Connection different brands of types of connectors may lead to problems. If you don’t know what connectors are built into the module or inverter, there’s a good chance that you’ll connect 2 different types of connectors. Unfortunately, people generally pay a lot of attention to solar modules and inverters, but not enough to cables and connectors. Various connectors spotted at the factories in Asia during quality inspections by team Sinovoltaics Why use an original MC4 connector? Most buyers simply accept whatever connector comes with their solar modules. However, there are plenty of buyers who don’t recognise the original MC4 connectors. Some of our clients specifically ask the factory for the original MC4. And connectors seem to be a topic that few companies really think about. Many PV plant developers encounter problems with the so-called ‘MC4 compatible connectors’. Subcontracting often leads to compromises in quality. Stäubli fully owns all of its production equipment. To the contrary most of their competitors subcontract to other factories for injection, molding of parts, stamping of metal parts or other components. This ensures that all connectors are of similar quality, no matter at which factory the connectors have been produced. All of the factories use exactly the same equipment the same machines adhere to the same standards. Europe is their primary market – the company mainly produces for European projects and businesses, with North America and China housing secondary factories. These days Stäubli produces connectors on three continents Europe, North America, and China. MC stands for Multi Contact and 4 stands for 4 millimetre because the conductor cross section of this contact is 4 millimetre. Stäubli invented the first PV connector back in 1996. Their key focus is on bankability, following the trend for developers to utilise quality components to get their projects financed. The company aims to more than double its production capacity by the end of 2021. As of today the company has 300 GW+ of PV projects connected with their MC4 connectors.
Stäubli has a substantial market share of roughly 50% in the PV connector industry. The company employs approximately 6,000 people. Stäubli is a Swiss, family-owned company founded in 1892 and has three main divisions: textile machinery, robotics products and connectors. > Re-watch the Webinar featuring Stäubli discussing the latest trends in Solar Cabling and MC4 Connectors <<<- Stäubli, the manufacturer of the original MC4 connector You can re-watch the Webinar by clicking on the link below: This article is an extract from the Webinar that Sinovoltaics hosted together with Stäubli on 17 September 2020. In the article we discuss MC4 connectors, the role company Stäubli is playing in the connector market, and the risk of using ‘MC4 compatible’ alternatives. Our team of quality engineers at Sinovoltaics observes on a daily basis the various connectors used at the PV factories in Asia, and we deem it important for PV project developers to understand the importance of using original connectors.
With the current global yearly production of solar modules standing at about 100GW, it also means that every year there are about 50GW of solar modules coming onto the market that feature non-original connectors. Stäubli is the manufacturer of the original MC4 connector and holds nearly 50% of the global market share.
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