A look inside the sustainable Palo Alto 'Tesla of homes' built for a greener future
PALO ALTO, Calif. (KGO) -- ABC7 got an inside look at a "future home" that has green tech all over.
Manmohan Mahal gave us a tour of what he's calling the 'Tesla of homes.'
From the ground up - this house in Palo Alto was built to be sustainable and innovative.
"We can take the energy as we need it, and our objective of these homes is to make it net zero," Mahal said.
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Mahal's company, SIDCO, uses fire-resistant paneling that wraps around the house.
"It's made out of magnesium oxide," Mahal said.
Steel frames are the bones of the home instead of lumber.
Water from the showers and laundry machine gets collected into a tank and filtered outside.
"And we utilize this water for irrigating all the plants in our backyard area," Mahal said.
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Everything is run on electrical power. The home uses no gas.
"So Tesla roof tiles take all the energy from the roof, bring it out and store it into the power walls, so the power walls kind of store the energy which can also run the induction cook top, heating and cooling and electric car charger," Mahal said.
The house is still hooked up to city power - but it's capable of being self-powered through the battery backup system for up to one week.
"Coming from India, I always admired these open spaces outside the homes," Mahal said.
Mahal was inspired to create a healthier world after undergoing a major operation 30 years ago.
"Since I received a heart transplant, I wanted to leave something good for the humanity you know. And show them that the technology exists- we can build these homes today," Mahal said.
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During a part of ABC7's interview with Mahal, Caltrain zoomed passed but because of the triple pane windows and doors- we couldn't hear a thing.
The house is on the market for $3.7 million.
Mahal and his daughter Simran hope it can be a model for a greener future.
"People are still valuing homes that are larger so there's big value in the consumption that's happening and this home is really about conservation," Simran Mahal said.
If you'd like to see the house for yourself at 3561 Park Boulevard, Palo Alto, it will be open on Saturday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
