Why is Photovoltaic Cable More Expensive than Ordinary Wires?

Photovoltaic cable is a power transmission component designed for solar power generation systems. Its core feature is its durability in complex outdoor environments. Compared with ordinary wires, the premium of this product comes from the systematic upgrade of material selection, process standards and performance dimensions.

The conductor of photovoltaic cable is made of high-purity annealed copper to ensure low resistance stability in DC transmission scenarios; the insulation layer and sheath are made of cross-linked polyolefin composite materials, which form a three-dimensional network molecular structure through electron irradiation process. Ordinary wires are mostly made of thermoplastic polyvinyl chloride, which is prone to molecular chain breakage under ultraviolet and temperature change environments.

Its design includes an anti-ultraviolet additive layer, a water barrier layer and a mechanical reinforcement layer. The multiple composite structures block the water penetration path and resist wind vibration and friction damage. However, the single-layer structure of ordinary wires lacks a coordinated protection mechanism and is difficult to adapt to long-term outdoor exposure.

Photovoltaic cable needs to pass the internationally accepted certification test sequence, covering extreme working conditions such as long-term wet and hot aging, salt spray corrosion, and ultraviolet accelerated aging. The certification cost and testing cycle are significantly higher than the conventional safety test of ordinary wires.