Affordable Wire Management Leads on Solar Update to Canadian Electrical Code; CSA Group Approves Use of Aluminum in Messenger Cables

Following a proposal from the AWM leadership team, the use of aluminum in solar messenger cables is now codified in the Canadian Electrical Code

Toronto, ON – July 23, 2024 – Affordable Wire Management (AWM), a leading provider of solar cable management systems (CMS), today announced a major milestone for solar cable management in Canada. As a result of a proposal put forth in May of 2021 by AWM’s Chief Technology Officer and Co-Founder, Dan Smith, the Canadian Electrical Code (CEC) has now officially approved aluminum messenger cables for use in utility-scale solar arrays. The CSA Group, a Canadian-based standards organization, released their triennial update to the CEC, CSA C22.1:24.

 

Aluminum, which has been widely used in conductor cables for decades in the power transmission and distribution (T&D) industry, is an ideal material for solar messenger cables due to its relative strength, conductive properties, and corrosion resistance.

 

The use of aluminum alloys and steel-reinforced aluminum in solar messenger cables is a practice that has been allowed in the U.S. for years.

 

Dan Smith, Chief Technology Officer and Co-Founder of AWM, is AWM’s solar subject matter expert (SME) on the CSA Group’s Section 12 subcommittee, which focuses on developing code around wiring methods. Smith remarked: “We’ve found aluminum to be the happy medium between steel and copper for solar messenger cable construction. We engaged the CSA Group on this topic before we started using aluminum in our own messenger cable design because we saw the potential opportunity. Working with the innovative and insightful members of the subcommittee has been a really great experience.”

AWM began their involvement in the Section 12 subcommittee after collaborating on the 465 MW Travers Solar Project in Alberta, Canada back in 2021.

 

AWM’s contribution to the CEC as a solar cable management expert has helped pave a clear path for the most innovative solar project designs in the Canadian market, a key sector for AWM. AWM’s Arden Messenger Cable Hanger system, which has been utilized across Canada and the northern U.S., combines cost-effectiveness with the ruggedness required to withstand harsh Canadian winters.

 

Smith and the AWM team plan to continue contributing to the Section 12 subcommittee moving forward. The team is also involved in other electrical code efforts, such the IEEE Wind and Solar Plant Collector Design Working Group, to help shape the future of engineering design in utility-scale solar.

About Affordable Wire Management

Affordable Wire Management (AWM) delivers innovative, precision-engineered solar cable management systems (CMS) to the nation’s top-ranked EPCs. AWM’s premier Arden Messenger Cable Hangers, Bonsai Module Cable Hangers and Solar LOTO solutions are designed to excel in both economics and longevity, achieve optimal ROI and further accelerate the widespread adoption of solar energy. In addition to Arden, Bonsai and Solar LOTO, AWM’s hardware offerings include the PHOTON Kit and the HELIOS Beam Rod. Customization options, backed by AWM’s professional support team known for their deep expertise in utility-scale solar, are available across the entire product suite. To date, over 10 GW of AWM’s all-metal solutions have been installed across the U.S. and Canada.

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Media Contact:

Emily Barkocy for AWM PR
emily@cleanterrateam.com
719.651.6377