Why cable sizing matters

Under-sized cable is the most common silent energy loss in residential solar. A 3% voltage drop means 3% less energy reaches your inverter and 3% less income from net metering — every day, for 25 years. On a 5 kW system, that's roughly 200 kWh/year or ₹1,500 lost annually. The one-time cost of the correct cable pays back in under a year.

Standard IEC cross-sections for solar

mm²	AWG	Max Current (DC)	Typical Use
2.5	14	25 A	Panel to combiner
4	12	32 A	Short string runs
6	10	41 A	Medium string runs
10	8	57 A	Combiner to inverter
16	6	76 A	Long runs / 10kW systems

Pair this with the Inverter Size Calculator to confirm the AC output current your cable must handle, and the Panel Azimuth Calculator when finalising your array layout and DC cable runs.