Solar panel wires shorted togather

[John1397]

I have a solar panel rated 20 volts and 6 amps power comes in on 4 12 gauge copper wires 2 for ground and 2 for positive and it is 50 feet long if positive and negative are shorted togather will the wire get warm?

 

[Asymptotic]

I have a solar panel rated 20 volts and 6 amps power comes in on 4 12 gauge copper wires 2 for ground and 2 for positive and it is 50 feet long if positive and negative are shorted togather will the wire get warm?

Yes, wire temperature will increase.

 

[CWatters]

I think a 12 gauge wire will carry 20A so two wires 40A. The short circuit current from your PV array isn't likely to be much greater than the rated 6A so yes the wire will get warmer but I don't think it would fail.

 

[berkeman]

if positive and negative are shorted togather will the wire get warm?

Is there a reason you are asking this? Do you anticipate some condition where the wires could get shorted?

 

[jim hardy]

If there's a battery at their far end, and that battery discharges backward into the short circuit, yes you might make some trouble.

 

[John1397]

I want to ground both positive and negative to ground this is mounted on a tall tower and when lighting strikes this will give a path to ground.

 

[berkeman]

I want to ground both positive and negative to ground this is mounted on a tall tower and when lighting strikes this will give a path to ground.

It's going to be kind of hard to draw power out of a shorted solar panel, no?

Instead, ground the - side and use a TVS from + to ground to protect the + side.