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Living Green (Literally)

World Copper Supply & Demand Shifts

The world’s copper market is expected to see a significant surplus over the next two years says the latest forecast from the International Copper Study Group (ICSG). The Group said…

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Aurelia Metals Green Lights Aussie Copper Mine

Australian mining and exploration company Aurelia Metals with two existing mines in  the Cobar Basin in New South Wales will now develop the Great Cobar copper mine. The project involves…

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Rare Child Cancer Sees Possible Copper Cure

Survival from a rare but deadly childhood cancer could improve by applying an existing drug that’s currently used to manage excess copper in the body says Australian study. The drug…

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Artificial Intelligence And Copper: Pulse Briefing #1

The International Copper Association Australia has launched the first of its Pulse Briefings, a series designed to showcase the latest innovations across the resources sector. The first Briefing takes a…

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February 27, 2025 · Energy Efficiency, General, Recycling, Renewable Energy, Smart Buildings, Sustainable Energy

A new copper-clad, energy-generating home on the outskirts of Oxford in Britain is being hailed as both a triumph of style and sustainability.

The house—by UK architect Adrian James who’s called it “Copper Bottom”—is green in the most literal sense.  The outside of the house is almost all clad in copper, as if the roof had descended to the ground and engulfed the walls, leading the Guardian Newspaper to call it “a green marvel in every sense”. 

But looks apart the building is Net Zero to the max. With 37 solar panels, an air-source heat pump, timber structure, triple-glazing and generous insulation, the house generates more energy than it consumes. More than that, it will pay back the carbon debt incurred by its construction after 10 to 15 years, and from then on it will continue to generate surplus power that can be returned to the national grid. 

Of course the home’s solar panels, heat pumps, energy storage, electric car charging points and extra wiring all need copper to work, but the walls are just as sustainable. Not only has the copper all been recycled from scrap, which means it will never corrode (or barely) and is totally recyclable.

The underlying shape also helps. A simple cuboid, it’s efficient both in terms of construction and conserving energy. The projections and recessions of the copper wrapping serve to shade the interior from the high summer sun (and so help to stop it overheating), while allowing warming rays to enter at a lower angle in winter.

In other words, the world’s climate will be (very fractionally) better off than it would be if the house had not been built at all. The longer it stands, the better.

Detail: https://adrianjames.com/project/copper-bottom/

Featured

World Copper Supply & Demand Shifts

The world’s copper market is expected to see a significant surplus over the next two years says the latest forecast…

Read More

Aurelia Metals Green Lights Aussie Copper Mine

Australian mining and exploration company Aurelia Metals with two existing mines in  the Cobar Basin in New South Wales will…

Read More

Rare Child Cancer Sees Possible Copper Cure

Survival from a rare but deadly childhood cancer could improve by applying an existing drug that’s currently used to manage…

Read More

Artificial Intelligence And Copper: Pulse Briefing #1

The International Copper Association Australia has launched the first of its Pulse Briefings, a series designed to showcase the latest…

Read More

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