To manufacture cable products that can meet the requirements of solar photovoltaic systems, their design must meet the requirements of IEC 62930: ED 1.0: 2017 and BS EN 50618: 2014. In IEC 61140, secondary equipment is defined as double-insulated equipment that does not require safety grounding. Generally, secondary equipment is suitable for electrical appliances such as televisions, DVD players, and power tools. Any electrical appliances that use photovoltaic cable products with secondary equipment should be tested in accordance with BS EN 50618. However, IEC 62930 does not provide for this.
When understanding the specific characteristics and the focus of each standard, the size of the cable conductor should be further considered. Among them, BS EN 50618 only stipulates that the conductor size range is between 1.5 and 240m2, while the allowable range of IEC 62930 is larger, which is between 1.5 and 400m2. Although the diameter of the cable product is large, the size of the conductor may also be small because it is surrounded by insulation, cushion, and steel wire armor.
The main difference between the standards is the materials allowed to be tested. For example, BS EN 50618 only allows the testing of cable products made with LSHF materials. These types of cable products emit lower smoke and corrosive gases when they encounter a fire. In contrast, IEC 62930 allows the testing of materials with or without LSHF, including PVC cable products. When this material burns, it will produce dense smoke and toxic fumes. PVC or modified PVC is more suitable for customer requirements. For example, PVC cable products may be more suitable for transporting electricity from solar panels to water treatment facilities because they have higher chemical resistance than LSHF products.
The heat resistance test is an important part of IEC 62930 and BS EN 50618. The test is designed to determine the service life of the cable, including testing any photovoltaic cable product at a temperature of up to 120°C for 20,000 hours to simulate the performance of the product in operation. The cable products used for heating resistance tests can further help prove the quality of the cable.
