What to pay attention to when choosing cables and connectors?

For the PV system to perform optimally, it is important to use a good quality solar cable in conjunction with the right PV connectors. The solar cable must have a number of properties:

• It must be UV resistant;
• It must be easy to handle on the roof;
• It must be double insulated and of course its resistance needs to be as low as possible.

HIKRA solar cables

The cable we supply is made by Hikra. This solar cable has been especially manufactured for PV systems. We advise against using stranded or solid cables with single vinyl insulation. These are not suitable for the high DC currents or use outside in the sun.

Amphenol & Staubli Multi-contact connectors

A number of conditions also apply to the premium quality Amphenol brand connectors that we supply. These are: use 4 or 6 mm² solar cable as the connectors are not designed for use with 2.5 mm² cable. Always crimp the pin and bush with the designated tools. We regularly see that pins and bushes have been crimped using pliers or suchlike. Obviously this will not create a good connection. Remember that the power that passes through these connectors can easily be 8 Amps x 200 Volts = 1600 Watts. Please note that this is the same power as a small electric heater. If there isn’t a good connection it will get hot and the connector will melt. In the worst case, the connector is mounted on the roof boarding.