How To Detect Unqualified Photovoltaic Cables? What Kind of Harm Will Be Caused by Direct Use without Detection?

In the eyes of consumers, photovoltaic cables are almost a large category of electrical products used to transmit electric energy generated by solar energy, transmit information, and convert sunlight into electric energy. Then the problem comes, if the poor-quality photovoltaic cables will bury many hidden dangers for the normal operation of the solar power system.

So what is an unqualified photovoltaic cable?

1. The mark is unqualified. Marking is the main way for photovoltaic cables to identify the basic information of products. According to the standards of the wire and cable industry, the logo content of photovoltaic cables is the product model, specification, standard number, factory name, origin, etc. within a certain logo range. When the sign is unqualified, it will mislead the construction personnel and make random instructions, which will cause the construction personnel to lay photovoltaic cables incorrectly, and the consequences will be very serious.

2. The structural size is unqualified. The problem of structural size is mainly the thickness of the sheath and insulation layer of the photovoltaic cable. When the thickness of the sheath layer and insulating layer of the photovoltaic cable is not up to standard, it will seriously reduce the conductor resistance level strength of the photovoltaic cable, reduce its service life, and may cause insulation breakdown in severe cases. The insulation (jacket) layer fails to provide proper protection, leading to electrical shorts and fires.

3. The tensile strength and elongation of the insulating layer of the sheath layer of the photovoltaic cable are not up to standard before aging. It directly shortens the working life of the photovoltaic cable greatly, and during the construction process or in a long-term energized high-temperature environment, the insulation layer is easy to break, resulting in the exposure of the live conductor and the risk of electric shock and short circuit. The main reason for this is that renewable materials are used to reduce the production cost of photovoltaic cables, and the second is small enterprises that do not have production qualifications.

4. The conductor resistance is unqualified. The conductor resistance is mainly an index to measure whether the conductor quality and cross section of the photovoltaic cable are qualified. When the conductor resistance exceeds the standard, it will increase the loss of current and generate heat. The main reason for the unqualified conductor resistance is that in order to produce photovoltaic cables at a lower cost, the manufacturer has reduced the copper material that accounts for 80% of the cost, either reducing the cross-sectional area of the copper conductor, or using excessive secondary copper. And various impurities, etc., causing the conductor resistance of the photovoltaic cable to exceed the standard, in addition to causing fires during use, it will also accelerate the aging of the insulating layer covering the photovoltaic cable.

Consumers should pay attention to the following items in the process of purchasing photovoltaic cables:

First, observe the appearance of the photovoltaic cable. The insulation layer and sheath layer of a qualified photovoltaic cable are soft, tough, and stretchable, and the surface layer is dense, smooth, and free of roughness. If the plastic wrapping the conductor is easy to peel off, there is a problem of insufficient plastic strength. Second, it depends on the cross-section of the photovoltaic cable conductor. The surface of the copper or aluminum conductor inside a qualified photovoltaic cable should have a good luster, and black copper or white aluminum means that it has been oxidized.

Finally, pay attention to checking the quality certificate when purchasing photovoltaic cables. If the material of the photovoltaic cable is qualified, it must be checked again to ensure that there will be no major problems with the photovoltaic cable.