Build More Walls – that Store Carbon!
In combating climate change, reducing carbon emissions from building operations is critical, because they represent such a large percentage of global CO2 emissions. […]
Wood Stoves In High Performance Homes
Yes, it’s the holiday season, and you’d have to be a Grinch not to like the idea of cozying up to a fireplace or woodstove with a cup of hot chocolate while snow drifts outside. More than a few prospective Unity clients have this image in mind when they come to us. We try to let them down easy! Fireplaces simply don’t make sense in a high performance home, and woodstoves have their own particular set of considerations. […]
Going Electric
No, we’re not referring to Bob Dylan’s iconic “electric” concert at the 1965 Newport Folk Festival, when he first performed live with an electric guitar. That performance was reportedly greeted with boos from folk music fans in the audience. When Unity (or other home builders, for that matter) “go electric,” we think the move is worthy of cheers. […]
Indoor Air Quality: Breathing Easy in a Unity Home
A Whole-house Approach We rarely hear anyone these days arguing for drafty construction because “buildings have to breathe.” Building scientists have known for decades that […]
Looking to the Future at NESEA’s “Building Energy” Conference
Tedd Benson’s presentation at NESEA’s Building Energy Conference . “Yes, we are failing, but there is still time to turn everything around—we can still fix […]
Built-in Comfort
We love this house because it’s so comfortable. Sandy and Mark, Unity homeowners in Guilford, VT Why is it that for many Unity homeowners, “comfortable” […]
Warm Homes for Cold Days
Here in New England, we’ve recently had several spells of brutally cold weather, and there’s more to come. The high temperature forecast for this Saturday […]
Building Tight and Breathing Easy with Blower Doors
At Unity we have strong tradition of education and training, because our work requires that we stay current with the latest tools, materials and systems […]
The Right Prescription: Connecting Health and High Performance in Homes
Several months ago we received the following comment from Unity clients in Connecticut who had been living in their new home for about two years: […]
Triple-Glazed Windows: Why They’re a Good Investment
When it comes to energy efficiency, triple-glazed windows clearly make a difference. But are they worth the investment? Every homebuilding project and each homeowner has their priorities, […]
Energy Ratings and Alphabet Soup: HERS, LEED, ZERH and more
Many programs have been established to measure the energy efficiency and environmental impact of new buildings. The plethora of options can make it difficult even for those […]
New Xyla exceeds Passive House Air-Tightness Standard
We recently did a blower door test on a Xyla in northern New Hampshire to measure its air tightness—i.e., how “leaky” it was. The result was .38ACH@50 pa, which […]
Living Green: Should I Build New, or Retrofit an Existing Home?
At some point in the decision to buy a home, there comes a critical calculation: Do I build a new house on my own land, […]
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