A solar cable (or PV cable) is a cable designed specifically for photovoltaic systems — it carries direct current (DC) from the solar panels to the combiner, inverter and the rest of the installation. It is built very differently from ordinary house wiring because of where it has to live: outdoors, on a roof, for 25 years or more.
That means a PV cable has to withstand intense and prolonged ultraviolet (UV) exposure, ozone, a very wide temperature range (commonly rated from about −40 °C up to +90 °C or higher), rain, and general weathering — all while remaining flexible and electrically safe. Such cables are typically double-insulated and use cross-linked, halogen-free insulation, often produced by electron-beam (e-beam) cross-linking for extra durability, and are built to standards such as EN 50618, IEC 62930 or TÜV/UL specifications.
Because of these demands you should never substitute ordinary indoor wire for a PV cable on the DC side of a solar array — see why outdoor and rooftop runs need special cable. Many solar cables are elastomeric (rubber-like) for flexibility and heat tolerance; our note on elastomeric cables explains that family.
APAR — through APAR Industries — is among India's largest manufacturers of solar/renewable cables, supplying products built to applicable global standards. For the cables used in a typical rooftop system, see which cables are used for rooftop solar installations, or contact us to discuss a specific requirement.