Organizing Cables in Complex Arrangements to Achieve Optimized Ampacities in Solar Power Plants

Presentation Description: Utility-scale solar power plants increasingly adopt above ground cable systems to support conductors. These systems present unique challenges for accurately determining ampacity due to the complex arrangements of conductors found throughout various designs. Traditionally, cables have been bundled together, and as a result, airflow becomes constricted, increasing the temperature in the cables and accelerating cable degradation. This can lead to suboptimal cable sizing and other electrical issues such as premature wire burnout and difficulty in troubleshooting.

AWM’s research utilizes Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) to refine ampacity determinations, overcoming limitations of traditional methods like NEC and IEEE standards. Our Cable Management Systems (CMS), anchored by numerous versions of our Messenger Cable Hangers, are all ampacity-optimized. AWM’s unique, customizable CMS, made possible by the extensive in-field experience of AWM’s leadership team, is becoming the standard of excellence nationwide for clean energy cable management.

AWM’s innovative approach optimizes conductor designs by accurately modeling heat transfer and thermal interactions for virtually any cable arrangement, enhancing the efficiency and reliability of clean energy infrastructure. The poster will present key findings, methods, and implications for industry standards.