Optimized Cable Sizing – An Economical Approach to Energy Saving with Reduced Power Loss

This paper proposes an improved power cable sizing method based on the impact of different weather and environmental factors (WAEF). Moreover, this paper analyzes that size of conductor increases almost 2-3 times and losses decreases when WAEF are taken into account. This initial cost of increased conductor size is compensated in a year or two since the cost per annum is reduced due to the reduction in losses, while fewer losses also prolong the life of the power cable. To check the effectiveness of the proposed method, Electrical Transient and Analysis Program (ETAP) simulations, on a cable of 1 kV rating are carried out under very strict conditions, namely cable sizing based on load flow analysis, without including the four factors (temperature, thermal resistivity, depth of laying, and soil correction factor) and including these factors. The dominance of the proposed method over the conventional is validated by approximately 8% decrease in voltage drop in the power cable. It is expected that this research will be highly beneficial, not only for the high voltage cable manufacturers but also for the utility power systems.