20 Sep It’s not easy being green
For nearly 5,000 years copper was the only metal known to man. Now it’s one of the most used and reused of all the metals. Here are some of our favourite ‘environment friendly’ facts about copper. Did you know…?
Copper Facts ~1
Did you know that copper is a green building material? Besides its familiar green patina, the metal boasts one of the highest recycling rates of any engineering metal.
Copper Facts ~2
Copper plays an important role in the delivery of wind energy, based on its high-conductivity, low electrical resistance and resistance to corrosion. Wind farms can contain more than 300,000 feet of copper wire. Electricity generated through wind power flows through insulated copper cables to a copper-wound transformer. Underground copper cables collect the electricity from the base of each tower and deliver it to a substation that transmits it to the utility grid.
Copper Facts ~3
Hybrid and electric vehicles use copper-wound induction motors that draw their power from batteries. To help brake the vehicle, the induction motors act as generators, delivering power to be stored in the batteries. Hybrids can be up to 60% more fuel efficient than their standard versions.
Copper Facts ~4
Larger hybrid lorries and buses can be equipped with motors using highly efficient copper rotors. One company, which has road tested such vehicles says they perform exceptionally well, decreasing particulate emissions by 96% and traveling 57% farther on a litre of fuel, thus reducing fuel costs by more than a third.