Why All-Electric Homes Are Better for You and the Planet
What Is an All-Electric Home?
When we refer to a home as “all-electric,” we mean that all of its energy needs—including heating, hot water, and cooking—are powered by electricity rather than fossil fuels. Building an all-electric home is a healthy, safe, and sustainable approach to homebuilding. It is also the key to achieving a Net Zero energy home, meaning the house produces as much (or more) energy than it consumes over a year.
All-electric homes paired with renewable energy sources significantly reduce carbon emissions, helping to both protect the planet and open the possibility for Net Zero energy performance. Keep reading to see how homeowners are embracing this future of passive house standards.
Maximized Return on Investment
Over time, investment in a high-performance all-electric home can save homeowners money, as electricity from renewable sources is more stable than the cost of traditional fuels. A high-performance Unity home already requires much less energy than a typical home due to its high levels of insulation and energy-efficient design.
An all-electric home within a high-performance shell requires a much smaller renewable energy source, such as photovoltaic (PV) panels, to cover all of its energy needs. A panelized home saves more money on your upfront investment. The potential for generating renewable energy can lead to drastically reduced or even eliminated future utility bills.
“The Unity technology is truly awesome, even before we installed solar panels… This summer, the electric bill went down from about $175 per month to $23 for July!” – Bob, Unity Värm homeowner
The Impact of Fossil Fuels
Most homes across the U.S. still rely on fossil fuels—mainly gas or oil—for heat, hot water, and cooking. This practice began in an era when fossil fuels were inexpensive, and their negative impact on health and the environment wasn’t widely understood. We now know that burning fossil fuels indoors can release pollutants like carbon monoxide and nitrogen dioxide, posing significant health risks to homeowners.
Beyond health concerns, fossil fuel consumption is also harmful to the environment. Some older, pre-built homes contribute to greenhouse gas emissions, which drive climate change. By eliminating the need for fossil fuels in homes, we can create healthier indoor environments that positively impact both people and the planet. All-electric homes improve indoor air quality by eliminating harmful pollutants from gas or oil, making it healthier for the occupants.
Unity’s All-Electric Approach
At Unity, we take inspiration from Sweden, a global leader in offsite construction and the development of all-electric homes. Sweden has fully embraced factory-built homes, renowned for their superior energy efficiency and sustainability when compared to traditional construction methods.
Sweden is at the forefront of sustainable energy practices, with over half of its power coming from renewable sources. Swedish homes are increasingly becoming “prosumers,” meaning they generate and consume most of their own energy through smart grid technology and renewable energy sources like solar power (World Economic Forum). This commitment to offsite construction and renewable energy aligns with Unity’s vision of creating high-performance, all-electric homes that minimize environmental impact.
By following Sweden’s example, we aim to provide our clients with healthier, Net Zero homes that are built quickly and sustainably. Thanks to advanced and accessible technology, these homes don’t require any sacrifice on the part of our clients. In fact, all-electric homes offer many benefits like cleaner indoor air quality, lower and more stable energy costs, and the ability to install state-of-the-art kitchen appliances.
One key to building all-electric homes is air source heat pump technology, commonly known as mini-split systems. Since Unity homes are designed with minimal heating loads, traditional fossil fuel heating systems would be oversized and inefficient. Mini-split systems, on the other hand, efficiently heat homes by moving warmth from outside air indoors—even in subzero temperatures. Mini-splits also provide energy-efficient cooling during the summer months, so homeowners can enjoy a comfortable and consistent home temperature all year round.
To keep your home comfortable, it is important to consider some technical factors such as BTU, or British Thermal Unit, which measures heat. One BTU is the amount of heat needed to raise the temperature of one pound of water by 1°F. You will typically see BTU ratings on air conditioners, water heaters, and furnaces.
If a heating system is too small for your home, it won’t provide enough warmth on the coldest days and rooms farther from the heater may feel chilly. This calculation may vary from tiny homes to ranch-style buildings. To calculate how many BTUs your home needs, you’ll need to know the square footage of your house and your climate zone, which determines the severity of temperatures in your area. When building a Unity home, this is something we’ve already taken care of in our home plans, so you don’t have to worry about calculating heating loads or BTU needs.
An additional quality control measure we take at Unity is conducting blower door tests on every home after it is raised to ensure exceptional air tightness. Our results consistently exceed the passive house standard of 0.6 ACH 50 or lower (Air Changes per Hour). This standard ensures your home remains tightly sealed, working in efficient partnership with the other all-electric systems. Plus, this construction method is ideal if you’re planning to build off-the-grid, where an efficient all-electric shell combined with a renewable energy source and battery storage will easily keep things stable and comfortable throughout the year.
High-Efficiency Water Heating and Induction Cooking
For hot water, Unity offers two electric options: standard electric resistance water heaters and high-efficiency heat pump water heaters. Both eliminate the need to burn fossil fuels, ensuring that your home’s water heating needs are met sustainably.
Switching from fossil fuel heating is often an easy decision for homeowners, but parting with a gas cooktop can be harder. Many have yet to experience the benefits of induction cooktops, which use magnetic fields to directly heat cookware and its contents—offering superior control and efficiency. More professional kitchens are adopting induction technology, and it’s gaining popularity among high-performance home builders and chefs alike.
Building a Healthier Future with Unity Homes
At Unity, we are committed to building homes that are healthy for both the occupants and the planet. A major part of this commitment is designing all-electric, Net Zero homes that are easily powered by renewable energy. With this approach, we empower homeowners to live more sustainably while enjoying a high-performance home that not only enhances their well-being but elevates their quality of life.
What sets Unity Homes apart is our commitment to creating spaces that are not only energy-efficient but also beautifully designed and built to last for generations. Each home is crafted with the utmost attention to detail, ensuring that they meet the highest standards of home sustainability and comfort. Our homes are designed to reduce environmental impact significantly, enhancing the health and well-being of our clients while also promoting a sustainable future. We are dedicated to improving the quality of life of our clients by providing them with homes that are both living spaces and lasting legacies.
Curtis’s migration to New England started by attending The BAC (Boston Architectural College) and working with a custom-residential architectural firm in Boston. He was attracted from the “big city” to join Bensonwood’s team by the company’s architectural integrity and active culture. Curtis currently focuses on providing the design support that allows the sales department to guide clients toward “build” contracts. The Unity Team benefits from Curtis’s ability to solve problems creatively while balancing efficient build practices, finish detailing, and design aesthetics. He lives with his high-school sweetheart Lauren and their three children, Lola, Simone, and Judah. Since moving from the coast, his surfing days have been limited, but enjoys the various gravity sports the surrounding mountains have to offer.
Christine Benson
Founder
Christine has played many different roles since helping to launch Bensonwood in the early 1970s. Her vision has helped to shape Unity’s mission and culture, particularly in the areas of team participation, empowered employees, profit sharing, employee ownership, financial analysis, health benefits and more. When not spending free time with her two grandchildren, Christine can often be found with Tedd, biking the hills and dales of Vermont, New Hampshire, Utah, Colorado and beyond.
Bob Oberlander
Financial Operations
A graduate of the University of Pennsylvania and Ithaca College, Bob was a dentist in a prior life before switching careers to operate a casework manufacturing business in 1995. At Unity Homes he is responsible for the P&L, balance sheet and oversight of individual project accounting. Bob has mountain biked up Mount St Helens and skied a million vertical feet at Jackson Hole. He lives in nearby Keene, NH with his wife Maria and daughter Mikeala. As a family they enjoy hiking and backpacking in the White Mountains of NH.
Mark Hertzler
Director of Unity Homes
After getting a degree in history and returning to the Keene area, Mark discovered that home building was an interesting and rewarding career path so he started working for a local building for several years while learning the trade. This led to other opportunities in the wider construction industry but eventually he got the itch to get back into home building directly which brought him to Unity Homes in 2018. He first took on the role of leading clients through their journey of design and now serves the team as the Director of Unity Homes. Mark lives in Chesterfield, NH with his wife Kristen and their four children Ben, Kate, Tyler and Seth. Keeping up with his kids can seem like a full-time job so he spends much of his spare time trying to get them hooked on his favorite activities such as participating in a variety of sports, running and outdoor activities like backpacking and snowboarding.
Alison Keay
Sales Lead
Alison joined the Unity team after relocating to the Keene area in 2016. After earning her bachelors degree in architecture from Keene State in 2010, she worked for six years in energy auditing, historic preservation, and sustainability consulting for a building consulting firm in Concord, NH. She has held certifications from the Building Performance Institute (BPI), infrared thermography and LEED for homes AP and Green Rater. In her time at Bensonwood and Unity Homes she has held roles as project management support focusing on building science, energy efficiency certifications, and energy code and also held the position of Quality Control Manager including third party certification of the Unity building assemblies. She has been bringing this knowledge to the sales process working prospective Unity clients for the past few years. When not working with prospective clients Alison can be found chasing her two children in various outdoor adventures with her husband and their chocolate lab.
Christine Oberlander
Sales Advisor
Christine is focused on the future of housing, including passive house and pretty good house design, as well as quality, Net Zero-ready homes at a lower price. She joined Unity Homes in 2022 with 30+ years of marketing and sales experience, including technical skills in energy efficiency, green roof/wall maintenance, rainwater harvesting, and building materials recycling. A healthy building materials advocate from the New School/Parsons School of Design, Christine also holds an MBA from Claremont Graduate University. When she is not at work, Christine is most likely outside, exploring the hills and valleys of Western Massachusetts or making/growing something.
Andrew Robel
Sales Associate
A graduate of Keene State College with a Bachelor’s in Business Management and Economics, Andrew began his professional career in Lebanon, New Hampshire in the Transportation Industry. Successfully running and growing that business for 13 years, he decided to sell the company in January of 2022 in pursuit of another path. After getting his hands dirty in the construction field for a year, Andrew joined Unity in hopes of building upon his high level of customer service. Andrew currently lives in Walpole and enjoys spending time with his wife and three beautiful children.
Bill Holz
Architect
It’s been over thirty years since architect Bill Holtz moved from suburban New Jersey to rural southwest New Hampshire. For much of that time he’s been a mainstay of the design team at Bensonwood. In recent years, he’s brought his prodigious talents to bear on developing Unity’s design system, and serving our clients.
Bill and his wife Pat have a labor of love in their homestead down the road from Bensonwood’s original location in Alstead. When not tending to extensive gardens and ongoing home improvement adventures, they can be found enjoying jazz music, spicy food and the sense of community that abounds in this area. Bill is an avid supporter of our local community radio station, WOOL.FM, and is a wholehearted fan of biking-to-work and seeker of things locally grown.
Derek Sherburne
Project Manager
Derek graduated from the Thompson School at the University of New Hampshire, receiving an Associate’s Degree in Surveying and Mapping. Starting from the “ground up”, he began his career in construction as a foreman for an excavation company. Supervising residential and commercial projects, Derek learned quickly that he enjoyed providing quality customer service and quality work from the beginning stages of a project, all the way through to completion. Now a Project Manager at Unity Homes, Derek applies those same concepts to the home building process. Growing up in Alstead, Derek has strong roots in the area. He currently lives in Langdon with his wife, Nicole, and their two children, Calvin and Kelly. When he isn’t at work or at home, you can typically find Derek out on the golf course, traveling to breweries, or floating in the lake at his family’s camp.
Rob Vogel
Project Manager
For many years, Rob ran his own construction company based in the nearby town of Acworth, NH. The projects on which he worked occasionally included Bensonwood timber frames. When Rob decided that it was time to hang up his tool belt and take down his shingle, working for Unity Homes was a natural fit. Rob’s vast experience and even temperament are a great benefit to the projects he manages. Although Rob puts in long hours at Unity, he still manages to find time to get out on the ski slopes each winter. Rob lives in Acworth with his wife Sarah and their two horses, two cats, a golden retriever named Roxanne and an assistance-puppy in training.
Emma Pede
Designer/Drafter
An architectural graduate of Keene State University, Emma is a constantly curious learner in all of life, which feeds her ability as a designer. Her artistic eye and use of patterns helped her develop “constellation” drawings, to convey Unity’s new streamlined design plan options. Emma’s focus on the efficient use of space, helps her clients compare options and successfully meet building goals. Passionate about the beauty of life, as well as faith and family, Emma’s favorite outside activities are watching the sunset or coaching softball in her new community of Englewood, Florida.
Rachel Neill
Selections Specialist
Like most of her coworkers in the project management department, Rachel came to Unity with a blend of hands-on trade experience, and office-based project administration. She grew up on a farm, which helps to explain her strong work ethic and practical problem-solving ability. Her work experience in the contracting field includes painting and punch-out work, kitchen and bath design, and office management. Rachel has a degree in interior design, which she’s putting to good use at Unity as she guides our clients through the process of selecting finishes and fixtures for their homes. Outside of work, Rachel enjoys working on her own house in Charlestown, and taking her four children on outdoor adventures.
Damaris Graham
Marketing Content Specialist
Damaris initially moved to New Hampshire to attend graduate school at UNH and received her Master’s in Community Development Policy. Her passion for writing and environmental sustainability led her to work various roles focused on community engagement and using communications to create positive change. After working multiple years with earth-conscious brands, she joined the Unity team in 2023 as a Content Specialist. Damaris’s primary role at Unity is to plan, write and edit content to share Unity’s story with a wider audience. Damaris lives in Gilsum with her husband, daughter, and chocolate lab Beans. In her spare time, she loves growing veggies in her garden and hiking with her family.
Natalie White
Selections Specialist
Natalie grew up just outside Chicago, where her grandmother instilled in her a deep love for the arts and culture. From a young age she was captivated by the world of interior design, spending countless hours rearranging rooms and creating mood boards with magazine clippings. Her passion was further fueled by visits to local museums and historical homes, where she marveled at the intricate designs and decor. Natalie has since gained experience in high-end casegood manufacturing, kitchen and bath design and is now an addition to the Unity Homes Selections team. When she isn’t working, she enjoys spending time with family and being outdoors.
Tedd Benson
Founder, Author
Since the mid-1970s, Tedd has been a leader in the movement toward more energy-efficient and sustainable building. The principles, methods and materials at the core of Unity’s unique approach to building have come from Tedd’s research into best practices from around the world. With Tedd at the helm, Unity continues to develop and refine these best practices. Tedd has been featured on a number of shows in the PBS series This Old House, as well as on Good Morning America and the Today Show. Tedd has also written four books on timber framing, which have been instrumental in the revival of this centuries-old form of building. A sought-after speaker at events and public forums, he has also received numerous awards, including an honorary Doctorate of Environmental Sustainability from Unity College in 2008. Tedd is an avid cyclist and he leads the company’s informal cycling team which has over the years raised tens of thousands of dollars for cancer research at the Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center.
