Overhead busbar systems

Overview of Busbar Systems and Busbar Lighting

Cable installations, and cable trays are a labour intensive exercise, and can be unsightly. Busbar systems provide a compact method of distributing electricity with greater ease and flexibility than some other more permanent forms of installation and distribution.

Busbar systems are used to safely implement three-phase power distribution systems, often in large environments. Busbars are found in factories, data centers, retail facilities, laboratories, hospitals, and university or technology settings.

Busbars systems are a cost effective alternative to cabling. The initial purchase of cable can be less expensive compared to busbar, but the saving in labour needs to be calculated into the equation.

As current ratings increase the advantages of using busbar increase. As current increases the busbar rating can increase in size however cable sizes are limited and multiple cables may have to be used to carry the equivalent of one busbar.

Busbar installations require less termination space in switchboards.  Busbars also require a shorter installation time compared to cabling. Cabling can be difficult and timely to install. In some instances specialist cable pulling teams are needed to pull the cable around a building resulting in high labour costs. Busbars do not need cable trays and have no requirement for multiple cable runs.

Due to the Low impedance(resistance) the busbars have a low heat dissipation. This reduces the cost of energy losses experienced by the negative effects cables have on each other when they are in close proximity to each on cable trays and in trunking.

Busbar installations are planned and  manufactured to suit the building resulting in minimum wastage. Busbar can be made with 90 degree bends but cable has to be installed to regulation with strict adherence to bending radius rules and hence will use more material and space. Busbar systems are compact and take up less space.

Busbar systems are easily modified and circuits can be added easily by means of plug-in tap-off boxes providing flexibility to accommodate power requirement changes.