711LidgerwoodAvenue
Elizabeth,NJ072070711USA
SelectingWireandCablefor
SolarApplications
IntroductiontoSolarPower
Onabright,sunnyday,thesunsraysgiveoff
approximately1000wattsofenergypersquare
meteroftheEarthssurface.Thissolarpowercan
beconvertedintoelectricityintwobasicways:(1)
thesunlightcanbeconverteddirectlyusing
photovoltaics(PV)or(2)itcanbeconverted
indirectlyusingconcentratingsolarpower(CSP).
Photovoltaicreferstothedirectgenerationof
electricitybysolarirradiation.Photovoltaiccells
usespecialsemiconductormaterials,themost
commonbeingsilicon,toharnesssolarenergy.
Whenlightstrikesthecell,someofthesolar
irradiationisabsorbedwithinthesemiconductor
material.Theenergyofthelightisnowtransferred
tothesemiconductor,knockingelectronsloose
andallowingthemtoflowfreelyandrelease
energy.
CSPtechnologiesusemirrorstoreflectand
concentratesunlightontoreceiversthatthen
collectthesolarenergybeforeconvertingitto
heat.Theresultingthermalenergyisthenusedto
produceelectricitythroughasteamturbineor
heatenginethatdrivesagenerator.
Currently,threecommontypesofCSP
technologiesexist:aparabolictrough,asolar
powertower,andasolarengine.Aparabolic
troughisshapedlikeahalfpipeandiscovered
withmirrorsthatarealignednorthsouthandpivot
tofollowthesunduringdaylight.Thesemirrors
concentratethesunsraysontoheattransferfluid
pipesat30to100timestheirnormalintensity.The
pipesarethenusedtoproducesteamtospina
turbinetopoweragenerator.Solarpowertowers,
19089258000
180052ALPHA
www.alphawire.com
KristenBerard
ApplicationsEngineer
AlphaWire
ontheotherhand,generallyusethousandsofflat
suntrackingmirrorscalledheliostatsto
concentratethesunsradiationontoasingle
towermountedreceiver,atwhichpointsame
processastheparabolictroughisapplied.Thelast
typeofaforementionedCSPtechnologiesisthe
solarengine,whichcontainsbothasolar
concentratorandapowerconversionunit.The
mostpopularexampleofasolarengineisthe
Stirlingengine,whichusesasuntrackingmirrored
parabolicdishtodirectcapturedheattoa
hydrogengasfilledpiston.Thepistonthendrives
theenginetoproduceelectricity.Overatwenty
yearperiod,aStirlingenginesystemcangenerate
over850MWofelectricity.
Althoughthesunisanexcellentenergysource
duringtheday,themethodinwhichsolarenergyis
storediscriticalduetothelackofcontinuous
supply.Aneffectiveandlowcostwayofstoring
solarpowerisemployingtheuseofmoltensalts.
Saltshaveahighspecificheatcapacityandcan
deliverheatattemperaturescompatiblewith
conventionalpowersystems.OffgridPVsystems
traditionallystoreexcessenergywithrechargeable
batteries.Withgridtiedsystems,theexcess
electricitycanbesenttothetransmissiongridand
kepttrackofusingnetmeteringprograms.Net
meteringprogramsgivesuchsystemsacreditfor
eachmegawattofelectricitydeliveredtothegrid.
Thesecreditsoffsetelectricityprovidedfromthe
gridwhenthesystemcannotmeetdemand,
effectivelyusingthegridasastoragemechanism.
CableRequirements
Despitebeingacriticalcomponent,wiringforsolar
panelsisrarelydiscussed.Inhomesolarpower
Cablesyoutrust.
Serviceyoudeserve.

systems,therearefourcomponentstoconnect
together:thesolarpanels,thechargecontroller,
thebatteries,andtheinverter.Thecharge
controllerisusedtopreventthebatteriesfrom
overloading;thewiresthatconnectthepanelto
thechargecontrolledshouldbecorrectlysizedto
minimizetransmissionpowerloss.
Correspondingly,thefurtherawaythepanelsare,
thelargerthewiregaugeshouldbe.Theinverteris
usedtoconverttheDCpowercollectedbythe
panelsintoACpower,whichisthemostpopular
formofelectricityacceptedbyappliances.These
systemsaretypicallyoutdoors,soanycableused
forthistypeofapplicationneedstobeultraviolet
radiationresistantandsuitableforwetlocations.
Forsolartrackingpanels,thecablesusedneedto
beflexibleasthepanelswillbemovingalongwith
thesun.
CSPsystemshavealotofrequirementssimilarto
solarpanel.However,inadditiontothewaterand
UVresistance,thecablesusedneedtobeableto
withstandhightemperatures.
StandardsforSolarPowerCable
BoththeUnitedStatesbasedagencyUnderwriters
Laboratory(UL)andtheGermanbasedagency
TechnischerberwachungsVerein(TV)have
approvalsspecificallyforwiresusedin
photovoltaicapplications.
711LidgerwoodAvenue
Elizabeth,NJ072070711USA
19089258000
180052ALPHA
www.alphawire.com
ULhastwotypesofapprovalsforphotovoltaic
applications:USE2andtypePV.Originally,the
standardapprovalforphotovoltaicapplications
wasUSE2.However,oncetherewasagreater
demandforwireforsolarpower,ULdesignedthe
ULtypePVapprovaltomeettheneedsofsuch
applicationsbetter.USE2andtypePVapprovals
aresimilar;however,thereareafewdifferences.
PVwirecanbeusedinbothgroundedand
ungroundedPVarraysandisrated+90oCwetand
+150oCdrywithapprovalsfor600V,1000V,and
2000V.AlthoughUSE2isonlysuitablefor
groundedPVarraysperNEC,ithasa+90oCwet
anddryratingandisonlyratedfor600V.In
additiontothebettertemperatureandvoltage
range,typePVwireshavebettersunlight
resistance,lowtemperatureflexibility,flame
resistance,andthickerinsulationsforadditional
elementprotection.
TVsPfg1169approvalisbasedonISO4892,
EN50395,andEN50396standardsandtested
accordingtoIEC60811standards.TheTV
approvedwireisalsogenerallylowsmoke,zero
halogen,makingitmoreenvironmentallyfriendly.
Thisapprovaliswrittenspecificallyforthe
Europeanmarketandisthepreferredapprovalfor
manufacturersofsolarpanels.
Cablesyoutrust.
Serviceyoudeserve.