In practical terms, a net-zero home is highly energy-efficient, incorporating features such as advanced insulation, high-performance windows, energy-efficient appliances, LED lighting, and effective HVAC systems. These energy-saving measures significantly reduce the amount of energy required to operate the home.

Net-zero homes are gaining immense popularity in the Upper Valley. Leading the way in our community is Yankee Barn Homes, a local business and industry leader that partners with homeowners to help them achieve their dream of owning a net-zero home.

Building homes that embrace beauty, flexibility, comfort, and energy efficiency, Yankee Barn Homes knows that building a home is not only an investment but a labor of love and a vision manifested.

Founded in 1969 by Emil Hanslin, Yankee Barn Homes set out to custom-design and craft timber frame homes that seamlessly blend authenticity with contemporary living. The company's commitment to a high-quality product and maximum efficiency has remained steadfast over its 50-year history.

Today, Yankee Barn Homes is a preferred partner in the Upper Valley and beyond for those seeking energy-efficient homes with a small environmental footprint. The local company offers a Shell Package that utilizes highly energy-rated windows, doors, polyisocyanurate insulation, and ZIP System® Sheathing to create an efficient building envelope. Completing the envelope with their trademarked True Roof Panel, each home is designed and sited to take passive solar gain into account.

The True Panel System is built in their facility in Grantham, New Hampshire. The system affords the shell package, floor plan, and timbered frame total integration for a unique custom-designed home.

Yankee Barn Homes takes quality and sustainability into account when selecting build materials. Doing so creates a smaller environmental footprint for each build.

COO of Yankee Barn Homes, Kerri Post said “In the Upper Valley, the interest in building net-zero homes has steadily increased. Owners are recognizing the long-term value of building a home designed with energy efficiency in mind, and are incorporating available technologies, reused materials, and packages like the True Panel system to achieve these goals”

Within the local Upper Valley, the Gish Kaiser house in Hanover, NH stands as a testament to both modern design and eco-conscious living. With a strong emphasis on energy efficiency, this remarkable home was designed from the outset to achieve net-zero status, showcasing the owner's commitment to sustainability.

Notable features of the home include a 7.8 kW rooftop solar array and three all-climate air source heat pumps, which provide both heating and cooling, delivering year-round comfort while minimizing energy consumption. Overall, an impressive 80% of the building materials were locally sourced or fabricated in New Hampshire or Vermont.

As the design process began on the Gish Kaiser house, the owners decided to keep the original foundation following the analysis of the existing structure. The Yankee Barn Home shell was designed to fit onto the old foundation to save the embodied energy in the existing concrete.  The shell system includes preinstalled, foil-faced foam insulation (rated R36-walls and R55-ceiling) and energy-efficient windows and doors.

“We were absolutely thrilled to collaborate with Robin & Peter on their project,” said Kerri Post, “Their unwavering dedication to net-zero living perfectly resonated with our core values as a company. Not only did they create a home that showcased stunning architecture, but it also stood as a shining example of environmental-friendliness at its finest."

For more information on Yankee Barn Homes, visit https://yankeebarnhomes.com/.