Aluminum alloy used as conductor is in the 1960s and 1970s, due to the rapid increase in copper prices and began to conduct extensive research on alternative conductor materials for wire and cable. Aluminum alloy used as a conductor mainly AA1000 series that is pure aluminum, AA6000 and AA8000 series conductor. AA1000 series conductor is mainly used in high-voltage overhead line; AA6000Al-Mg-Si (aluminum-magnesium-silicon alloy) series conductor is mainly used in the high-voltage overhead line and aluminum busbar; these two types of conductors are to the existence of the conductor in the hard state, the joints of the joints to the main connection of welding. AA8000Al-Mg-Cu-Fe (aluminum-magnesium-copper-iron alloy) series is really used in the distribution lines on the soft aluminum alloy.

　　In North America AA8000Al-Mg-Cu-Fe (aluminum-magnesium-copper-iron alloy) series is only used in the field of low-voltage power distribution network applications, while in Europe has not been widely used, European countries are basically to take the copper core cable and pure aluminum cable solutions. European countries have not adopted the technical route of aluminum alloy cable, the reasons are mainly composed of the following aspects:

　　1, from the copper core cable and aluminum alloy cable electrical performance comparison

　　Copper and aluminum materials in the electrical and mechanical properties are significantly different.

　　Aluminum alloy wire in the conductivity and resistivity and pure aluminum is similar, so only by increasing the cross-section to copper cable 1.6 times the method in order to achieve the electrical properties of copper cable. That is to say that aluminum alloy cable in the conductivity and resistivity of the two cables the most basic performance point of view is not more than pure aluminum has substantial progress, which is the first reason why European countries did not choose aluminum alloy cable.

　　2, from the energy consumption point of view to compare the copper core cable and aluminum alloy cable

　　G.P. Hammond and C.I. Jones [5] of the University of Bath, UK, conducted an in-depth comparative study of the energy consumption contained in the production and use of different raw materials used in the power grid, as shown in Table 2. It can be seen that metallic aluminum consumes about three times as much energy as copper during production and use.

　　Aluminum and aluminum alloy cables consume more energy than copper cables in production and use.

　　3, aluminum alloy cable carbon emissions and environmental impact is significantly higher than copper cable

　　According to G.P. Hammond and C.I. Jones [5] of the University of Bath, UK, a comparative study of carbon dioxide emissions of different raw materials used in the power grid during production and use is shown in Table 3. It can be seen that the CO2 emission of metallic aluminum is twice as much as that of copper.

　　In addition, the Netherlands WimBOONE and Germany's ArnavKACKER in its "extensive comparison of copper-core cable conductors or aluminum-core cable conductors with a life-cycle perspective," pointed out that the environmental impact of aluminum alloy cables (acidification potential) is also higher than copper cables.

　　4, the whole life cycle cost

　　Aluminum prices are much lower than copper so that aluminum alloy cables also have a price advantage and bring profit margins for cable companies, however, the European countries after a comparative study of the full life-cycle cost of cables, aluminum alloy cables and copper cables compared to the conclusion that there is no clear advantage.

　　Usually power cables can be used for more than 35 to 50 years. However, cable investment decisions are mainly made on the basis of investment costs, which ignore the cost savings that may be contained within the lifetime of the cable. The total cost of ownership of a cable (hereinafter referred to as "life cycle cost") should take into account not only the initial cost of the cable, but also the operation and maintenance costs over the lifetime of the cable. Therefore, the total life cycle cost should take into account the capital expenditure and operating costs over the lifetime of the cable, and only then is it possible to select a more economical conductive material such as copper or aluminum.

　　WimBOONE in the Netherlands and ArnavKACKER in Germany in their "extensive comparison of copper-core cable conductors or aluminum-core cable conductors with a life cycle perspective" through the life cycle cost analysis (LCCA) to the following conclusions:

　　1) The cost difference between copper and aluminum cables has been significantly reduced during their operating life. In all cases, the cost difference over the operating period is around 3%, and in some cases copper cables have even become the lowest life cycle cost.

　　2) If we only consider the one-time input and procurement costs, aluminum alloy cables and aluminum materials undoubtedly have a huge advantage, but from the analysis of the full life-cycle cost of copper and aluminum cables, there is little difference between the cost of copper and aluminum, and with aluminum alloy cables compared to copper cables from the perspective of the full life-cycle cost is even better than aluminum alloy cables.

　　Conclusion: European countries do not use aluminum alloy cable technology route, mainly on the electrical performance, energy consumption of copper core cable and aluminum alloy cable,