When people talk about solar cable safety, most of the attention goes to certification marks —
IEC, EN, TÜV, UL, 2kV DC…
But few will ask a more fundamental question:

“With the same TÜV 2PfG 2954 certification, why do some cables still fail earlier in the field?”

The answer often starts at the core — the conductor.

Under TÜV 2PfG 2954 2kV DC standard, the market today mainly uses three conductor types:

Many suppliers choose Al or CCA to hit a price point — and yes, they can still get TÜV 2PfG 2954.

But certification is a minimum baseline, not a guarantee of long-term reliability under 25-year outdoor operation.

Why KUKA chooses Tinned Copper, not Aluminum or CCA

In PV applications, conductors face combined stresses:

• Continuous DC load

• Moisture & condensation cycles

• UV & temperature swing

• Long-term corrosion risk

Aging always accelerates at the weakest point —
and in cheaper constructions that weak point is the conductor.

Tinned Copper provides:

• Stable conductivity over decades (not just in year 1)

• Robust corrosion resistance in humidity / salt / ammonia

• Lower system losses and heat accumulation

• True 25-year outdoor reliability — not only “certified for sale”

For EPCs and asset owners, this means:

Lower system degradation, fewer failures, and lower O&M cost over the plant’s lifetime.

The wrong question is “Can it pass TÜV?”

The right question is “Will it still be safe after 15–20 years?”

TÜV allows all three conductor types.
Field reality does not.

This is why KUKA CABLE solar cables TÜV 2PfG 2954 use tinned copper exclusively, not aluminum or CCA — by design, not by chance.

Because cables are not consumables.
They are long-term liabilities once buried, crimped, and energized.