Solar energy is one of the most important sources of energy in today’s world. With the Greenhouse effect proving to be a cause for concern for the entire planet, we are quickly moving to renewable sources of energy. Solar panels and other such applications require cable assemblies for their operation. Such specialized cable assemblies will allow the application to function reliably. These cables are water and UV resistant, and extremely flexible. They are manufactured for use in rugged environments and high temperature conditions.
Materials Used to Manufacture Solar Cable Assemblies
UL (Underwriters Laboratories) certified cable assemblies are used in solar energy production. Two main materials used to manufacture solar cable assemblies are:
- PV Wire
- USE-2 Cables
These wires can be used in both wet and dry climatic conditions. They can endure high temperatures reaching 90 ºC in wet applications and 120 ºC in dry conditions. These wires are available in voltage ratings ranging from 600 to 2000 Volts. Solar PV wires can be used in both grounded and ungrounded installations.
This photovoltaic wire is used in grounded arrays only. The maximum operating temperature of this wire is 90 ºC and it has a voltage rating of 600 V.
Solar energy is still a new concept in the commercial sense. Although, many people are adapting and adopting this trend, there is still some resistance. However, scientists are discovering newer, faster, and more reliable methods of harnessing the sun’s readily available energy. This has led to wider adoption. The continual rise of gas and electrical rates are pushing organizations to develop new products and people to utilize them. With reliable solar cable assemblies, we can expect to migrate from depending on non-renewable energy sources to renewable ones.