Clay Technology April/May 2007

This issue of Clay Technology takes a look at energy conservation. Mark Atkinson of Baggeridge Brick explains how a revitalisation of the dryer system at his company’s Sedgley Works led to major energy savings. And John Hall, of energy auditing and market analysis firm John Hall Associates, considers the options created by the change in the UK energy market buying strategy.

News

Living Brick

The Living Brick is a new construction material for facing urban/suburban structures. It exploits one of the most common commodities in the urban landscape – the surfaces of buildings – as spaces for ‘vertical gardens’. Extruded bricks can be used to create a garden wall or even to cover the facades of buildings.

Clay Technology Magazine, 31 Mar 2007

PET brick

Making use of discarded PET bottles, a professor and four engineering students from the Lutheran University of Brazil (Ulbra) have created a ‘PET brick’ made out of quartz sand, cement and bottles.

Clay Technology Magazine, 31 Mar 2007

Features

Buying energy - energy purchasing market options

John Hall of John Hall Associates, UK considers the strategic options for UK companies in the energy purchasing market. As recent analysis shows that price hedging has out-performed one-year volume based fixed price contracts, there is a need for large and small UK energy buyers to become more pro-active and develop sound risk management strategies to achieve maximum benefits.

Clay Technology Magazine, 31 Mar 2007

Drying to save energy - dryer system saves energy

Baggeridge Brick has revitalised its dryer system and managed to save energy. The brief was to produce and install a new dryer system that could be introduced while the factory was still running, thus negating downtime costs. This new system allows the day-to-day running costs to be visually monitored and more easily controlled.

Clay Technology Magazine, 31 Mar 2007