In response to the growing need for energy, the renewable energy industry in general, and that of solar energy in particular, have seen the development of new technologies capable of receiving energy from the environment in order to be redistributed "naturally" to the electricity grid.
The African continent contains the stake and especially of these capacity in solar energy makes a lot of effort in this field of renewable energy.
As solar cables are present in large quantities in these new technologies, LINT TOP AFRICA CENTER offers its African partners in particular and throughout the world in general complete turnkey solutions for the manufacture of these types of cables to equip the largest solar power plants in all of Africa.
LINT TOPAFRICA CENTER provides its partners with the supply of the equipment necessary for production, the supply of the specific raw materials necessary and above all the know-how to produce these cables.
In this context, LINT TOPAFRICA CENTER periodically publishes useful information relating to this subject and which can be of great use to its partners:
How to choose your solar wiring
On an isolated site, electrical energy is generally produced in the form of low voltage direct currents (12, 24, 48V). Since this energy is relatively expensive in terms of the investment required to produce it, it is necessary to minimize losses in the installation, from production to consumption. In addition to the inevitable losses due to electronics (regulation, and especially DC-AC conversion) and storage (Peukert factor = rate of return of stored energy, it is approximately 0.9 for a new battery of good quality, and decreases with time and wear), most often significant energy losses are due to poor wiring (notably insufficient cable sections), and/or insufficient quality of connections.
Generally speaking, the cables recommended on the DC side are flexible tinned copper (stranded), the copper having the best price/conductivity ratio, and the stranded characteristic helps to ensure optimum quality connections, thus minimizing the losses of energy by voltage drop.
In principle, we will try to keep the voltage drop between the solar panels (or the wind turbine) and the batteries at a level below 5%.
There is a mathematical relationship between:
* The voltage drop, denoted "dU", expressed in %
* The section of cable used, denoted "S", expressed in mm²
* The distance to be traveled, noted "D", expressed in m
* The current flowing in the cable, denoted "I", expressed in A
* The current voltage, denoted "U", expressed in V:
S = (3.4 x D x I) / (dU x U)
It is therefore easy to calculate the minimum cable section that must be respected between the generator (solar or wind) and the batteries, for a given voltage drop. The results are shown in the attached table.
It is easy to realize, from the formula or the table, that the same quantity of energy can be transported, without increasing losses, with a cable of smaller section (therefore less expensive), simply by increasing the tension. This explains why, for high power installations, we opt for a voltage of 24V, or even 48V.
The type of solar cable
In general, solar cables are specifically dedicated to the connection of photovoltaic panels. These are generally made of tinned stranded copper. Copper is naturally the material offering the best quality/price ratio on the market. The multi-strand guarantees an optimal quality of connection between the different elements. Thanks to all this, voltage drops are avoided as much as possible (because voltage drops must not exceed 5%) as well as the losses of stored energy.
The length of the photovoltaic cables
The length of the cables is certainly the most important aspect to consider. Indeed, cables that are too long or too short can be the source of several malfunctions. They can cause overheating that can damage your photovoltaic installation. Or voltage drops that reduce your energy efficiency. To choose the right length, you will have to take into account the distance between the different elements of your installation as well as the voltage and the intensity of the current carried.
The section of the solar cable
The section of the solar cables is calculated according to the intensity of the current (A) which passes through the cable as well as the distance to be covered. The standard section of a solar cable is generally between 4 mm² and 6 mm². This is suitable for most installations. Some, however, may require larger sections.
As standard, solar cables with a section of 4 and 6 mm² are used and suitable for practically all cases. When the distances are longer, the different sections can go up to 10 mm², 16 mm², 25 mm² and 35mm².
Construction of solar cables
- Concerning the constitution of the conductive Core of the solar cables: The wires of the conductors must be made of copper coated with a continuous layer of tin, class 5 and in accordance with the standard EN 60228 in force.
The maximum diameters of the wires constituting the conductors of the solar cables must comply with the standard EN 60228 in force.
- With regard to the nature of the inner insulation layer of solar cables: The material constituting the insulating layer must be a cross-linked Compound without halogen and low smoke emission (LSZH)
- For the outer sheath: The material constituting the insulating layer of the solar cables must be a cross-linked Compound without halogen with low smoke emission also (LSZH)
The temperature of the solar cable when in use
- Maximum temperature of the conductor of a solar cable: + 90 ° C.
- Short circuit temperature of a solar cable: + 250 ° C 5 sec.
- Solar cable installation temperature: -25°C to +60°C
- Working temperature of a solar cable: -40°C to +90°C.