Renewable Energy - Straw bale building sits alongside renewable energy

12/03/2008

As homeowners turn to biomass boilers and solar heating to improve the environmentally-friendly credentials, an old building technique is making a come-back.

Building advice firm amazonails has said that building with straw bale is on the increase in the UK, contrasting it with 'recent' techniques such as concrete and cement.

Rachel Hammond, amazonails business support manager, said: "When we attend events such as Ecobuild recently, it is noticeable that the people interested in these techniques are already a lot more aware than even last year."

She added that many older techniques, such as wattle and daub, are expecting a revival due to climate change, standing alongside developments such as renewable energy.

Techniques such as straw bale building could be used up to 20,000 homes in eco-towns that the government has proposed.

These developments will use sustainable technologies, such as solar heating and other renewable energy technology, provide environmentally-friendly housing.

Amazonails believe that straw bale houses could last over a century, and note on their website that there are dozens of 100-year-old examples that are still inhabited.