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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=maroon face=Georgia><span
style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:Georgia;color:maroon'>Greetings all,<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=maroon face=Georgia><span
style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:Georgia;color:maroon'>Thank you for
including me in this elite group of building scholars. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=maroon face=Georgia><span
style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:Georgia;color:maroon'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=maroon face=Georgia><span
style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:Georgia;color:maroon'>I wanted to get
feedback on some performance aspects of strawbale building that I have been
confronted with by energy modeling and regulatory entities that question its thermal
performance. This resistance appeared when I contracted a Hers rater
along with mechanical engineers who, in generating thermal models of a strawbale
building I had designed, consistently gave it low ratings for R-value and
infiltration. In researching the R-value they had given to the walls, I found
that from the resources they had found, the value was somewhere between R-23
and R-27. I got a copy of the newly proposed International Green
Conservation Code and found they rated bales laid flat at R-1.3 per inch and on
edge R-2. That equates to R-23.4 for flat bales (2 string) and R-28 for
bales (2-string) on edge. I don’t think this gives and accurate
performance prediction of the building. In addition they considered
the buildings to have high infiltration losses because of their opinion that
they cannot be tightly sealed. Their models indicated that the building
could not be considered high performance due to the use of the straw thereby
making my job of getting the building to the required Hers rating value much
more difficult. I am thinking I am not alone in this problem.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=maroon face=Georgia><span
style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:Georgia;color:maroon'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=maroon face=Georgia><span
style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:Georgia;color:maroon'>This made me realize
that we need to generate more convincing documentation as to the performance
and design detailing of straw buildings. There appears to be little
resources out there that engineering professionals access that address the
infiltration and insulation values of straw. This is important because without
a sufficient HERS rating and a positive blower door test (now being required in
many jurisdictions) a permit and/or a CO will not be issued.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=maroon face=Georgia><span
style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:Georgia;color:maroon'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=maroon face=Georgia><span
style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:Georgia;color:maroon'>What I would like to
hear from you all is the location of resources documenting tight houses out of
straw (like the passive houses) and specific techniques you have used to tightly
seal up straw buildings. Specifically what techniques have you used to seal
around the windows and doors, at the bottom and top of the walls and at penetrations
of the interior finish skins for electrical boxes. Are there buildings
out there that have gotten their HHI ratings down below 2 BTU/SF/DD? If
so what techniques did they use and what insulation and infiltration rates were
used? <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=maroon face=Georgia><span
style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:Georgia;color:maroon'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=maroon face=Georgia><span
style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:Georgia;color:maroon'>Thank you for your
help.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=maroon face=Georgia><span
style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:Georgia;color:maroon'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=maroon face=Georgia><span
style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:Georgia;color:maroon'>Saludos,<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=maroon face=Georgia><span
style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:Georgia;color:maroon'>Alfred<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=maroon face=Georgia><span
style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:Georgia;color:maroon'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=maroon face=Georgia><span
style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:Georgia;color:maroon'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=maroon face=Georgia><span
style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:Georgia;color:maroon'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=maroon face=Georgia><span
style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:Georgia;color:maroon'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=teal face=Georgia><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Georgia;color:teal'>VON BACHMAYR ARCHITECTS LLC</span></font><font
color=maroon><span style='color:maroon'><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><st1:Street w:st="on"><st1:address w:st="on"><font size=2
color=teal face=Georgia><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Georgia;
color:teal'>1406 Bishops Lodge Rd.</span></font></st1:address></st1:Street><font
color=maroon><span style='color:maroon'><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><st1:place w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on"><font size=2
color=teal face=Georgia><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Georgia;
color:teal'>Santa Fe</span></font></st1:City><font size=2 color=teal
face=Georgia><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Georgia;color:teal'>, <st1:State
w:st="on">NM</st1:State> <st1:PostalCode w:st="on">87506</st1:PostalCode></span></font></st1:place><font
color=maroon><span style='color:maroon'><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=maroon face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;color:maroon'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color="#008040" face=Georgia><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Georgia;color:#008040'>505-989-7000
</span></font><font color=maroon><span style='color:maroon'><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color="#008040" face=Georgia><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Georgia;color:#008040'>505-984-1479
fax</span></font><font color=maroon><span style='color:maroon'><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color="#008040" face=Georgia><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Georgia;color:#008040'>505-470-6141
mobile</span></font><font color=maroon><span style='color:maroon'><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=maroon face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;color:maroon'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color="#008040" face=Georgia><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Georgia;color:#008040'>vbarch@comcast.net</span></font><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
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