Nassau Electrical Supply 1/0 AWG Aluminum XHHW-2 Building Wire XLPE Insulation Cable 600V

Why I chose this cable for a feeder run

I needed a reliable, code-compliant conductor to feed a subpanel at a detached workspace and wanted to keep material costs reasonable without sacrificing safety. I went with a 1/0 AWG aluminum XHHW-2 cable from Nassau Electrical Supply—let’s just call it the 1/0 aluminum XHHW-2—and used a 200 ft length pulled through PVC conduit in a wet-location path. It hit the right balance of weight, flexibility, and ampacity for a feeder that would live in conduit and see a mix of indoor and underground sections.

Build and specifications that matter in the field

Key specs guided the choice and showed up in day-to-day handling:

• Conductor: Aluminum, stranded (18 strands)
• Insulation: XLPE (XHHW-2), 600 V, 90°C wet/dry
• Insulation thickness: 0.055 in
• Ampacity: 135 A (90°C rating)
• Weight: ~130 lbs/1000 ft (about 26 lbs for the 200 ft I used)

In practice, the 18-strand build keeps it from feeling like a rigid rod; it’s not as supple as fine-strand control cable but it’s more cooperative than solid or lower-strand counts. The XLPE jacket is tough and abrasion resistant, which I appreciated during the pull through a couple of tight sweeps. The 90°C wet rating gives flexibility in conduit sizing and bundling calculations, but I sized terminations and overcurrent protection to the 75°C column per equipment ratings, which is typical. That effectively makes this a solid choice up to around 100–125 A feeders depending on your terminations and local code.

Handling, pulling, and installation notes

My 200 ft length arrived clean and coiled, with clear legible print along the jacket. Uncoiling was straightforward: I set the coil on a spindle and paid it off in the direction of lay to avoid introducing twist. The weight is a sleeper advantage for aluminum—roughly a quarter of the weight of copper at the same gauge—so moving the coil solo was no drama.

Pulling through PVC with a couple of long-radius sweeps, I used an XLPE-compatible pulling lubricant. The insulation surface took lube well and didn’t show scuffing after the pull. Minimum bend radius wasn’t an issue, but as with any 1/0 conductor, plan your box/conduit layouts so you’re not forcing tight turns at terminations. I’d call the flexibility “workable”: it takes a set and holds a bend, which is helpful when dressing into lugs, but you’ll still want a little extra conductor length at panels for clean routing.

A few installation specifics that made a difference:

• Terminations: I used AL/CU-rated lugs and sized them for 1/0 aluminum specifically. That matters—undersized ferrules or copper-only lugs are a nonstarter.
• Oxide inhibitor: I wire-brushed the strands lightly and applied an antioxidant compound before torquing to manufacturer specs. With modern AA-8000 series aluminum alloys, creep and cold-flow are well controlled, but good prep and torque discipline are still best practice.
• Identification: My conductors were black-jacketed. For the grounded conductor, re-identifying at the ends with white tape is permitted at 4 AWG and larger; I did that to clearly mark the neutral. For the equipment grounding conductor, I ran a separate green-insulated copper EGC rather than re-identifying a black conductor, which aligns with code expectations.

Performance and sizing in real-world use

For a detached workspace subpanel, I sized overcurrent protection based on the 75°C termination rating, not the 90°C conductor rating, and ended up with a 100 A feeder. That’s a sweet spot for 1/0 aluminum. The cable runs cool and voltage stability has been solid under load.

If you’re working at longer distances, keep voltage drop front-of-mind. Aluminum’s higher resistance compared to copper means voltage drop can creep up on you with high currents. As a ballpark, 1/0 aluminum is roughly 0.32 ohms/1000 ft DC; you’ll want to crunch the numbers for your run length and expected load. For many residential feeders in the 60–125 A range, 1/0 aluminum is a practical, economical choice, but very long runs or high continuous loads may justify upsizing.

Suitability for environments and enclosures

XHHW-2 is appropriate for wet or dry locations and behaves predictably in conduit underground and in damp basements. I wouldn’t treat it as a direct-burial solution; I ran it in conduit throughout. The XLPE insulation shrugged off incidental scraping when fished into panel knockouts and through fittings, and it held up to moderate pulling tension without visible jacket damage. As always, use proper bushings at enclosure entries and plan generous box fill to make up for the larger diameter compared to copper equivalents.

Pros

• Cost-effective for feeders and branch circuits compared to copper options.
• 90°C wet/dry XHHW-2 insulation is durable and versatile.
• Manageable weight; a 200 ft coil is easy for one person to move and stage.
• 18-strand construction offers decent flexibility for 1/0, making panel terminations cleaner.
• Clear jacket markings and consistent insulation thickness made stripping and identification straightforward.

Cons

• Aluminum demands AL/CU-rated terminations, antioxidant paste, and strict torqueing—none of which is difficult, but it’s an extra checklist.
• Ampacity at equipment is typically governed by 75°C termination ratings, so you don’t always get the full benefit of the 90°C conductor rating.
• Larger overall diameter than copper of equivalent ampacity can drive you into larger conduit sizes.
• If you need white- or colored-jacketed conductors for identification, you’ll likely be re-marking at terminations since stock lengths are often black.

Who this cable is for

• Residential and light commercial installers feeding 60–125 A subpanels, especially where conduit paths include wet locations.
• Cost-conscious projects that still demand robust, modern insulation and a predictable handling experience.
• Situations where weight matters—attic runs, ladder work, or long pulls where hauling copper would be punishing.

Who might look elsewhere:

• Very long feeder runs with tight voltage-drop targets; upsizing or copper may be a better fit.
• Direct-burial applications without conduit—choose a conductor rated for that use.
• Installers who want colored insulation for phases and neutral without re-identification.

Practical tips from my install

• Lay out a straight staging path and pre-lube the first section of conduit for smoother pulls.
• Use long-radius bends where possible; it pays off with 1/0 conductors.
• Keep a torque screwdriver/wrench at hand and record torque values at terminations for closeout documentation.
• Don’t skip brushing and antioxidant on aluminum terminations; it’s fast insurance.
• Plan conduit size with an eye to pulling friction, not just code-minimum fill.

Verdict and recommendation

I recommend the 1/0 aluminum XHHW-2 for feeders and general power distribution where a 100–125 A target is appropriate, the run is in conduit, and keeping costs and weight down is a priority. It handled well, the XLPE insulation proved tough in a real pull, and the 18-strand build struck a good balance between flexibility and durability. You do need to respect aluminum’s requirements—proper lugs, antioxidant, and correct torque—but those steps are standard practice and straightforward. If your project fits that profile, this cable is an efficient, code-friendly choice that performs as expected without surprises.