embodied energy

Hello Kevin,

I stumbled across your site and was impressed with its polish. I applaud your efforts and wish you success.

I hope you will address how using steel frame in a straw bale virtually erases the green benefits of straw, however. The embodied energy in the manufacture of steel is huge, and makes your green project a paler green. It will take you decades to pay back in energy efficiency the energy debt you incurred by using steel. And since you are teaching about building green, other builders or owners might be misled into thinking steel is the way to go.

Now, conscious choices are better than unconscious ones, and it looks as though your project has a lot to offer. I would simply suggest that you address your use of steel in this project and recommend against it for your viewers.

Thanks for your time,

John