Cables for Photovoltaic Applications

Jörg Bör Stefan Grunwald Ilona Hirtz

Product Manager Product Manager Product Manager
Friedrich Lütze GmbH & Co KG Lutze Inc. Kabelwerke Villingen GmbH
Weinstadt, Germany Charlotte, NC Villingen-Schwenningen, Germany
+49-7151-6053-274 +1-704-248-5310 +49-7721-20617-18
[email protected] [email protected] [email protected]

Abstract The improvements of the solar panel technology define the

The recent growth of the renewable energy market applies to both electrical performance of components. Usually solar systems are
wind energy as well as to solar energy. In many countries this working with low voltage direct current, and the panels are switched
growth is supported by governmental subsidies. in parallel. Thus, the current is the determining electrical parameter.
In terms of cables, this results in different conductor cross sections.
Outdoor applications in renewable energy plants demand high
thermal and mechanical requirements from cables and other
components. Therefore, some national standardization bodies 3. Common Specification of German
defined general requirements for cables used in solar plants. Technical Institutes
In 2005 UL 4703 was published in the USA. In Germany a joint In 2005 the German national electro-technical standardization body
working group “Cables for Photovoltaic Application” was DKE established a working group called “Cables for Photovoltaic
established in the same year, which resulted in a specification Application” which resulted in a public specification. This
published in February 2008. document was published in February 2008 [2]. Due to the close
cooperation between different institutes, this specification is
The performance requirements in high temperatures have been set identical with the TÜV-Specification 2 PfG 1169/08.2007 and the
very high for cables. Various German institutes accepted this VDE-Specification E PV 01:2008-02. DKE-Subcommittee
specification and now offer certifications for it. There has been a UK 411.2 released the document for publication and application, but
huge demand in the European as well as Asian markets for such due to CENELEC rules it was not adopted as a national standard in
certified cable. Germany.
Due to the differences the UL 4703 requirements cannot be
combined together with the German specification. The different 4. Technical Details of the German
solar-cable requirements have advantages as well as disadvantages
in respect to the specific regional conditions. Specification
In this German specification [2] the requirements have been raised
Keywords: Renewable energy; Photovoltaic; Solar Cable; to a very high level regarding the high temperature performance of
Standardization; TÜV; DKE; UL 4703, Fire Performance; Cross- cables. Additionally, high mechanical stability is required; the cable
Linking. has to be flame retardant and free of halogens. To meet this
specification the manufacturers generally use halogen free flame
retardant cross linked polyolefin copolymers as material for
1. Introduction insulation and jacketing.
The renewable energy market is growing rapidly. A tenfold increase
for the next five years is anticipated by Merill Lynch [1]. This The solar cable according DKE is a two layer insulated single core
growth applies to wind energy as well as to solar energy. Due to cable with a minimum wall thickness of 0.5mm in each layer.
public interest, a number of governments have decided to support The most important tests required in this specification [2] are
the renewable energy economics with large amounts of subsidies. discussed in the following clauses:
Thus, even a further increase in this market can be expected.
4.1 Temperature Range
Solar cables according to the German specification [2] are defined
2. External Conditions for an environmental temperature range from -40°C up to +90°C.
The photovoltaic market is a very specific market. Various national The maximum conductor temperature is specified at +120°C.
regulations are to be taken into account. The system size can vary
from a small home power supply with a nominal power of few 4.2 Hot Pressure Test
kilowatts up to large centralized solar plants in the Gigawatt range. Purpose of this test is to check the mechanical stability of the cable
The components used in these systems must be suitable for these insulation and jacket under high thermal and mechanical load. The
specific applications. test is performed on the completed cable according to the test
One common determining factor for all photovoltaic power systems method described in IEC 60811-3-1. Test temperature is +140°C;
is the outdoor use, which brings along high temperatures and, of the load is applied for four hours.
course, high UV radiation. Weathering and humidity need to be
taken into account, as well. Furthermore, safety and reliability
aspects are very important.

International Wire & Cable Symposium 151 Proceedings of the 58th IWCS/IICIT
 4.5 Weathering / UV Resistance / Humidity
To reveal the performance under different environmental conditions,
a weathering and UV resistance test according to HD 605/A1,
part 2.4.20 is required as well as a damp heat test according to
EN 60068-2-78.

4.6 Dynamic Penetration Test

A special penetration test was developed to prove the stability of the
cable jacket and insulation against mechanical loads. It is described
in Annex E of the discussed specification [2]. As shown in Fig. 3, a
steel needle is pressed onto the cable sample. The load is
continuously increased till the needle contacts the cable conductor,
indicated by a low voltage electrical circuit. The load in the moment
of contact is derived by a load cell.

Figure 1. Pressure test at high temperature on the solar

cable

4.3 Cold Bend Test and Cold Impact Test

Solar plants must be able to work under extreme weather conditions.
Thus, the components are tested not only for high temperature but
also for low temperature performance. In the German specification
[2] this is taken into account with high requirements for the cold
bend and cold impact test. These tests are performed according to
IEC 60811-1-4 at -40°C. But additionally the cold impact test is
performed with increased height as well as increased weight of
hammer and intermediate piece.

4.4 Short and long term Ageing at high Figure 3. Arrangement for penetration test on completed
Temperature (?) cable
A short term ageing test is required at +150°C with a duration of
168 hours for the insulation as well as for the jacket material. This test simulates mechanical loads on the cable that could be
Additionally, an Arrhenius test has to be performed where the caused by any object or device falling on the cable or by animals
materials have to withstand 20,000 hours at +120°C (see Fig. 4). outside.
This enables manufacturers to guarantee a life time of 25 years in
the specified operating conditions. 4.7 Fire Performance
Although the danger of fire propagation in outdoor applications
such as solar plants is not a great risk for the safety of people, a
good fire performance is required to protect the technical
equipment. The document [2] specifies a flame propagation test on
the completed cable according to IEC 60332.1.

4.8 Absence of Halogens

In the case of fire, acids caused by the smoke of halogenated
materials are a serious danger for people´s health as well as for the
function of electric and electronic devices. In former times halogen
free cables were required in public areas such as hospitals, airports
and other similar structures. But due to the increasing importance of
electronics in all areas of everyday life, this quality is increasingly
required in industrial premises, too.
As far as for solar cables, this characteristic is especially important
for solar power devices on residential buildings.
Several tests have to be performed to prove the absence of halogens
Figure 2. Hot elongation test
in solar cables. Electrical conductivity and pH value of the smoke
To check the completed cross-linking of materials, a hot elongation are to be quantified according European standard EN 50267-2-2.
test is also performed on insulation and jacketing materials. The content of chlorine and bromine is determined according to
EN 50267-2-1 and a special test is developed for the content of
fluorine in Annex C of the discussed specification [2].

International Wire & Cable Symposium 152 Proceedings of the 58th IWCS/IICIT
5. UL 4703 Standard 6. Product Properties
In 2005 the American Underwriters Laboratories (UL) published the The new developed solar cable is a single core cable built with a
UL subject 4703 “Photovoltaic Wire” [3]. It covers single- tinned stranded conductor. All materials are halogen free, flame
conductor, insulated and integrally or non-integrally jacketed, resistant and fire retardant. No corrosive gases will be released in
sunlight resistant, photovoltaic wire in several temperature and case of fire and the smoke density is low. The insulation and jacket
voltage ratings for interconnection wiring of grounded and materials are extremely resistant to weathering, UV-radiation and
ungrounded photovoltaic power systems. abrasion. The wide temperature range from -50°C to +150°C (fixed
The standard UL 4703 is based on the service entry cords USE-2 installation) enables the use of this cable in extreme weather
and specifies some additional requirements for photovoltaic cables. conditions. Additionally, it is salt water resistant and resistant to
It applies for solar cables in North America. These UL-requirements acids and alkaline solutions.
are quite different from the German specification. The cable is flexible and designed for high mechanical loads. So it
The UL standard leaves more freedom for the manufacturer as far as is suitable for fixed installation as well as for moving applications
the cable construction and the selection of materials is concerned. without tensile load. It is especially designed for outdoor use, which
One or two insulation layers can be chosen optionally as well as a means direct sun radiation and air humidity, but due to the halogen
“skinned” single layer construction. For two layer construction, as free flame retardant cross-linked jacket material the cable can also
specified in the DKE-document [2], several combinations of wall be installed in dry and humid conditions indoors.
thicknesses are allowed in UL 4703. But in each case the total sum
of wall thickness will be higher than specified in the German
specification (see table 1). Thus the diameter for the same conductor
cross section will be higher which reduces the suitability for several
connectors. And the increased need of insulation compound will add
to the production cost.
Table 1. Wall thicknesses acc. to UL 4703
Dimension AWG 10 – AWG 18 AWG 2 – AWG 9
Single layer 1.52mm / 60mils 1.91mm / 75mils
1.91mm / 75mils 2.28mm / 90mils
Skinned
(1.14mm + 0.76mm) (1.52mm + 0.76mm)
2.28mm / 90 mils 2.66mm / 105mils
Double layer
(1.14mm + 1.14mm) (1.52mm + 1.14mm)
The main focus of UL 4703 is the fire performance. Tests to be
performed are the Vertical Flame Test acc. to UL 1581, Section Figure 4. Long term thermal test results
1060 or optional the flame test VW-1 acc. to UL 1581, Section A product life cycle of 25 years can be expected for this solar cable.
1080. Based on RHW-2 the flame test FT-2 acc. to UL 1581, Insulation and jacket are easily removable. All materials used in the
Section 1100 is also required. cable are in conformance to European RoHS-directive.
Table 2 compares some important parameters and tests of both
standards against each other.
Table 2. German Specification versus UL 4703
Parameter DKE [2] UL 4703 [3]
Based on RHHW /
Cable Type Solar Cable
USE-2
Cold Bend /
-40°C -40°C
Cold Impact
Hot pressure
+140°C +121°C
Test
Ageing Test +150°C +121°C
Humidity Test 1000h / 90°C / 85% rel. Not required
Dynamic Ambient temp.,
Not required
Penetration 150N * √
UL 1581 sec. 1060
Fire UL 1581 sec. 1080
IEC 60332.1.2
Performance UL 1581 sec. 1061
UL 1581 sec. 1100
EN 50267-2
Halogen free Not required
EN 60684-2
Weathering /
HD 605 S1/A1 UL 1581 sec. 1200
UV-Test
Therefore, another cable construction will be necessary to meet the
UL-requirements. Figure 5. The developed cable in different cross-sections

International Wire & Cable Symposium 153 Proceedings of the 58th IWCS/IICIT
There are two versions available signed by ink-jet printing for Following his graduation as Diplom-Ingenieur of electrical
positive and negative polarity. The dimension range is from 2,5mm² engineering at RWTH Aachen Jörg Bör started his professional
(overall diameter 4,5mm) up to 35mm² (overall diameter 11,0mm), career as a design engineer at a German cable manufacturer. His
other cross sections are available upon request. activities there focus on the further development of symmetric
The described solar cable is named Lütze THERMOFLEX Solar copper data cables with transmission characteristics specified up to
XPE. It has passed all the described tests and was certified by the the gigahertz range. Furthermore he developed optical data cables.
VDE testing and certification institute according to the discussed
Afterwards he worked in a cable factory as head of development
specification [2]. It is registered at VDE by Reg.-No. 8293
and technology, later as cable development manager. Currently,
Another solar cable type using AWG conductor sizes has been Jörg Bör is Product Manager Cables at Friedrich Lütze GmbH &
developed according to UL 4703 [3] and is currently/actually in the Co. KG.
certification process.
Besides this he teaches in the institute of further education of the
7. Conclusions German engineers’ society (VDI). Furthermore, he worked in two
There are different standards for solar cables in different countries. subcommittees of the German electro technical standardization
The requirements are very high, but they differ due to the various body, for fibre optic cables and for flexible power cables.
national philosophies in respect to safety and reliability issues as
well as market and subvention aspects. Stefan Grunwald
The determining factors in this application are external conditions, Stefan Grunwald
which do not depend on national laws and can depend only few on Product Manager
local aspects. Therefore, a standard in the future will be established Lutze Inc.
by international market acceptance. 13330 South Ridge Drive
Due to the different requirements and philosophies in each Charlotte, NC 28273
individual standard, one cable cannot satisfy both standards at the Tel.: +1-704-248-5310
same time. In order to meet these standards and not to compromise Fax: +1-704-504-0223
the performance of the cable, one type of cable is needed to satisfy [email protected]
the requirements of the German specification and another cable type www.lutze.com
is needed to satisfy the UL requirements.
Stefan Grunwald started his career as a technician in machine
8. Acknowledgments building and automation for a large Norwegian manufacturer of
We thank all our colleagues working in this project and supporting woodworking equipment. After Graduation from Fachhochschule
us in the preparation of this paper, namely Mrs. Sari Gregson and Hannover he started a new professional career in technical
Mr. Helmuth Schubnell. documentation for a German Manufacturer of railroad safety
systems. He resides in the United States of America since 8 years
Especially we thank the IWCS committee for giving us the
and is now the Product Manager for cable and cable accessories for
opportunity to present this paper, and the IWCS staff for the
Lutze Inc. with almost 7 years of experience with Lutze in the field
outstanding support and coordination.
of industrial automation cables.

9. References
[1] “Renewable Energy, Industry Overview”; Ilona Hirtz
Merrill Lynch, Aug, 2007 Ilona Hirtz
Product Manager
[2] “Requirements for Cables for PV Systems”, Kabelwerke Villingen GmbH
DKE WG 411.2.3, Feb, 2008 Am Krebsgraben 3/1
[3] “Photovoltaic Wire”, UL subject 4703, D-78048 Villingen-Schwenningen
Underwriters Laboratories, Jun, 2005 Tel.: +49 7721 20617-18
Fax: +49 7721 20617-90
10. The Authors [email protected]
www.kwv-vs.de
Jörg Bör
Jörg Bör
Product Manager Cable
Ilona Hirtz did an education in metal industry and worked
Friedrich Lütze GmbH & Co. KG
afterwards few years in this job. When she finished her graduation
Bruckwiesenstraße 17-19
as a process engineer she started working in quality assurance, later
D - 71384 Weinstadt
she worked as a quality manager. In 2008 she closed her second
Tel.: +49 7151 6053-274
study as an industrial engineer and changed within the company to
Fax: +49 7151 6053-6274
the product management.
[email protected]
www.luetze.de Since 2001 she works in the cable industry at Kabelwerke Villingen
GmbH.

International Wire & Cable Symposium 154 Proceedings of the 58th IWCS/IICIT