Using and Choosing Wire

Solar Power - Free energy from natural resources

Wiring sizes and their usage is so critical that this whole page has been dedicated to it. This is where mistakes can be
easily made, and the consequences of getting it wrong are dire - So make sure your ready for a little detail.

Warnings and disclaimer If you are in any doubt of your own ability then consult a qualified electrician with knowledge of 12 volt
solar systems.

There are quite literally catalogues full of different sizes and types of wire, but there are wires that are better at specific jobs than others
and here we will talk about wiring for 12 volt DC circuits such as are found in cars, caravans, boats, planes and of course solar systems.

Wire Type
Electrical wire will have one of two types of conductor, that's the central metal wire core - the first type is a single stranded conductor
and the second type is a multi stranded conductor.

An example of multi stranded wire is illustrated below - whereas the single core conductor is just one single strand, typically used in
domestic wiring and doesn't need a picture as I am sure you will be familiar with it. Quite frankly you would not be reading this page if
you were not!

Green = Ground
Black = Negative
Red = Positive

The main reason for multi stranded conductors is for installing into systems that may suffer from vibration probably because they are in
equipment that is mobile, such as in aircraft, boats or vehicles to name just a few examples. The benefit of the multi strand is that unlike
the single strand it performs better under continuous vibration. Whereas the single strand wire possibly can weaken and fracture under
those conditions.

Wire and cables are all rated and have a maximum current rating that must not be exceeded.

Wire is rated according to current rating (Amps) that can safely pass along it, the higher the current the thicker the wire. It is critical to
get this RIGHT.

Lets just talk briefly about what can go wrong in principal - if you attach an appliance to an under rated cable (to thin that is - or too
long!) the voltage will drop and then the cable will heat up and eventually may catch FIRE.

OHMS LAW SAYS - When the voltage goes down the current goes up.

Think of your wiring like a piece of plumbing, if you tried to force water under pressure through a pipe and then tried to greatly increase
the flow and pressure, the pipe would eventually burst, and the only solution to this problem is to get a bigger bore pipe and the
problem is solved.

And that is the same for wiring, of course the wires don't quite burst, THEY CATCH FIRE. More or less for example, like the bar of an
electric fire.

Decisions about wire thicknesses are generally related to cost and are closely specified by the professionals, but often for the smaller
projects like solar buying a reel of thicker wire to cope with the biggest current appliance you will be using, and then using it for all other
individual runs to the fuse box can be a beneficial decision and here is why . . .

Voltage Drop
If you have a long wiring run and are wanting to connect a fairly high current (Amps) appliance to the end using a too closely matched
cable then their will be likely a voltage drop!

i.e. if you have a 15 amp appliance and run it through a15 amp wire then you are at risk, allow at least a 35% margin so fit something
like a 25 amp wire. It's all about safety, why under rate, there is only pence in it!

So what exactly is happening to the wrongly and too closely matched 15 amp cable, putting it simply it is warming up enough to cause
the voltage to drop, maybe not enough to catch fire, but we all know what direction we are now heading in! So go bigger on the wire
thickness than you need. Now you see how cost can come into the equation, if you had a big circuit to specify you would be upping and
downing the wire thickness to save some money. Also remember that if you add any new appliances later on, you must consider their
current ratings in relation to your wire rating you used originally. It's all about common sense!

Example: How do you find out the current (Amps) of an appliance?

Wire For Solar Panels
How to choose and use the right wires with your solar system.
Solar wire types (also known as solar panel wire and pv wire) refers to the type of wires used to
connect your solar panels with the rest of your photovoltaic system.
Choosing the right wire for your solar energy system is critical to it's functioning
properly and remaining undamaged. If you get this wrong and choose a pv wire too small for
your pv system, your battery bank may not charge fully and as a result your appliances might
not work as well or at full power.
Solar Wire Types
Electrical wire (which is the same exact thing as solar panel wire) is categorized mainly based
on it's conductor type. If it has a single metal wire core, it's a single stranded conductor and if it
has a multiple wire core, it's a multi stranded conductor. These are the two basic wire types.
The difference between a single stranded conductor and a multi stranded conductor is that the
multi stranded performs better in continuous vibration environments such as mobile applications
in cars, boats, planes and trains.
The one strand conductor type wire is most commonly used in domestic wiring and should be
okay for your solar system, however if your area is prone to consistent and extremely high
winds, you may want to consider wire types with a multi stranded conductor as it is more flexible
thus more durable.
PV Wire Ratings
The wires used in solar systems are rated by their Amps. This is the maximum amount of amps
that can travel through that wire and this rating must not be exceeded.
Basically, the higher the current (amps) your solar system is rated at, the thicker the pv
wire has to be. If your system produces 7 amps, you will need 7 amp wire (actually it's better to
go a little higher like 9 or 10 amp wire, just to make sure you can handle the current).
If you mess up and use wire rated at less amps than your solar system produces, the voltage
will drop, your solar panel wire will most likely heat up and eventually may even catch fire
causing damage to your solar energy system and your home. You can learn more about
staying safe while working with solar power by clicking here to go to the Solar Safety section of
our website.
Think of your electrical wire like a plumbing pipe. If there is too much water pressure (amps)
flowing through it, it will burst. Therefore you would need to get a bigger pipe (wire) that can
handle the pressure (amps) produced by your system.
Solar Wire Thickness
Thicker pv wire costs more than thinner pv wire because it can handle more amps. When
choosing the thickness of your wire, you can go one of two ways. A little thicker for safety or just
thick enough but vulnerable to sudden power surge.
A great way to go about choosing the wire thickness for your solar system is to buy solar panel
wire big enough to cope with the biggest current (amp) drawing appliance you have and using
that wire for all the other runs to the AC breaker panel. Use a wire sizing calculator for solar
arrays that will figure out the size of wire you need.
PV Wire Length
Along with having to use pv wire rated at the right amps, you must also take into account the
length of your solar wire. By this we mean that if your pv wire is longer than average and
connected to a high current appliance, you will need wire with more (higher) amps. Otherwise,
there may be a voltage drop and a fire.
For example: If you had a 20 amp appliance and you used a 20 amp wire of considerable
length, you would be at risk of a voltage drop. To prevent this from happening increase the size
of the pv wire to at least a 35% margin, so for the above example, use 27-30 amp wire to be
safe.
The longer your wire is, the higher the amp rating on your wire needs to be, so don't be shy to
go a little thicker in the name of safety.
Also, using thicker wire can insure that potentially high current (amp) appliances bought in the
future will be more likely to handle the current. There is no harm in preparing for the future now,
especially if it's going to save you having to upgrade to thicker wires later.
Here's an example to illustrate how length affects amp rating.
Let's say your solar panels / battery bank produced 7 amps and you were using a wire length of
4.6m. This is starting to get lengthy, so add a 35% safety margin which is:
7 + (35% of 7) = 9.45 amps
Therefore, you would need 10 amp wire.
If you run pv wire that's even longer, you can use the chart below to determine the necessary
wire thickness based on amp rating and wire length.
PV Wire Gauge Guide
Here is a guide to choosing the right wire gauge (thickness) for your amp rating plus your wire
length.
To determine the size of solar wire needed, just look at the AMPS in the left column and select
the amp rating of your solar system. Next follow the same row over to the approximate length of
pv wire you will be using. Then, follow the column up to the yellow box at the top which will be
the AWG number wire you'll need. AWG is a system of labeling wires that has been used for
many years in the USA. AWG numbers get smaller, as the wire length increases.

AWG 12 10 8 6 4 2
3mm 5mm 8mm 13mm 21mm 32mm
AMPS

4 Amps 7m 11.1m 17.7m 28.2m 44.9m 71.4m

6 Amps 4.6m 7.4m 11.8m 18.8m 30m 47.7m
8 Amps 3.5m 5.6m 8.8m 14.1m 22.5m 35.7m
10 Amps 2.8m 4.4m 7.1m 11.3m 18m 28.5m
 12 Amps 2.3m 3.7m 5.9m 9.4m 14.9m 23.7m
14 Amps 2m 3.2m 5.1m 8.1m 12.8m 20.4m
16 Amps 1.7m 2.8m 4.5m 7m 11.2m 17.8m
18 Amps 1.6m 2.5m 4.0m 6.3m 10m 15.9m
20 Amps 1.4m 2.2m 3.6m 5.6m 9m 14.3m
25 Amps 1.1m 1.8m 2.9m 4.5m 7.2m 11.4m
30 Amps 0.9m 1.4m 2.4m 3.7m 6m 9.5m
35 Amps 0.8m 1.29m 2m 3.2m 5.1m 8.1m
40 Amps 0.7m 1.1m 1.8m 2.8m 4.5m 7.1m
One important thing to note is that, while all wire used for individual runs from the breaker panel
to the appliances must be able to handle the amps of that appliance, the wire from the battery to
the rest of your photovoltaic components must be able to handle the total amps of all the
individual runs, plus at least 35% more. You can learn more about the various photovoltaic
components needed in a solar energy system by clicking here to go to the Photovoltaic
Components section of our website.
Also, keep in mind that it's better and much more affordable to try and use solar wires that are
shorter in length rather than to have to buy very thick (and expensive) wire to compensate for
unnecessary length.
Please consult with a certified electrician to verify that you have chosen the right solar wire
types for your entire solar power system before connecting any wires.
If you stick to these rules and basic safety pre-cautions to choosing the right solar wire type and
thickness, you will definitely improve your effectiveness and efficiency as well as reduce your
chances of causing damage to your solar energy system.
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