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UL 4703 · XLPE · 600 / 1000 / 2000 V · sunlight resistant · NEC 690
UL 4703 PV Wire — Photovoltaic Cable
Sunlight-resistant XLPE photovoltaic wire in the 600 V, 1000 V and 2000 V classes, rated 90 °C wet and dry — the listing NEC Article 690 expects on a North American array.
2000V
DC, 2 kV class
+90°C
wet and dry
XLPE
75 mil wall
14 AWG–4/0
copper
UL 4703 (Ed. 2) RHW-2 / USE-2 available Sunlight resistant Sample orders available
PV WIRE · UL 4703
UL 4703photovoltaic wire
XLPEcross-linked polyethylene
600 / 1000 / 2000 Vone construction, three classes
+90°C wetand up to 150°C dry
NEC 690PV source and output circuits
Key Specifications
The essentials, at a glance
The numbers a North American PV installer checks first — and the one rating that decides whether the wire can sit in the sun.
2000V
DC, 1 kV / 2 kV class
+90°C
wet and dry
XLPE
75 mil at 1 kV / 2 kV
14 AWG–4/0
copper, to 1000 kcmil
Sunlight
resistant, NEC 690.31
−40°C
cold bend
Product Overview
The PV wire a US plan review expects
UL 4703 covers single-conductor, sunlight-resistant photovoltaic wire rated 90 °C, 105 °C, 125 °C or 150 °C dry and 90 °C wet, at 600, 1000 or 2000 V, for the interconnection wiring of grounded and ungrounded PV systems as described in NEC Article 690, Part IV. That sentence is the whole product. If the project is reviewed against the NEC, this is the standard the reviewer opens.
The construction is a stranded annealed copper conductor under a single wall of cross-linked polyethylene. The wall is 1.90 mm (75 mil) at 1 kV / 2 kV for 14–12 AWG, 2.15 mm (85 mil) at 8–2 AWG and 2.66 mm (105 mil) at 1–4/0 — thicker than a building wire because the same insulation has to survive two decades of direct sun, thermal cycling and, on a floating array, permanent immersion risk. The 600 V version uses a 1.52 mm (60 mil) wall and is a different order line, not a derated one.
Two ratings are often confused. Sunlight resistance is not a coat of paint on the jacket; it is a test sequence on the finished wire, and UL 4703 requires it as part of the listing. Direct burial is a separate permission that comes from a USE-2 listing, not from UL 4703. A PV wire that is only UL 4703 can be exposed on a rack; it may not be buried. Most North American PV wire is therefore supplied triple-rated — PV to UL 4703, RHW-2 to UL 44 and USE-2 to UL 854 — one extrusion, three permissions.
Ampacity follows NEC Table 310.16 at the 90 °C column: 40 A for 10 AWG, 55 A for 8 AWG, 75 A for 6 AWG. The table is the starting point, not the answer. Conductors in a raceway on a roof take the ambient adder of 310.15(B)(2); conductors in free air take the correction of 310.15(B)(1); and NEC 690.8(B) requires the conductor to be sized at 125 % of the continuous current before any of that. The wire is not the constraint on most arrays — the correction stack is.
The line that matters commercially: a UL 4703 datasheet does not satisfy a European specifier, and an EN 50618 datasheet does not pass a US plan review. They are parallel systems that happen to look alike. If the destination is the US, Canada or Mexico, this is the page; if it is Europe, the H1Z2Z2-K range is the correct one, and we supply both.
More about the manufacturer: About SORIVO →
Key Features
Eight things that matter on a PV wire order
UL 4703, Not “PV Cable”
“PV cable” is a description; UL 4703 is a listing. The standard names the voltage classes, the temperature classes and the sunlight requirement, and a plan reviewer checks the print legend against it. A datasheet that says “PV cable, TÜV” is answering a different question.
Sunlight Resistant by Test
UL 4703 lists sunlight resistance as part of the wire, not as an accessory. The insulation has to survive the exposure test on the finished construction — a black jacket and a UV stabiliser in the compound are not the same thing as a passing result.
2000 V for 1500 V Strings
The 2 kV class exists because a 1500 V DC string at −10 °C can sit well above its nominal voltage, and the NEC wants the conductor rated for the system, not for the label. Using a 1 kV wire on a 1500 V array is the mistake that gets a system red-tagged.
Thick Wall, Deliberately
75 mil at 1 kV / 2 kV against 60 mil at 600 V. The extra wall is mechanical and environmental — abrasion on a rack, thermal cycling, and years of UV — not extra dielectric strength for its own sake.
Triple-Rated Construction
PV (UL 4703), RHW-2 (UL 44) and USE-2 (UL 854) on one extrusion. The RHW-2 listing covers wet and dry raceway work; the USE-2 listing is what makes direct burial permissible. Confirm the print legend per size — not every maker lists all three.
−40°C Cold Bend
Cold bend tested to −40°C. On a winter commissioning, wire that cracks at a bend radius fails the inspection before the array ever energises.
Copper to 1000 kcmil
14 AWG to 4/0 AWG from stock tooling, and the same construction quoted to 1000 kcmil for combine and inverter runs. Aluminium is available in the same standard; we quote copper unless the design says otherwise.
Stated With Its Correction
Ampacity is published with the NEC stack that applies to it — 310.16 at 90 °C, the 125 % continuous rule of 690.8(B), and the ambient correction for a rooftop raceway. A bare “55 A” with no conditions is not usable on a drawing.
Applications
Where UL 4703 PV wire goes
Every conductor in a North American array that is exposed, wet, or both.
01
PV Source Circuits
Module-to-module and module-to-combiner leads on the rack, exposed to sun and weather, sized per NEC 690.8(B) at 125 % of continuous current.
02
PV Output Circuits
Combiner-to-inverter runs in conduit or cable tray, where the ambient correction and the rooftop adder both apply and usually decide the size.
03
Rooftop and Carport Arrays
The worst case: high ambient, reflected heat from the membrane, and a raceway close to the roof surface.
04
Ground-Mount and Tracker
Long exposed spans on single-axis trackers, where flexibility at the moving joint and UV resistance both matter.
05
Direct-Burial Laterals
Where the USE-2 rating is carried on the print legend — buried conduit-to-combiner runs with no raceway.
06
Floating PV
Continuous immersion risk means the wet rating and the wall thickness are the specification, not an afterthought.
07
Battery and DC Coupling
DC-coupled storage interconnects in the same 1500 V class, run in the same tray as the array wiring.
08
Repowering and Retrofit
Re-stringing an older array where the existing wire is 600 V PV cable and the new inverters run a higher DC voltage.
Technical Specifications
Full specification sheet
The complete parameter set — the same data our engineers quote from.
Table 1 1 kV / 2 kV class — dimensions, weight, resistance and ampacity
| AWG size | Strands count | Conductor dia. mm | XLPE insulation mm (mil) | Overall dia. mm | Weight kg/km | Max. DC resistance 20°C, Ω/km | Ampacity 90°C, A |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14 | 7 | 1.83 | 1.90 (75) | 5.6 | 53 | 8.61 | 25 |
| 12 | 7 | 2.16 | 1.90 (75) | 6.0 | 66 | 5.43 | 30 |
| 10 | 7 | 2.72 | 1.90 (75) | 6.5 | 88 | 3.41 | 40 |
| 8 | 7 | 3.40 | 2.15 (85) | 7.7 | 130 | 2.14 | 55 |
| 6 | 7 | 4.29 | 2.15 (85) | 8.6 | 183 | 1.35 | 75 |
| 4 | 7 | 5.41 | 2.15 (85) | 9.7 | 265 | 0.848 | 95 |
| 2 | 7 | 6.81 | 2.15 (85) | 11.1 | 391 | 0.534 | 130 |
| 1/0 | 18 | 8.53 | 2.66 (105) | 13.9 | 617 | 0.335 | 170 |
| 2/0 | 18 | 9.55 | 2.66 (105) | 14.9 | 754 | 0.266 | 195 |
| 3/0 | 18 | 10.74 | 2.66 (105) | 16.1 | 927 | 0.211 | 225 |
| 4/0 | 18 | 12.07 | 2.66 (105) | 17.4 | 1140 | 0.167 | 260 |
The highlighted 10 AWG row is the most common module lead. The 600 V version of the same sizes uses a 1.52 mm (60 mil) wall at 14–12 AWG — a thinner insulation and a different order line, not the same wire rated down. Ampacity is NEC Table 310.16 at the 90 °C column for not more than three current-carrying conductors in a raceway or cable at 30 °C ambient; on a PV circuit the 125 % continuous-current rule of NEC 690.8(B) and the ambient correction apply on top, and the corrected value is what goes on the drawing. Dimensions and weights are the manufacturer's published values and are nominal.
Table 2 Construction and performance parameters
| General Information | |
| Product Name | UL 4703 PV Wire — photovoltaic cable, XLPE insulated |
| Product Type | Single-conductor, sunlight-resistant PV wire; available triple-rated PV / RHW-2 / USE-2 |
| Size Range | 14 AWG – 4/0 AWG copper (quoted to 1000 kcmil); aluminium in the same standard |
| Primary Standard | UL 4703 — Photovoltaic Wire (Ed. 2) |
| Further Standards | UL 44 (RHW-2) and UL 854 (USE-2) where the construction is triple-rated; ASTM B3 / B8 for the conductor; NEC Article 690 |
| Certification | UL 4703 listing for the size ordered — confirmed against the certificate before the order, not assumed from the family |
| Rated Voltage | 600 V / 1000 V / 2000 V classes, per the listing of the size |
| Conductor | |
| Conductor Material | Soft annealed stranded copper (bare or tinned); AA-8000 series aluminium on request |
| Stranding | 7-strand to 2 AWG; 18-strand at 1–4/0 (Class B / compact) |
| Max. DC Resistance @20°C (10 AWG) | 3.41 Ω/km |
| Max. DC Resistance @20°C (8 AWG) | 2.14 Ω/km |
| Insulation | |
| Insulation Material | XLPE — cross-linked polyethylene, single wall |
| Insulation Thickness | 1.90 mm (75 mil) at 14–12 AWG; 2.15 mm (85 mil) at 8–2 AWG; 2.66 mm (105 mil) at 1–4/0 — 1 kV / 2 kV class |
| Insulation Thickness (600 V) | 1.52 mm (60 mil) at 14–12 AWG — separate order line |
| Overall Diameter (10 AWG) | 6.5 mm (1 kV / 2 kV class) |
| Weight (10 AWG) | ≈ 88 kg/km (1 kV / 2 kV class) |
| Available Colours | Black standard; red, blue and other colours to order |
| Electrical Ratings | |
| Ampacity (NEC 310.16) | 10 AWG: 40 A at 90°C / 8 AWG: 55 A / 6 AWG: 75 A — not more than three current-carrying conductors in a raceway or cable, 30°C ambient |
| PV Circuit Sizing | NEC 690.8(B) — conductor sized at 125 % of the continuous current before ambient correction |
| Corrections | NEC 310.15(B)(1) ambient and 310.15(B)(2) rooftop adder; 310.15(C)(1) where more than three current-carrying conductors share a raceway |
| Referenced Article | NEC Article 690, Part IV — Wiring Methods (the scope clause of UL 4703 points here) |
| Temperature & Environmental | |
| Temperature Rating | +90°C wet and dry; UL 4703 also permits 105°C, 125°C and 150°C dry classes — this construction is the 90°C class |
| Cold Bend | −40°C |
| Sunlight Resistance | Required by UL 4703 and part of the listing — not an added jacket property |
| Direct Burial | Permitted only through a USE-2 (UL 854) listing on the same construction; UL 4703 alone does not authorise burial |
| Oil Resistance | Per the RHW-2 listing where the construction carries it |
| Packaging & Logistics | |
| Packaging | Coil / spool / reel; 500 ft, 1000 ft and 2500 ft reels standard |
| MOQ | 1 reel; cut lengths negotiable |
| Lead Time | 7–20 working days |
Final selection should be based on string voltage at the lowest expected temperature, continuous current, the installation method (free air, raceway, buried), the ambient at the array, and the listing actually held by the size ordered. Send us the string data and we will confirm the voltage class and the ampacity stack.
Certificates & Standards
Verify before you buy — we make it easy
UL 4703 PV Wire
Photovoltaic wire to UL 4703, Ed. 2 — the listing a US plan review opens against NEC Article 690. Certificate of conformity available on request.
Request certificate copy →RHW-2 / USE-2
Where the print legend carries them, the same wire is a wet-location RHW-2 to UL 44 and a direct-burial USE-2 to UL 854. Confirm the legend for the size before a buried run is designed.
Request test report →Sunlight & Cold Bend
Sunlight resistance is part of the UL 4703 listing; cold bend to −40°C and RoHS compliance apply to the construction. Reports provided with the quotation.
Request test report →Transparency note: a UL 4703 listing is held per construction and per size, and the RHW-2 / USE-2 ratings are separate listings carried on the same wire. We confirm all three on the print legend of the size you order rather than describing the family in general terms.
Quality & Factory
Made in a real cable factory, tested before it ships
Every reel of PV wire is extruded, cross-linked and released against the applicable UL 4703 requirements.
- 1Incoming material control — copper rod and XLPE compound are checked before the line starts. On a wire that will spend twenty years in the sun, the compound batch is the product.
- 2In-line process monitoring — strand count, conductor diameter, wall thickness and concentricity are tracked through extrusion and curing.
- 3Routine electrical tests — spark test on line, then finished-wire voltage and conductor resistance against 3.41 Ω/km at 10 AWG and 2.14 Ω/km at 8 AWG.
- 4Batch documentation — resistance, wall thickness, reel length and test records are retained for every batch, and the print legend is verified against the listing before packing.
19+
countries served
60+
building & industrial projects
100%
routine test before shipment
How to Order
From inquiry to loaded reel in 5 steps
Send Inquiry
Tell us the size, the system voltage (600 / 1000 / 2000 V), the length, and whether the run is exposed, in raceway or buried.
Confirm Construction
We confirm the wall thickness, whether the triple rating is available on that size, the print legend, and the quotation — within one working day.
Sample Evaluation
Sample for qualification, with the print legend photographed on the actual wire.
Bulk Production
7–20 working days lead time, with batch test documentation.
Delivery & Support
Reel packing, export documents and after-sales support on installation questions.
FAQ
Questions buyers ask before ordering
No, and they are not interchangeable. H1Z2Z2-K is an EN 50618 designation used in Europe for 1.5 kV DC PV cable; UL 4703 is the North American photovoltaic wire standard referenced by NEC Article 690, with 600 V, 1000 V and 2000 V classes. The conductor is expressed in AWG rather than mm², the approval body and the plan-review route are different, and a datasheet from one system will not satisfy a reviewer working in the other. If your project spans both, order both — we supply the H1Z2Z2-K range as well.
When the system is a 1500 V DC array. A string rated 1500 V at 25°C rises above that at low temperature, and the NEC sizes the conductor for the system voltage rather than the label. A 1 kV wire on a 1500 V array is a red tag. For 1000 V and 600 V systems the 1 kV or 600 V class is correct — buying 2 kV for a 600 V array is money spent on nothing.
Only if the construction carries a USE-2 listing to UL 854. UL 4703 by itself permits exposed and raceway installation as described in NEC 690.31, not burial. Most North American PV wire is triple-rated PV / RHW-2 / USE-2 precisely so that one reel covers the rack, the conduit and the buried lateral — but the rating is per size, so check the print legend rather than assuming it.
One extrusion carrying three listings: PV (UL 4703), RHW-2 (UL 44) and USE-2 (UL 854). Practically it means the same wire is acceptable on the rack, in a wet raceway, and underground. It is the reason a distributor can stock one item for a whole array. We confirm which of the three is marked, and on which sizes, before the order is placed.
Start with the continuous current of the string, multiply by 1.25 per NEC 690.8(B), then divide by the ambient correction factor from 310.15(B)(1) — and by the rooftop adder of 310.15(B)(2) if the raceway runs close to a sun-exposed roof — and finally read the 90°C column of Table 310.16. On a hot roof this stack, not the table, is what moves a run from 10 AWG to 8 AWG.
Because the wall is thinner: 1.52 mm (60 mil) at 14–12 AWG against 1.90 mm (75 mil) for the 1 kV / 2 kV class. Different insulation thickness means a different extrusion and a different order line. Treating 600 V as “1 kV wire, cheaper” is how a project ends up with a wire that does not match the drawing.
The listing is a test result on the construction, not a coating with a service life. What ages in the field is the polymer, and the failure mode is cracking at a bend or at a tie, not a gradual loss of rating. That is why the cold bend result matters as much as the UV result: a wire that survives twenty summers but cracks at −10°C on installation day has failed.
Yes, in the same UL 4703 standard, AA-8000 series alloy. It is normally chosen for long combine runs where weight and cost dominate. The ampacity and the termination requirements differ from copper, so send the design and we will quote the correct conductor rather than substituting one for the other.
Need a sample of UL 4703 PV wire?
Tell us the size, voltage class and length — we reply within one working day.
Get a Free Quote
Send your PV wire requirement
The more detail you give, the faster and more accurate our quotation. Our engineers reply within one working day.
- Size (AWG or kcmil) and total length per reel
- System voltage: 600 V, 1000 V or 1500 V DC (2 kV class)
- Installation: free air on the rack, raceway or tray, or direct burial
- Whether the print legend must carry RHW-2 / USE-2 as well as PV
- Destination market, and the code edition the project is reviewed against
Inquiry received
Thanks — our engineers will reply within one working day.
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