 
Copper is used in power cables for high, medium, and low voltage applications.
In utility power cable networks, there are three principal applications
for copper: core conductors, screens, combined neutral-earth conductors.
For all of these applications, copper competes with aluminum, and
to a lesser degree with lead and steel.
Utilities around the world use either aluminum or copper in their
networks. As utilities continue to move their power lines underground
for a variety of reasons (environmental, safety, urbanization, flat
and soft terrain, legislative, and aesthetics), copper is increasingly
being specified.
Starting in the 1960s, an entire generation of utility engineers began
to specify aluminum, due to its lighter weight and lower price. Price
is important, but should not be the predominant purchasing decision
criteria. Copper is a better conductor of electricity than aluminum
by 40%. Therefore, for any standard size of copper cable, an aluminum
conductor would have to be one or two sized larger to deliver the
same conductivity.
Other criteria which would benefit copper include cable life, reliability,
ease of laying cable, ease of jointing, reduced power loss, enhanced
residual value, and lower maintenance costs.
Environmental lifecycle analysis would also benefit copper. Utilities
need to be educated towards understanding total lifetime costs, rather
than first costs (capital outlays). |
