A Google search suggests that as in the US, aluminum service entrance cables are used in Canada.

The reference was "commercial and industrial installations", which to me implies factory floor wiring and distribution?

 

The reference was "commercial and industrial installations", which to me implies factory floor wiring and distribution?

It is certainly used industrially but aluminum service entrance cable rated for 100A and 200A service are used for residential as well. As far as I know, it is not used for interior residential wiring, though. [EDIT: except for sub panels]

 

Looking for the exceptions of where aluminum can be used safely if x, y and z are done exactly right is not my definition of safe. I would wait the three to five weeks for the copper wire to be available.

 

It is certainly used industrially

What is your definition of "Industrially"?
I have worked "Industrially" most of my career and never seen it used or come across it in my personal experience.
The exception is service entry.

 

What is your definition of "Industrially"?
I have worked "Industrially" most of my career and never seen it used or come across it in my personal experience.
The exception is service entry.

https://www.helukabel.com/publication/us/technical_articles/aluminum-vs-copper-8-11-15.pdf

 

I don't/didn't work in power distribution, just mainly industrial shop floor environments and have never come across it in the many decades .

 

https://www.helukabel.com/publication/us/technical_articles/aluminum-vs-copper-8-11-15.pdf

Helukabel? A brochure from a family-owned German company - I bet they have a top notch regulatory group that understands regulations in every region. It is unlikely a German company would assume German regulations are the best/safest in the world and should be good for everyone. I've never seen that happen before.

 

Many institutional, commercial, industrial service feeds are AL. Neutral supported, service panels, MCCs.

 

Many institutional, commercial, industrial service feeds are AL. Neutral supported, service panels, MCCs.

Thank you. I wasn't sure the two dozen other times that was mentioned were true. Could you label the "many" buildings that have aluminum service feeds?

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2018/10/12/us/map-of-every-building-in-the-united-states.html

 

That site is paywalled.

 

That site is paywalled.

Too bad, It's really cool. A map with every building in the United States. You can see the dark areas of each city and the pure white areas of lakes and streams. Then you can zoom in, and in, and in, into see each individual building - including my house and my shed. I can move across the country and see the dairy farm where I picked rocks and baled hay. The chicken coop and hog barn are still there. Unfortunately, my neighbor's rabbit hutch is not included.

 

I don't/didn't work in power distribution, just mainly industrial shop floor environments and have never come across it in the many decades .

AL wiring beyond utility feed-lines is defacto banned on our site. Engineers generally specified copper wring for all critical infrastructure projects.

 

I have seen aluminum cables used for main entrance cables, and with the proper termination they appear to be OK.
BUT, when a client asks if I use aluminum wire, I tell them "Only if you sign a waiver that you will not blame me when the house burns down." So far none have requested aluminum wire.
I do not feel comfortable about the use of aluminum wire in any location where electrical failure might cause overheating and then a fire. It is OK for the utility company to use it from the pole up to my electric power meter, Beyond that point I use copper wire. I have seen failures of aluminum wire and the concern others have is valid.
My residence now has aluminum wire from the pole to the house, because of a utility company upgrade. To avoid the corrosion issues they used crimp-on couplings to tie the aluminum wire to my copper wire that runs to the meter.

BUT, if you run all of the aluminum wire inside steel conduit of adequate size, with steel enclosures at both ends, probably no fire would result from connection failures. That is another option that is available. Probably they are reliable, but certainly they are not reusable.

 

Thank you. I wasn't sure the two dozen other times that was mentioned were true. Could you label the "many" buildings that have aluminum service feeds?

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2018/10/12/us/map-of-every-building-in-the-united-states.html

Off topic.

There are zip files here:

https://github.com/Microsoft/USBuildingFootprints/

 

Typical site sub-panel transformer feed.

 

Off topic.

There are zip files here:

https://github.com/Microsoft/USBuildingFootprints/

In this part of Michigan MOST of the service drops to houses are aluminum. Also, the 3-phase drops to businesses are aluminum. They consist of one bare aluminum cable with some steel strength members and either 2 or 3 PE insulated conductors, either solid or stranded, wrapped around the bare neutral conductor. So evidently the utility does not consider that heating will be a problem. And today copper costs at least 15X what aluminum costs, so that makes some sense.