DC Cable Selection & Sizing

Contents
1.0 Intent ......................................................................................................................................................... 2
2.0 DC Solar Cable System Details ........................................................................................................ 2
3.0 DC Solar Cable Sizing: ........................................................................................................................ 3
4.0 DC Power Cable System Details ...................................................................................................... 4
5.0 DC Power Cable Sizing: ...................................................................................................................... 5
6.0 Summary .................................................................................................................................................. 6

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 DC Cable Selection & Sizing

1.0 Intent
This document explains the basis on which 3.3 kV (E) rated DC Power cable selected from
String Combiner Box (SCB) terminal to Inverter DC Input terminal with average cable
length of 260 Meter to maintain average voltage drop up to Inverter input terminal
limited to 1.50 %.

From parallel String output 2 In 1 Out connector to SCB input voltage drop is calculated
0.42% for 6Sq.mm Copper Cable connection.

Voltage Drop from 2 In 1 out connector terminal to SCB input terminal shall be limited to
1.08% using cable 1CX6Sq.mm at SCB input terminal and 1CX300Sq.mm at SCB output
terminal.

This document explains the basis on which 1.5 kV rated DC Solar cable selected from
Array Yard String terminal To String Combiner Box (SCB) with average cable length of 30
Meter to maintain combined voltage drop up to Inverter input terminal limited to 1.5%.

So, Voltage drop from Module terminal to Inverter input terminal shall be limited to
(1.08+0.42) = 1.5%

Technical Parameters Cable Details

1Cx6 Sq.mm, CU, 1.5kV, XLPO

Current Carrying Capacity –57 Amps (For single core cable in conduit surface)

C Resistance@20Deg C–3.39 ohm/km

DC Resistance@90Deg C–4.32 ohm/km

Note: Resistance Calculated at 50 Deg C = [R20 X [1+ {0.00339 X (50-20)}]] Where,

R20 = Resistance at 20 Deg C as per catalogue.

2.0 DC Solar Cable System Details

Voltage Level – 1.5kV

System Fault Level at String Level – 0.3 kA for 1 sec. (max)

Route Length

Length between String Terminals to String Combiner Box – 30 m (Average)

Current Carrying Capacity

Module Capacity – 330W at STC Condition

Nominal Current rating per Module i.e. per String - 8.75 Amps @ STC

Nominal Current per two parallel strings – (8.75X2) = 17.5 Amps @ STC

Nominal Voltage per Module- 37.71V @STC

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 DC Cable Selection & Sizing

Nominal Voltage per string/parallel string – (37.8 X30) = 1134.0V @ STC

Current from Array yard Module String parallel connector terminal to SMB = 17.5 A

Module /String Short Circuit Current = 9.28Amps

Per String Combiner Box Short Circuit Current = 2X 9.28X 16 = 296.96 Amps

System Fault Current at String level for String Combiner box= 300 Amps

3.0 DC Solar Cable Sizing:

Minimum Cable required based on Short Circuit Current

A= (Ish x √t) / k

Where

A is conductor area required (sq.mm)

Ish= Short circuit current in amps

= 300Amps

K = Material constant (143 for Copper)

T = Maximum Fault clearing time (1 Sec)

Note: As String level is Fuse protected circuit, operating time will be very very less.

Minimum Cable Size = 300 *√ 1 / 143 = 2.09 sq.mm

Selected Conductor size for String level = 1C X 6Sq.mm Copper

De-rating Factors

(a)Difference in ground temperature – 1 (for 50 deg. Ambient)

(b)For Grouping-0.41 (for cable touching below ground inside conduit & maximum upto
16 Nos single core cables inside one conduit)

Overall De-rating Factor = 1*0.41= 0.41 (for cable from Module to SCB in Pipe/Air)

Current Carrying Capacity of cable after de-rating of 6 sq.mm Cable= (57 x 0.41) Amps

= 23.37 Amps

No of Run required for carrying the current = (17.5/ 23.37) = 0.748 = 1 Run for 6
Sq.mm

As per above Criteria, we have selected 1C x 6sqmm (per pole) cable for Module to SCB
based on total voltage drop limitation of 1.5% from Module parallel string end terminal 2
In 1 Out connector to Inverter input terminal.

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 DC Cable Selection & Sizing

Voltage Drop Check

1CX6 sq.mm Copper cable:

VD (in volts) = [2 x (I in amps) x (L in km) x (R Ohm per kM)] / (runs)

= [2 x 17.5 x (30/1000) X 3.7866] /1

= 4.37 V

= [(4.536 /1134.0) x 100] %

= 0.39% @ STC String Voltage

Technical Parameters Cable Details

1Cx300 Sq.mm, AL, 3.3kV (E), XLPE (FOR DC Cable Application)

Current Carrying Capacity – 463 Amps (For single core cable in below ground)

DC Resistance@20Deg C– 0.100 ohm/km

DC Resistance@90Deg C– 0.130 ohm/km

Note: Resistance Calculated at 50 Deg C = [R20 X [1+ { 0.004308 X (50-20)}]] Where,

R20 = Resistance at 20 Deg C as per catalogue.

4.0 DC Power Cable System Details

Voltage Level – 3.3kV

System Fault Level at String Level – 6.6 kA for 1 sec. (max)

Route Length

Length between String Terminals to String Combiner Box – 260 m (Average)

Current Carrying Capacity

Module Capacity – 330W at STC Condition

Nominal Current rating per Module i.e. per String - 8.75 Amps @ STC

Nominal Current per two parallel strings – (8.75X2) = 17.5 Amps @ STC

Nominal Voltage per Module- 37.8V @STC

Nominal Voltage per string/parallel string – (37.8 X30) = 1134.0V @ STC

Current from Array yard SCB to Inverter Input terminal = 262.5 A

Module /String Short Circuit Current = 9.28Amps

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 DC Cable Selection & Sizing

Maximum Number of SCB per Inverter = 22 Nos (As per DC SLD)

Maximum Number of String per Inverter = 341 Nos (As per SLD)

Per String Combiner Box Short Circuit Current = 2X 9.28 X 341= 6328 Amps

System Fault Current at String level for String Combiner box= 6600 Amps

5.0 DC Power Cable Sizing:

Minimum Cable required based on Short Circuit Current

A= (Ish x √t) / k

Where

A is conductor area required (sq.mm)

Ish= Short circuit current in amps

= 6600Amps

K = Material constant (143 for Copper)

T = Maximum Fault clearing time (1 Sec)

Note: As Inverter input is Fuse protected circuit, operating time will be very low.

Minimum Cable Size = 6000 *√ 1 / 143 = 41.92 sq.mm

Selected Conductor size for SCB to Inverter = 1CX300 Sq.mm Aluminum

De-rating Factors

(a) Depth of laying of cable below ground -0.98 (at 900mm depth with single layer
laying)

(b) Difference in ground temperature – 1 (for 30 degC. Temperature below ground)

(c) For Grouping-0.74 (for cable touching below ground upto 3 Nos circuit cables in
group)

Overall De-rating Factor = 0.98 x1 x0.74= 0.8232 (for cable from SCB to Inverter below
ground)

Current Carrying Capacity of cable after de-rating of 300 sq.mm Cable= (365 x 0.7252)
Amps

= 264.69 Amps

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 DC Cable Selection & Sizing

No of Run required for carrying the current = (262.5/ 264.69) = 0.991 = 1 Run for
300Sq.mm

As per above Criteria, we have selected 1C x 300sqmm (per pole) cable for SCB output
to Inverter input DC terminal connection.

Voltage Drop Check

1CX300 sq.mm Copper cable:

VD (in volts) = [2 x (I in amps) x (L in km) x (R Ohm per kM)] / (runs)

= [2 x 262.5 x (260/1000) X 0.112] /1

= 16.31 V

= [(16.31 /1134.0) x 100] %

= 1.08% @ STC String Voltage

6.0 Summary
Selected cables size for inter connection between Module terminal 2 In 1 out connector to
String Combiner Box (SCB) is 1 Runs- 1 C X 6Sq.mm, CU, XLPO Cable.

Selected cables size for inter connection between SCB Output terminal to Inverter Input
terminal is 1 1C X 300 Sq.mm , AL, XLPE Cable.

The sizes as mentioned in the document is suitable for continuous & short time current
carrying capacity for Module parallel string end terminal 2 In 1 Out connector to SCB.

1CX6 Sq.mm Copper cable for 2 In 1 out connector to SCB and combination of

1CX300 Sq.mm Aluminum cable for SCB output terminal to Inverter Input terminal.

Drop calculation will be submitted separately (i.e. Combined DC Cable Schedule and
Voltage drop calculation of DC solar Cables from Modules to SCB and corresponding DC
Power Cable from SCB to Inverter).

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