"Berkeley's historic homes have plenty of charms, but knob-and-tube wiring isn't one of them. Modernizing these antiquated electrical systems can add tens of thousands of dollars to the cost of home improvement projects, especially HVAC and appliance upgrades. That concern is what led to the creation last November of Mr. Poppy Electric, a Berkeley-based electrical contractor firm founded by longtime friends Tenzin Soepa and Andrei Smith, both Berkeley High School graduates."
"As sales reps for the heat pump company, the biggest challenge they encountered was the enormous cost of electrical work. Older home electrical systems typically can't handle the high loads of heat pumps or other modern amenities, like EV chargers and induction stoves. We kept seeing the same issue come up, Soepa said. Homeowners were ready to move forward with upgrades, but the electrical infrastructure was often the limiting factor."
"The lightbulb moment came when they were trying to make the economics of a new heat pump system work for the owner of a historic home. What should have been a $20,000 heat pump installation had ballooned into a $60,000 quote — $40,000 of that for electrical upgrades. Determined to make the price work for the homeowner, Smith and Soepa went about seeking out and eliminating any inefficiencies in the plan."
Knob-and-tube wiring in Berkeley historic homes significantly increases the cost of home improvements, especially HVAC and appliance upgrades. Two Berkeley High graduates founded Mr. Poppy Electric in November to address expensive electrical upgrades. The founders previously co-founded a heat pump installation company and encountered repeated barriers from high electrical costs and outdated infrastructure. Older electrical systems often cannot support heat pumps, EV chargers, or induction stoves, and many homeowners struggle to find trustworthy, careful electricians for historic homes. The founders targeted inefficiencies in upgrade quotes to make modern systems economically viable for historic-home owners.
Read at www.berkeleyside.org
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