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Solar Panel Cable Size


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Hallo!

So, according to Wiring Unlimited from Victron (https://www.victronenergy.com/upload/documents/The_Wiring_Unlimited_book/43562-Wiring_Unlimited-pdf-en.pdf), if I have a 30Amp PWM and I want to add panels, I need to have a 35mm2 cable when I have 15meters:

image.thumb.png.7d7c0454c8eeeb1eb3542901f6962b31.png

 

But in the same manual, they say Solar Cable is 4mm2 or 6mm2.

The MC4 connecters looks like 4mm2 as well?

So how do I size my cable when I am pulling 30amps over +- 30meters?

 

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On 2023/06/07 at 2:08 PM, McGuywer said:

Hallo!

So, according to Wiring Unlimited from Victron (https://www.victronenergy.com/upload/documents/The_Wiring_Unlimited_book/43562-Wiring_Unlimited-pdf-en.pdf), if I have a 30Amp PWM and I want to add panels, I need to have a 35mm2 cable when I have 15meters:

image.thumb.png.7d7c0454c8eeeb1eb3542901f6962b31.png

 

But in the same manual, they say Solar Cable is 4mm2 or 6mm2.

The MC4 connecters looks like 4mm2 as well?

So how do I size my cable when I am pulling 30amps over +- 30meters?

 

Have your combiner close to the charge controller. Then only use 6mm cable once strings are combined. 

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On 2023/06/07 at 2:08 PM, McGuywer said:

Hallo!

So, according to Wiring Unlimited from Victron (https://www.victronenergy.com/upload/documents/The_Wiring_Unlimited_book/43562-Wiring_Unlimited-pdf-en.pdf), if I have a 30Amp PWM and I want to add panels, I need to have a 35mm2 cable when I have 15meters:

image.thumb.png.7d7c0454c8eeeb1eb3542901f6962b31.png

 

But in the same manual, they say Solar Cable is 4mm2 or 6mm2.

The MC4 connecters looks like 4mm2 as well?

So how do I size my cable when I am pulling 30amps over +- 30meters?

 

This table is for the cable between your battery and inverter and battery fuse. I prefer to spend the couple of R extra to get thicker battery cable due to less losses. The losses will still be there, long after the R150 saved was spent on something else.

I used 6mm² pv cable, even when the string only deliver about 11A max at 220v DC. 

Edited by Vaal
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I used 10mm cable when 12 panels were wired in 6 groups of 2 in series.  The current flow from the panels in full sunshine could be 60 amps.   The owner was using a Solar Charge controller with a low maximum PV voltage input

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