The profitability of the solar park is also affected by the cabling solution

The use of renewable energy generated by solar panels has become increasingly popular year after year in industries, offices and homes. If solar panels and systems are chosen carefully, then the quality of accessories seems to be less important – for example, not enough attention is often paid to choosing the right cables. Externally, the cables look similar, but they are very different inside.

Buying the right cables saves resources. Builders and developers are often in a hurry and don't have time to go into details. Long-lasting special-purpose products specially developed for hard weather conditions are often more expensive, but the use of cheaper, low-quality or even not suitable cables can cause many problems – they break down faster, damages to the outer casing lead to power losses and reduce the productivity of the park. In the worst case, the cable solution needs to be replaced.

It must be made sure that cables installed outdoors or partially underground are resistant to various factors such as UV radiation, ozone, water, acid and alkaline substances, ammonia, oil, hot and cold, and abrasion. Like tyres, the right solar cables are not made of plastic, but of an elastomer that can withstand 20,000 hours of operation at a groove temperature of 120 degrees. The overall productivity life of solar panels is estimated to be 25-30 years. The service life of a high-quality and undamaged cable should be the same or even longer.

Dealers and manufacturers will help you choose the right cables. Prysmian Group has developed a cable TECSUN (PV), which is specifically meant for solar power systems. This cable is manufactured to the highest standards and lasts for at least 30 years. Currently over a million kilometres of cables have been installed in various climatic conditions around the world. TECSUN is the only solar panel cable on the market that has both TÜV and VDE quality certificates according to the EN50618 standard. The cable is suitable for installation both directly in water and in the soil. The quality of the cable is confirmed by the fact that since its launch on the market in 2003, no defects have been discovered due to the quality of the cable insulation.

With the use of solar energy future and environment protection are kept in mind, but the use of low-quality and unsustainable products is not environmentally friendly. The extra euros spent on the right and higher quality materials prevent subsequent expensive downtime due to failures. Professional and substantiated advice requires little time and correctly chosen materials always pay off.

GOOD TO KNOW! Requirements for cables used in the solar power system:  

• weatherproof
• withstand 20,000 hours of operation at 120 degrees
• comply with standard EN50618
• service life over 30 years
• elastomeric, not plastic coated

The article was published in the magazine Onninen uudistes. See more about TECSUN cable HERE.