Correct cable design protects both wallets and the environment

Over the last decade, the cable company Nexans has had a high focus on studying how the use of cables can be streamlined, partly to reduce the price of the cables over time but also to reduce their carbon footprint. In line with this, Nexans has launched a digital tool called Eco Calculator to help consumers find out how cables can be designed in the best possible manner.

The environmental impact of human activity is very much on the agenda in society today. As a result, Nexans has examined how smart decisions can be used to minimise energy usage and optimise cable usage. Traditionally, the industry has often undersized cables, which has led to significant heat loss, wasting both ecological and economic resources.

As energy needs in society continue to increase at the same time as we have to reduce our climate footprint, it is even more important to design cables correctly. Nexans has therefore developed a flexible digital tool, Eco Calculator, so that users can easily calculate which cable dimension is best suited to their specific needs.

“A cable that heats up loses energy so if you choose a cable with a larger cross-section you can minimise heat loss; when electricity flows through a conductor it will heat up and the warmer it gets the higher the resistance, resulting in electrical energy being lost. The solution is to ensure that the cable does not heat up quickly and the easiest way to do this is to choose a cable with a greater cross-section than what is needed based on the required power,” explains Aron Andersson, Product Manager, Power and Installation Cables at Nexans.

Thick cables save you money over time

The most important thing is to ensure that the cable is not exposed to heat for too long. Using EcoCalculator, users can calculate which cable solution will be most profitable based on their individual needs, which in turn will lead to reduced carbon emissions and money being saved. Over the last decade, Nexans has strived to inform cable buyers of the importance of correct sizing for saving energy, something which Nexans plans to continue doing in the future.

“There is a knowledge gap in the market when it comes to cable sizing. Each time I lecture on the topic, the audience experiences a kind of “Eureka” moment,” Andersson explains and continues: 

“In many cases, electricians want to make it cheaper for their customers, in order to win contracts. If they are able to see that they can use a thinner cable, they will often buy it in order to ensure that the installation is cheap. However, thinner cables generate significant losses over the entire service life, which means that thicker cables are actually cheaper over time.”