![]() ![]() They neither describe the diameter, gauge or cross sectional surface area of the cable and are just an indicative number applied by cable makers rather than an accurate descriptor of the cable size as you can see from the table below. You therefore waste 17%-20% of your panel output with the wrong size cable.Ĭable makers produce "4mm, 5mm & 6mm - Industry equivalent sizes". There are some brands/panels out there that have 17% voltage drop due to such a small cable. Even if they are honest about the size of their panels (which so many budget brand sellers aren't), they more often than not will have undersized/flimsy cables which means you won't be getting the maximum power out of the panel. Because of this, there is a huge problem with the cheaper panels on the market. Unfortunately, cables can be expensive (as anyone who has hooked up an inverter can attest, a longer cable can often work out to be the same, or more, than the cost of the unit itself!). It is very important to have your cables sized correctly. Whilst amps will stay mostly the same in a DC application, the more the voltage drops away, the lower the watts you get going into your battery. If the cables are too small, you will get significant voltage drop. As you increase cable length, you need to increase the cross sectional area of the cable (mm2). The amps produced won't really change, but the longer the cable to more the voltage drops. Trying to run a panel with an undersized cable can result in significant voltage drop. The lower the number, however, the thicker the cable. Put simply, the B&S/AWG is the standard gauge or size of a cable. This is a great analogy for explaining B&S/AWG cable sizing and voltage drop. Put in a large diameter and away you go! You get the flow you expect. Have you ever tried to drink a thick shake through a skinny straw? Doesn't work very well does it? No matter how much you try you can only get a certain amount through the straw at a time. There is more to solar performance than just the panel. You've done the research and made sure it is actually the number of watts stated and not some fabrication by the manufacturer. The out and back nature of electrical circuits has already been included.So you've bought yourself a panel. These are one-way distances, measured from point A to point B. All distances are in FEETĭo not use any wire sizes that might fall into the red zone - this would exceed the amperage rating of the wire and it may overheat and burn. Make sure the insulation is rated for 600 volts, and that there is no damage to the wire or insulation. HOWEVER - you will have to be more careful about selecting and installing the wiring - high voltage DC is not something you want to do a 2nd rate wiring job on. Generally in these systems loss in wire is nothing to worry about. Some of the newer grid tie systems inverters, such as the Sunny Boy, use up to 600 volts DC. Wire can get expensive, and it may not be worth the money to get that last 1% if you have to go to a much larger wire size. Using a heavier wire than indicated, however, will result in even higher efficiencies and we do sometimes invest in the next larger gauge. This method ensures that wire losses are kept to an acceptable level without spending too much money on extra-heavy cable. At the top of the column find the gauge of wire (#6) that should be used. In the far left column find the next number higher than 9 (which is 10) and follow that line across the table until you find a distance figure greater than 88. These distances include the NEC requirement for current oversizing of 25%.Įxample: For a pump drawing 9 amperes at 24 volts, located 88 feet from the battery bank: look at the center table for 24 volts. For 240 volt 5% loss, double the 120-volt distances. For distances at 48 volts, double the 24-volt distances for a 5 percent loss figure. For a 10% loss multiply the distance by 2. ![]() Five percent is normally acceptable in low voltage systems, but if you want a 2% figure, divide the given distances by 2.5. This is a five percent table which means at these amperage ratings at the listed distances, 5% of the power would be lost to resistance. Includes 12, 24, and 120-volt charts and a metric to AWG size conversion table. What Gauge AWG Wire to Use for Solar Electric Systems Pump Installation Equipment & Accessories.Solar Pump Installation Equipment & Accessories.Solar Pump Controllers & Current Boosters.
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