Copper is expensive!

[John Frum]

Copper is expensive!
In plumbing PEX has displaced copper to a large extent.
I wonder how expensive copper would have to get before residential/commercial electrical starts moving toward alternatives.
Aluminum wiring used to be used in homes.
"In North American residential construction, aluminum wire was used for wiring entire houses for a short time from the 1960s to the mid-1970s during a period of high copper prices." -- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aluminum_building_wiring
The UK uses ring circuits which save on copper. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ring_circuit

For diysolar IMO the price of copper will only accelerate the move to higher system voltages.
I wonder if we will ever start using aluminum wiring.

 

[Zil]

There were many small fires and some very large fires in residential buildings directly linked to aluminum wire developing resistance in wall fixtures. Aluminum wire is used in transmission lines from power plant to meter. I would not live in building wired with aluminum wires past the main breaker.