The amount of potential energy in sunlight is enormous. Just the amount of sunlight that reaches the earth’s surface in 2 hours is more than enough to power the entire planet’s energy consumption for over a year.

Consequently, and as a result of various environmental initiatives, solar energy has been growing in prominence. But how does solar energy work, and what’s the difference between solar panel cable and “regular” electrical wire and cable?

This short post will break down some of the details.

About Photovoltaics and Solar Panels

The heart of a solar energy system is the solar panel, which is an array of photovoltaic cells. These cells are small structures that contain silicon or another semiconductor material, housed within a metal frame, usually with a glass face.

When sunlight strikes the panel, the photovoltaic cells release electrons that contain a small electric charge. The photovoltaic cell then accumulates a small charge in the form of direct current (DC) that is conveyed by special cable - solar panel cable - to a device known as an inverter, which converts it into alternating current (AC) that your home can then use.

This is of course a grand oversimplification of how the whole process works, but since the focus of this article is solar panel cable and not solar energy itself, it should suffice.

How Solar Panel Cable Is Different from Other Electrical Wire and Cable

Solar panel cable is not just used to hook up the solar panels themselves to the inverter, but elsewhere in the solar array. As a result, it must be specialized to stand up to the rigors entailed by such an application.

First and foremost, high-quality solar panel cable must be built to withstand the stresses of outdoor use. As a result, solar panel cable must be made with insulation that can withstand the weather, which not only means it must stand up to extreme temperatures (and temperature swings) but also moisture, wind and precipitation, and freeze-thaw cycles.

Solar panel cable, since it is used outside, and by nature of the beast, must also be resistant to sunlight - and this, specifically, means it must be resistant to UV light.

The plastics that are used to create electrical insulators are by nature organic molecules with (relatively) weak covalent bonds, and as a result, these polymers are suspect to the photodegradation caused by high-energy blasts of ultraviolet radiation.

However, some classes of plastics are better suited to withstand the onslaught of direct sunlight than others, and these are the ones that must be used for the manufacture of solar panel cable.

Take, as an example, the highly flexible welding cable on our website that is also rated for use hooking up to inverters.

This cable is made with EPDM, or ethylene propylene diene monomer, a synthetic polymer that, unlike many other plastics, exhibits considerable resilience in the face of ultraviolet radiation.

This, however, only scratches the surface of the valuable attributes of this polymer. EPDM is also highly resistant to both high and low temperatures, and our cables are oil and gasoline resistant. This is important because one of the weak points of EPDM is that it is generally not resistant to solvents and hydrocarbons.

On top of that, EPDM as a material is also highly resistant to ozone, as well as to oxidizing agents. It also stands up well to steam and a wide range of chemicals, and is, mechanically, a fairly durable synthetic. It has fairly high tensile strength and is relatively resistant to abrasion.

It is important to note here that while many solar panel cables are made with classes of EPR rubber such as the one mentioned above (and which we carry) there are others made from a material known as XLPE, or cross-linked polyethylene, a class of polyethylene (which is a very common plastic in and of itself) that stands up well to extreme weather, sunlight, and other environmental stressors.

In addition to chemical and physical resistance, solar panel cable should also be relatively flexible - just like welding cable for sale.

The thing about solar panel cable that it shares in common with welding cable is that it must be installed in locations that require a lot of twists and bends. The thicker the cable gets, the harder it is to accommodate these situational demands, and therefore, solar panel cable is typically made with a very high conductor strand count (just like welding cable and marine battery cable) in order to ensure that it maintains a high degree of flexibility so it can be handled and installed accordingly.

Lastly, solar panel cables should offer a variety of chemical and safety properties that make them ideal to use in solar panel arrays. For instance, many solar panel cables are made with halogen-free materials and produce little smoke when burned, keeping them safer. Fire safety is one important aspect of solar panel arrays and it’s critical to ensure that the cable you use is rated appropriately for the application - and that it is fire-resistant. Some may even self-extinguish, just like fire alarm cable.

With respect to solar panel cable selection, make sure to keep voltage rating in mind, and when it actually comes time to choose cables, it’s advisable to go with a cable that can handle more than the voltage under which you expect the system to operate. That way, the cable will be able to handle more than needed, serving as a hedge against risk.

If you can account for all of the factors mentioned here, then there’s a good chance you’ve landed on a solar panel cable that can make the grade and stand up to the application you have in mind - just be doubly sure and check all the ratings, specifications and qualifications before buying.

To Learn More About Solar Panel Cable

Interested in high-quality solar panel cable but not sure where to start? Get in touch with us at Sales@EWCSWire.com or call us at 800-262-1598 for more information.