National foreword

This British Standard is the UK implementation of EN 50618:2014.

The UK participation in its preparation was entrusted by Technical Committee GEL/20, Electric cables, to Subcommittee GEL/20/17, Electric Cables - Low voltage.

BSI, as a member of CENELEC, is obliged to publish EN 50618:2014 as a British Standard. However, attention is drawn to the fact that during the development of this European Standard, the UK committee voted against its approval as a European Standard.

The main reasons for this negative vote are as follows:

The scope includes statements about the lifetime of the cable in relation to maximum conductor temperature and the number of years of service that may be expected from the cable. While such a performance objective is supported, in the opinion of the UK committee the means of determining such performance are insufficiently robust.
Table B.1 requires the insulation and the sheath materials of the cable to undergo testing for thermal endurance, this being the principal basis for the statements about lifetime expectation. These tests (to EN 60216) are complex, lengthy and specialized. They are of great use for research purposes and for materials development but, if they are to be used for tests on end products, it is necessary to define the sampling, the test temperatures, the test durations and the failure criteria in greater detail than is given in EN 50618. The absence of detail given in EN 50618 provides a high risk of variability of testing within manufacturers, suppliers, test laboratories and certifiers.

The UK committee advise users to be aware of these concerns when applying this standard, particularly in the context of any expectation that a minimum lifetime of 25 years, under any and all exposure conditions, is somehow guaranteed.

A list of organizations represented on this committee can be obtained on request to its secretary.

This publication does not purport to include all the necessary provisions of a contract. Users are responsible for its correct application.

Compliance with a British Standard cannot confer immunity from legal obligations.

This European Standard was approved by CENELEC on 2014-10-27. CENELEC members are bound to comply with the CEN/CENELEC Internal Regulations which stipulate the conditions for giving this European Standard the status of a national standard without any alteration.

Up-to-date lists and bibliographical references concerning such national standards may be obtained on application to the CEN-CENELEC Management Centre or to any CENELEC member.

This European Standard exists in three official versions (English, French, German). A version in any other language made by translation under the responsibility of a CENELEC member into its own language and notified to the CEN-CENELEC Management Centre has the same status as the official versions.

CENELEC members are the national electrotechnical committees of Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey and the United Kingdom.

Foreword

This document (EN 50618:2014) has been prepared by CLC/TC 20 “Electric cables”.

The following dates are fixed:

Attention is drawn to the possibility that some of the elements of this document may be the subject of patent rights. CENELEC shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights.

This standard covers the Principle Elements of the Safety Objectives for Electrical Equipment Designed for Use within Certain Voltage Limits (LVD ‑ 2006/95/EC).

Introduction

This standard specifies cables for use in Photovoltaic (PV) Systems, in particular for installation at the Direct Current (d.c.) side. These cables are suitable for permanent outdoor use for many years under variable demanding climate conditions. Relatively stringent requirements are set for these products in line with the expected harsh usage conditions.

During the writing of this standard the joint work of TC 64 (Electrical installations and protection against electric shock) and TC 82 (Solar Photovoltaic Energy Systems) on the design and installation of PV systems has been taken into account.

1 Scope

This European Standard applies to low smoke halogen-free, flexible, single-core power cables with cross-linked insulation and sheath. In particular for use at the direct current (d.c.) side of photovoltaic systems, with a nominal d.c. voltage of 1,5 kV between conductors and between conductor and earth.

The cables are suitable to be used with Class II equipment.

The cables are designed to operate at a normal maximum conductor temperature of 90 °C, but for a maximum of 20 000 hours a max. conductor temperature of 120 °C at a max. ambient temperature of 90 °C is permitted.

NOTE The expected period of use under normal usage conditions as specified in this standard is at least 25 years.

2 Normative references

3 Terms and definitions

4 Rated voltage

5 Requirements for the construction of cables

5.1 Conductors

5.2 Insulation

5.3 Sheath

6 Marking

6.1 General

6.2 Indication of origin

6.3 Code designation

6.4 Nominal cross-sectional area of conductor

6.5 Continuity of marking

6.6 Use of the name CENELEC

6.7 Additional requirements

7 Requirements for completed cables

7.1 General

7.2 Electrical tests

7.3 Non electrical tests

Bibliography

BS EN 50618:2014

Electric cables for photovoltaic systems (BT(DE/NOT)258)

Current

Published:

31 Jan 2015