Solar power cables are used in many green energy initiatives and need to be sunlight, ozone, and UV ray resistant. The two most common solar panel cables used are Photovoltaic (PV) wire and USE-2 solar cables. PV wire has the thickest insulation and jacket, making it more flame, sunlight, ozone, and UV ray resistant. USE-2 solar cables, however, are crush and impact resistant. Another main difference between USE-2 and PV solar panel cables is that while USE-2 solar cables can only be used in grounded solar arrays, PV wire can be used in ungrounded or grounded arrays.
Solar Wires are often required to meet strict specifications since they are exposed to many environmental factors. However, some solar applications require specialty power cables that meet more specific requirements.
Our Custom Solar Cable Solution
The owner of a solar installation company reached out to Allied Wire and Cable for help designing a custom cable for his application. The customer had previously been using a common three-conductor solar wire and THHN wire in his solar installation projects. THHN wire is also commonly used in the solar power industry since it is environmentally friendly and cheaper than PV and USE-2 solar cables. This type of wire, however, does not have the same strength or ratings as the other two. This wire was also kept separate from the three-conductor cable, making installation lengthy and difficult.
This was the customer's main reason for wanting a custom solar cable. He knew that a custom cable would save money due to quicker installation and less frequent repairs. This power cable would be run between a PV array and a combiner box. This combiner box connected multiple solar cables and power cables. One of our custom cable design experts worked closely with this customer for six months to perfect his design.
Together, they created a custom three-conductor 8 AWG power cable and 18 AWG PV wire combined under one jacket. The jacket was also brightly colored and had the company name and "patent pending" printed on it. This solar wire has a voltage rating of 2000V.
In the end, this custom cable saved our customer future repair and installation time and costs. If you need a more durable power cable or two power cables with different gauge sizes combined for your next application, Allied Wire and Cable can help. We offer a large catalog of solar cables, power cables, and battery cables in many gauge sizes that can be customized to your exact needs. Visit our Custom Cable Design Center or Contact Us today to get started on your custom cable.