Bus bars are primarily made of copper or aluminum, with copper offering superior conductivity (100% IACS vs. This article provides an overview of busbars, including their use cases, benefits, and material selection, while also highlighting the advantages of busbar coatings such as nickel, silver, gold, copper and tin. What is a busbar? A busbar is a solid metallic strip, typically made of copper or. In electric power distribution, a busbar (also bus bar) is a metallic strip or bar, typically housed inside switchgear, panel boards, and busway enclosures for local high current power distribution, transmission, or switching substations. They offer the highest mechanical strength during short-circuit events. It is also called an electrical busbar.