Southwire and AWM Drive Innovation in BESS Cable and Cable Management
According to a comprehensive feature in Electrical Contractor Magazine (February 2026), cable manufacturers and cable management solution providers are responding to the evolving needs of the BESS market with significant innovations .
Southwire's Flexible Cable Solutions:
RenewaFLEX: A 2-kV design with a thicker jacket and easier pull characteristics compared to traditional DLO cable
Machine FLEX Power: 20% smaller diameter than DLO, with 600V rating and high flexibility for tight spaces
High-flex tray cables and variable-frequency drive cables for BESS applications
Southwire developed these products by listening to BESS customers who needed more flexible cable for compact electrical houses (e-houses). Bill Fowler, Business Development Director, noted: "Imagine a cable you could tie into a pretzel, whereas previously, people were nearly breaking their arms with pry bars trying to bend stiff feeder cables inside panels" .
Affordable Wire Management (AWM) Aboveground Solutions:
Aboveground cable management eliminates expensive trenching and improves thermal performance
Specialized cleats fasten cables tightly to prevent damage from fault currents
Custom foundations (metal posts or precast concrete blocks) and tray systems
Scott Rand, AWM CEO, stated: "When cables are underground, they generally heat up more, so cables need to be larger. But when you bring things aboveground, you have better thermal performance... There's a big trend with installing cables aboveground" .
