATIONS FOR APPLIANCES Key takeaways from Redwood Energy's comprehensive guide to appliances: When it comes to deciding between ductless and ducted space heating systems, split ductless heating can be more easily installed, provide advanced filtration, and is significantly cheaper all in-one washer/dryers are the simplest upgrade, specifically 120v condenser washer/dryers, as they can be plugged into any 120v outlet Get a heat pump water heater instead of a gas/electric tankless model, which can emit nearly twice as much gas as a normal gas tank model 120v heat pump water heaters are a new, extra-convenient option If you don’t currently have electrical resistance water heating (which requires a 240v outlet), this would be much more accessible than a 240v model Try local lending programs for induction stoves to see if your pans work! If they are cast-iron, they will most likely be fine. RESOURCES Read the pamphlet here! The Switch is On : resources on incentives and contractors Rewiring America : guides and resources for homeowners and renters, has policy and activism information Quit Carbon : free personalized electrification plan and a vetted contractor SVCE : start here to create your own electrification plan Redwood Energy Watt Diet Calculator : use the diet calculator to optimize energy usage and plan appliance acquisition Home Intel Energy Audit : free for PGE users, simple ways to lower energy bills with electric appliances Case Studies: Analysis: Decarbonizing Single Family Homes Eight San Mateo Case Studies: Cost Plans - SMC Office of Sustainability O’NEILL PASSIVE HOUSE: A renovated farmhouse uses split ductless heating to reduce energy usage by 80% For inquiries about the "Electrify Your Home" program contact us at: info@greentownlosaltos.org
- Newsletter | GreenTown Los Altos
NEWSLETTERS Subscribe Past Editions Current Edition - December 2025 JULY 2020
- Blog | GreenTown Los Altos
LATEST NEWS AND ARTICLES All Posts 500 Trees Campaign Bicycle & Pedestrian Affordable Housing Business Co-Op Air Quality Alternative transportation Electric vehicle Drought tips Climate Change Earth Day Energy Drought Events Foodprint Fisheries Gas Stoves General GreenTown Los Altos Organization Holiday Green Building Gray Water Make-up Internships Land Use Laundry Housing Oceans Native Plants Pesticides Plant-based Search Ava Azar Jul 31 The Last Straw Linda Ziff Jul 30 Gas Blower Progress Connie Miller Jul 30 Maybe Your New Best Friend? A Heat Pump Natalie Barton & Kelsey Nguyen Jul 29 Our Farm to Table Internship at the Heritage Apricot Orchard suresh56 Jul 2 Introducing Our 2024 Summer Interns! John Love May 9 New Recycling Service Takes What Waste Companies Leave Behind Gary Hedden Apr 4 Climate Freak? A Fun Workshop About Climate Change Margie Suozzo Apr 3 ReCycle Bike Drive 2024 Suresh Venkatraman Apr 2 2024 Summer Student Internships - Apply Now! Suresh Venkatraman Mar 4 2024 Destination Electric: A Los Altos EV Showcase Connie Miller Feb 1 The Best Valentine for your Family: a Healthier, Electric Home. Linda Ziff Jan 7 Gas Leaf Blower Warnings Up A Whopping 599%! Kim Jelfs Jan 7 Is Sustainability In Your 2024 Goals? Connie Miller Dec 2, 2023 Festival of Lights Parade - Electrified! Jana Schlanker Oct 8, 2023 What a wonderful Garden Party & Fundraiser! Thank You. 1 2 3 4 5
- Bike Skills Workshop @ Covington School | GreenTown Los Altos
Sun, Aug 25 | Covington Elementary Bike Skills Workshop @ Covington School Get your child ready for biking to school safely! Sign you and your child up for Middle School Bike Skills, held on Aug 25 and Sept 15 at Covington School Registration is closed See other events Time & Location Aug 25, 2024, 8:30 AM – 12:30 PM Covington Elementary, 205 Covington Rd, Los Altos, CA 94024, USA About the Event Get your child ready for biking to school safely! Sign you and your child up for Middle School Bike Skills, held on Aug 25 and Sept 15 at Covington School. This half-day class, offered by Wheel Kids , will help your child gain valuable skills and confidence to safely bicycle to school, the park, the mall, and beyond. The class covers basic traffic laws, busy intersections, how to avoid the most common crashes, how to position yourself on the road, how to let drivers know your intentions using proper hand signals, and basic bike and helmet fitting. Classes are open to children entering 6th – 8th in the fall and are held on a Saturday or Sunday morning. The course begins with an in-person interactive review of biking basics, then moves to smaller groups for on-bike training & practice: bike/helmet checks, skills practice on a protected black-top area, then a bike ride around the neighborhood to put those newly learned skills to practice. Sign up here . Ages: All Children entering 6th – 9th grade. Level 4+ skill level . Cost: $165/student + accompanied adult Please see below for the schedule of classes at each location The Middle School Bike Skills Class ensures students acquire the street navigation and bike handling skills needed to safely and confidently ride to school and beyond. Class sessions are taught by League of American Bicyclists League Cycling Instructors (LCI) through Wheel Kids Bicycle Club. For any questions about MSBS please email:msbs@wheelkids.com Read More > Share This Event
- 404 | GreenTown Los Altos
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- | GreenTown Los Altos
Dear Friend, It is my fervent wish that GreenTown be a beacon of hope in our community. Hope in a better future for our children and grandchildren. From COVID-19, to the wildfires, to the protests for racial justice, 2020 has brought us many challenges. As it is with everyone, GreenTown has had to adjust to those challenges and change the way we work. While we’re still figuring that out, we’re still on the front lines of hope. What does that mean? It means that our team is pushing for new Reach Codes to decarbonize our built structures from homes to businesses. It means that we’re educating our community about the importance of making a transition to electric vehicles. It means that we’re trying to plant more trees throughout the area to both sequester carbon and beautify our neighborhoods. It means that we’re collecting and rehabilitating used bicycles so that our neighbors in surrounding communities have access to one of the greenest forms of transportation. It means that we’re working hard on your behalf on these projects and so much more. I find hope in this. As we plan and prepare for 2021 and beyond, please join us in this movement of hope. Maybe you’re already all in! Maybe all you can do is eat less meat one meal a day. Wherever you are on this journey, we’re here for you. We can help. With hope, Kris Jensen Executive Director


