In a utility-scale solar farm, the earthing challenge is significant: grids must cover vast areas, interconnect thousands of steel and aluminium structures, and perform reliably in harsh outdoor environments for 25 to 30 years or more.
Global Copper Conductors Pty Limited is one of Australia’s only manufacturers of Oxygen Free High Conductivity (OFHC) copper earthing conductors, supplying solar farm developers, electrical contractors, and EPC companies with precision-manufactured copper earth strip and tape specifically suited to the unique demands of large-scale solar farm earthing grids.
Global Copper manufactures to your project requirements. Our ability to supply long, continuous conductor lengths on custom drums-matched precisely to your array row spacing-is a proven advantage on solar farm projects, reducing installation time, minimising joints in the earthing grid, and lowering overall project cost.
Solar farm earthing grids present a distinct set of engineering and logistical challenges that set them apart from conventional substation earthing projects.
We manufacture in Gateshead, NSW using Australian-sourced OFHC upcast copper rod. Shorter supply chains mean faster lead times, simpler quality assurance, and no exposure to international shipping delays.
Our capability to manufacture custom conductor sizes with overnight die turnaround means we can match virtually any project specification quickly. Combined with our custom drum offering, this gives your project team a single, reliable source for all copper earthing conductor requirements.
Unlike importers supplying fixed-length coils, we manufacture to your project requirements. Whether you need 200 m pancake coils or 1,000 m custom drums, we produce the lengths that work for your site layout – not the other way around.
Our team has decades of experience in copper conductor manufacturing. We can assist with conductor selection, sizing data, compliance documentation, and delivery scheduling to support your engineering and procurement teams from early design through to construction.
Our Gateshead location provides excellent access to road and freight networks, with fast delivery available to solar farm sites across all states and territories.
Global Copper Conductors manufactures a range of copper earthing conductors suited to every element of a solar farm earthing system – from the main earth grid beneath the array fields through to equipment bonding at inverter stations and the on-site substation.
Our annealed copper is produced in both round and rectangular profiles, fully softened through in-line annealing during extrusion. This delivers consistent mechanical properties and maximum flexibility throughout the entire conductor length – critical when terminating into mounting structure earth lugs or routing through inverter station cable management.
Typical applications in solar farms:
Global Copper Conductors is Australia’s only manufacturer of copper pancake coils – a compact coil format that delivers genuine handling and installation advantages on large solar farm projects.
Pancake coils are wound flat, keeping the conductor in a consistent, tangle-free form that unwinds smoothly without kinking. On an active solar construction site, where large areas must be worked across simultaneously by multiple crews, pancake coils allow earthing conductor to be moved, positioned, and deployed safely and efficiently.
Standard pancake coil sizes available:
Other sizes up to 50 mm wide are available on request. Contact us for a free quote.
| Metric (mm) | Kg/m (Nominal) | Kg per Coil (Approx.) | Metres per Coil |
| 2.5 × 16.0 | 0.35 | 35 | 100 |
| 2.5 × 40.0 | 0.90 | 36 | 40 |
| 3.0 × 25.0 | 0.68 | 34 | 50 |
| 3.0 × 40.0 | 1.05 | 36 | 34 |
| 3.0 × 50.0 | 1.30 | 40 | 30 |
| 4.0 × 40.0 | 1.44 | 36 | 25 |
| 4.0 × 50.0 | 1.80 | 36 | 20 |
For utility-scale solar farm projects, custom drum supply is not simply a convenience – it is a significant project efficiency and safety advantage that directly affects your installation programme and total earthing system cost.
Solar farms are laid out in regular, repetitive row patterns. By supplying earthing conductor in drum lengths precisely matched to your row spacing or grid segment lengths, we eliminate mid-run joints in the earth grid entirely. Fewer joints can mean a more reliable earthing system, less installation labour, and fewer potential failure points over the 25-plus year life of the asset.
A drum of copper earth strip deployed on a cable trailer moves through the array field quickly, with crews installing conductor in long, uninterrupted runs. Compared to managing and joining multiple shorter coils, this approach can reduce earthing installation time significantly on large projects.
Properly loaded drums deployed from a drum stand or cable trailer eliminate the manual handling of heavy coils across rough construction terrain. This directly reduces the risk of strain injuries and conductor damage during installation.
We work directly with you to schedule drum manufacturing and delivery around your construction programme Contact us early in your project planning to discuss your requirements.
The most specified sizes for solar farm earth grids are 25 × 3 mm, 40 × 3 mm, and 50 × 3 mm bare annealed copper strip. The correct size for your project depends on the fault current level and duration specified in your earthing design – we recommend engaging your earthing engineer early to confirm conductor sizing before procurement.
This depends on the conductor cross-section and drum capacity. Contact our team with your conductor size and the lengths you require – we will work with you to determine the optimal drum configuration for your project.
Yes. Material test certificates confirming compliance with AS/NZS 1567:1997, copper purity, conductivity, and dimensional tolerances are available.
For major projects requiring large quantities of custom drum conductor, we recommend engaging us as early as possible in your procurement process – ideally at the detailed design stage. Early engagement allows us to confirm sizing, arrange manufacturing slots, and stage deliveries to match your construction programme.
Oxygen Free High Conductivity (OFHC) copper with a C10100 designation offers superior purity and conductivity compared to standard commercial-grade copper. For long-term buried earthing applications in the demanding environments common to Australian solar farm sites, the higher purity and conductivity of OFHC copper provides the best long-term performance and compliance confidence. It is the only grade we manufacture.
Yes. Global Copper Conductors can also supply aluminium conductor with our range of insulation coverings for applications where aluminium is specified. Contact us to discuss your requirements.
Global Copper Conductors supplies copper earthing conductors to solar farm developers, EPC contractors, and electrical subcontractors across Australia. Whether you are in early design, detailed engineering, or ready to procure, our team can assist with conductor selection, custom sizing, test certification, and delivery scheduling.
