Straw bale houses are not a new idea stemming from green revolution participators. They actually have a lengthy history in the United States.

I've chosen to construct my home out of straw bales because of the thermal properties of the construction materials.

Currently, I live in a rented house constructed of the standard materials that are used in my area which are basically cement blocks and brick. It's widely accepted here that these are the best materials to build with because of their "thermal" properties. I don't accept the common belief and am sure there is a better and more efficient construction material available.

During the summer here in the Sonoran desert, ambient temperatures rise on some days to 48C (118F), and in direct sunlight the temperature is even higher. My electricity bill is augmented in the summer months by the amount of air conditioning that I have to do to make life bearable in the house. My summer electricity bill jumps to more than 10 times that of my winter electrical bill.

For me this huge difference between winter and summer electrical usage is not acceptable. There is obviously something wrong with the construction or the materials used in the house I live in.

I have air conditioners that are only a couple of years old and I only use air conditioning in the bedrooms instead of the whole house so I know that the machines are reasonably efficient.

To investigate what was really going on I bought an infra-red thermometer, it allows me to shine a laser on an object and get the temperature of it really easily.

I took readings from the thermometer at different times of the day and came to the basic conclusion that concrete and brick were not at all efficient at keeping out the heat.

Maybe these materials take a long time to heat up, but once they are hot they stay hot for a long period of time, longer than other materials like steel or gypsum. By having such large masses of this material I am basically living in an oven through the summer. Cooler overnight temperatures are barely notable as it's never long enough for the walls or roof to cool down enough to make any sort of a difference.

One notable observation I made was that of the load bearing walls connected to the ceiling. The heat from the roof was very efficiently transferred into the wall and then into the house.

Based on my observations, I think that a house made of straw, which doesn't conduct heat or cold very well, is a better choice for me in this climate.