Solar cable buying checklist: what to confirm before you order

PILONE CABLES TECHNICAL TEAM · UPDATED 22 OCTOBER 2026

Before ordering cable for a solar system, get six things from your installer in writing: which run each cable is for, the maximum DC voltage and current, the route length, where the cable will lie, the connectors, and the specification the cable must meet.

This page is the checklist. It does not size the cable; the panel-to-inverter guide and the system-size guides do that. It makes sure the quotation you ask for describes the right cable in the right quantity.

1. Split the system into its runs

A solar system uses different cable on different legs. Order each leg as its own line, because the cable type is different, not just the size.

The usual runs on a grid-tied or hybrid rooftop system, and the kind of cable each needs.
Run	Current	Kind of cable	Where to read more
Panels to inverter (strings)	DC	Single-core solar DC cable, positive and negative separate	Panel to inverter
Battery to inverter (hybrid)	DC, high current	Short, heavy single-core flexible cable	Inverter battery cable
Inverter to distribution board and meter	AC	Multi-core or single-core AC cable	Net metering cable
Panel frames and structure to earth	—	Earth conductor	Solar earthing cable

House wire is not a substitute on the DC side. The DC cable vs AC cable guide explains why, and solar to grid wiring walks through every cable in the chain.

2. The numbers to get from the installer

These come from the panel and inverter datasheets and the layout. Do not guess them from the system's kilowatts; two 10 kW systems can have very different string voltages and currents.

Figures to confirm for each DC run. The installer's design is the source; this list is what to ask for.
Figure	Why it matters
Maximum string voltage (open-circuit, at the coldest expected temperature)	The cable's DC voltage rating must be at least this. Panel voltage rises as temperature falls.
Maximum string current, and whether strings are combined before the inverter	Sets the current the cable must carry; combined strings carry more
One-way route length for each run	Sets voltage drop, and therefore the size
Voltage-drop limit the design uses	A tighter limit needs a larger size on the same route
Installation: open air, conduit, tray, bunched, on a hot roof slab	Current capacity falls with heat and grouping

3. Route length is not the length to order

A DC string needs a positive and a negative cable, so the metres of cable are about twice the measured route, plus an allowance for drops, loops and terminations that the installer should specify. Ask every supplier to quote metres of cable, state the length per coil or drum, and confirm the total. The panel-to-inverter guide covers this in detail, and price per metre, foot or coil puts two quotations on the same unit.

4. Environment: sun, heat and where the cable lies

On a Pakistani rooftop the DC cable lives in direct sun and summer heat for its whole life. Confirm with the installer and the supplier:

whether the cable's outer sheath is declared UV resistant, and for outdoor exposure;
the maximum conductor temperature of the insulation (XLPE types are commonly rated higher than general PVC; see PVC vs XLPE);
how the cable will be supported and protected where it crosses the roof, enters conduit or passes sharp edges;
whether runs will be bunched together, which reduces current capacity.

5. Specification and standard

Purpose-made PV cable is covered by EN 50618 and IEC 62930, which set requirements for single-core cable rated for 1.5 kV DC with resistance to sunlight and heat. Cable marketed for solar is not automatically built to either. Ask the supplier, for each line on the quotation:

Specification lines a solar DC cable quotation should state.
Line	What to ask
Conductor	Copper, class 5 flexible? Plain or tinned?
Nominal size and max resistance	Which mm², and the maximum Ω/km at 20 °C
DC voltage rating	Is it at least the maximum string voltage your installer gave you?
Insulation and sheath	Materials, maximum conductor temperature, UV resistance declared?
Standard	Which standard is declared, and what evidence is available for it?
Outer diameter	Needed to match the connectors (next section)

Pilone's DC cable is described on the DC and solar cable range, where each size page states the rating and construction Pilone declares. Compare that with what your installer's design requires. How to read a cable datasheet explains the difference between a declaration and a test report.

6. Connectors and termination

Most DC connector problems are mismatches. A connector is made for a range of conductor sizes and cable outer diameters; outside that range the seal or crimp may not hold. Ask the installer:

which connector make and series will be used, and the conductor size and cable diameter range it accepts;
that both halves of each joint are the same make and series, as connector makers generally specify;
who crimps them, with which tool, and how the crimp is checked.

7. Documents to keep

Keep the installer's single-line diagram and string details, the cable quotation with the specification for each line, the delivery note, and any datasheet or test document the supplier provides. When the cable arrives, check it against the quotation with the delivery inspection checklist.

Frequently asked

What should I ask before buying solar cable?

Ask your installer which run each cable is for, the maximum DC voltage and current, the one-way route length, how the cable will be installed, and which connectors will be used. Then ask the supplier for the conductor, size, maximum resistance, DC voltage rating, insulation, UV resistance and the standard declared, for each line of the quotation.

How many metres of solar cable do I need?

For a DC string, roughly twice the one-way route, because positive and negative run separately, plus the extra the installer specifies for drops and terminations. Get the route length from the installer and ask suppliers to quote metres of cable, not coils.

Is all cable sold as solar cable the same?

No. Purpose-made PV cable is covered by standards such as EN 50618 and IEC 62930, but cable can be marketed for solar without being built to either. Compare the voltage rating, insulation, temperature and UV declarations, and ask which standard is declared and what evidence supports it.

Can I use normal house wire for solar panels?

Not on the DC side. House wire such as 7/29 PVC is designed for indoor AC circuits, not for a rooftop in direct sun at several hundred volts DC. Use single-core cable made for the DC run, and keep house wire for the AC side where the installer specifies it.

Solar cable lene se pehle installer se kya poochein?

Har run ka maqsad (panel se inverter, battery, AC side), sab se zyada DC voltage aur current, route ki lambai, cable kahan aur kaise lagegi, aur kaunse connector lagenge. Phir supplier se quotation mein size, resistance, DC voltage rating, insulation aur UV ke baare mein likhwa lein.

Send the installer's figures, get one quotation

Send each run with its size, route length and city. We reply with the metres of cable for each line and the specification Pilone declares for it.

WhatsApp the runs