In this developing world, manufacturers with the vision to create a renewable energy source to protect the environment from the impact caused due to the constant burning of fossil fuels at an uncontrolled rate have come up with ways to use natural resources to create renewable energy. Extracting power from wind, water, and the sun has become quite popular in the renewable energy industry.
Wind and water turbines are mostly used on a large scale, mostly by energy providers or the governments, to supply energy to the residential and commercial consumers. But solar energy is much easier to create on a small scale, which is why the invention of solar power has allowed multiple households to create green energy.
These solar systems installed at your homes or workplaces, work very differently from your regular electric systems. Although they are used for the same purpose, to generate power while requiring specialized equipment and tools to operate efficiently – solar cables are one of the most important ones out of all.
What is A Solar Cable?
Out of all the equipment set in place to set up a solar panel system, solar cables are the most popular among the consumers. The wires’ world is vast and complicated for someone who has zero understanding of how energy transmitted through these wires and cables. You can’t use a regular copper wire to connect your solar panels for the transmission of energy. You need special solar wires and cables for that.
Now the question is, what is a solar cable? In simple terms, solar cables act as the arteries and veins of a solar system. They are used to interconnect various ends of a solar panel for successful and safe transmission of converted electrical energy by the system.
Difference between Solar Wire and Solar Cable
People often tend to use the terms of solar cables and wires interchangeably. They might sound the same, but they are very different in built, function, and properties from one and other. Here is how you can differentiate between the two.
Solar wires – The term refers to a single conductor, mostly copper and aluminum. It is widely used in a photovoltaic system to interconnect multiple components such as the panel, investor, batteries, and the charge controller. Choosing the right solar wire for interconnection is highly important for the efficient operation of the system. In the case of wrong solar wires used, your panel will fail to convert solar energy to electric energy, which will result in a power failure.
Solar Cables – The term cable refers to a combination of several solar wires enveloped together in a single jacket. These are those thick cables with multiple color graded wires inside them. They are designed to resist ultraviolet radiation, high temperatures, and extreme weather conditions to interconnect various solar panels in a photovoltaic system successfully.
Types of Solar Cables
Typically, the size of a solar cable depends on the number of wires used inside them. The kind of solar wires used to create a solar cable also determine the function of the cable. In a solar system, three types of solar cables are vastly used by the manufacturers for successful interconnection between the panels.
#1 DC Solar cable
DC solar cables are built using copper wires only. They are a string of copper wires, mostly pre-built inside the solar panels for transmission and conversion of solar energy. They often come with suitable connectors as well to make things more defined. But as a consumer, you might not need to change them since they are built inside the panel, so it is best to leave that to the experts. But in certain types of photovoltaic systems, they are used to interconnect various panels of the system.
#2 Main DC cable
The main DC cable is the power-hub of the photovoltaic system. They are the main cables used to collect power from the generator junction box and transmit it successfully to the central investor. You can call them the power collector cables as well. Mostly ranging from 2mm to 6 mm, these cables are used to connect the positive and the negative end of the generator with the inventor for safe transmission of solar energy.
Main DC cables are available as both single and two-core cables. In case of transmission from one end to the other, a single-core wire with double installation works the best. But in case you wish to connect the generator with the inventor, a two-core cable is recommended. It is best to lay cables carrying opposite polarities far away from each other to avoid any discrepancies.
They are well insulated, come with a weather-resistant coating, and are capable of resisting the sun’s UV rays. In short, they are best for outdoor usage. Plus, you don’t want to have power-packed cables lying around inside your home.
#3 AC Connection Cable
Once the solar energy generated from the panel is successfully converted to usable electric energy by the inverter, AC connection cables are used to transmit that energy from the inverter to the electric grid and the protection equipment set in place.
These cables are built using three live wires, one ground, and neutral wire. The live wires are responsible for carrying the electric charge, whereas the ground and neutral wires carry away the excess charge for protection purposes. You should use a five-core AC cable for multiple inverters and a three-core cable for a single-phase inverter.
How Using Solar Cables to Design Solar Systems Help Save The Environment?
Solar cables have made it possible for us to generate electricity at home safely. It allows you to successfully transmit solar energy within a panel and from the generator to the inventor and the electrical grids. Here is how the invention of solar cables has helped save the environment.
- Help Combat Greenhouse Gas Emission
- Reduce Dependency on Fossil Fuels
- Reduction in Air Pollution
- Help Generate Clean Energy
Takeaways
Choosing the right type of ZW PV wires cables for proper installation of photovoltaic systems is highly important for proper and safe transmission of the energy. Since you are creating and transmitting energy in your home, you need to be sure that you are doing it right away. In case you don’t understand how the wiring works, it is best to consult an expert.
