There is one question that often comes up when preparing an outdoor installation: what characteristics does a cable management system need to continue performing properly twenty or thirty years from now?
The answer may seem obvious: it must withstand UV radiation, rain, corrosion and cold conditions in order to protect the cabling. But that only covers part of the problem.
Over the service life of the installation, cabling may be exposed to pollutants and environmental agents, and may even suffer damage caused by maintenance work (such as vegetation clearance) or by animals, mainly rodents and birds. These factors act on the cable management system over many years and affect cable trays, covers, supports, cable ties and cables in different ways. Durability therefore depends both on the performance of each component and on the system’s ability to retain its function over time.
At Unex, we are dedicated exclusively to the development and manufacture of innovative insulating cable management systems for electrical, telecommunications and air-conditioning installations. We formulate our own raw materials, design our products and manufacture them. This control over the entire industrial process allows us to achieve enhanced performance for each application, tailor the technical response and offer customised solutions when project conditions require it.
The experience of Raphael Köhrer, co-founder and managing director of Koehrer Solar—a company specialising in photovoltaic projects based in Stuttgart, Germany—shows how this specialisation translates into practice on site. As an Unex customer, he has seen first-hand the importance of selecting each component according to the environment, use and expected service life. His perspective, reflected in this article, helps us identify the conditions that make a cable management solution truly suitable for outdoor use.
Some decisions cross borders once they have proven their value. The story goes like this: before co-founding Koehrer Solar in Germany, Raphael Köhrer trained as a photovoltaic installer in Spain. It was there that he discovered Unex and used our solutions on projects exposed to high temperatures, saline environments and the risk of corrosion. His experience was very positive. In his own words:
“We used your products every day. In heat, with salt in the air, risk of corrosion and all the conditions you can encounter outdoors. The result was outstanding. That is why I took the product with me to Germany.”
This decision stems from one clear idea. An installation designed for 20 years should continue to perform for that entire period. Cables must retain their insulation, position and protection, and remain neatly routed throughout the entire plant.
This broadens the focus beyond modules and inverters. The continuity of the installation also depends on components that can mistakenly appear secondary at the purchasing stage: a cable tie, cover, joint or support. Each contributes to protecting the cabling and, by extension, to the efficiency of the project.
During one intervention, Koehrer Solar was asked to inspect a 17-year-old photovoltaic installation that had stopped operating.
After the inspection, the team found that several white-label cable ties had deteriorated at different points across the plant. Some cables had fallen to the ground and become exposed to rodents. Others had been damaged during maintenance work, particularly by brush cutters. On the roof, part of the cabling had lost its original route and was crossing over itself or resting directly on surfaces where it was exposed to damage.
The reason for the plant shutdown was clear: a cable management problem caused by cable ties with insufficient resistance:
“The installation had stopped working because of a localised cabling problem. As a result, we had to redo the entire cable management system so that the installation was correct, professional and, above all, durable.”
This everyday case shows that the cost of a cable tie can far exceed its purchase price. When one of these components fails after several years, corrective work may require specialist personnel, lifting equipment, removal of deteriorated materials, cable replacement and shutting down the installation. For this reason, product quality is essential.
Köhrer explains it with a very clear example:
“In every product and every way of working, we put quality first. As we have seen, that attention starts even with a cable tie. That is why, when we talk about cable management, Unex is the answer for us: it allows us to design a truly long-lasting photovoltaic installation (…).”
At Unex, we understand the importance of details. We know the power of cable ties and make sure that every component meets the standards required to achieve reliable, safe and long-lasting solutions.
Drawing on our customer’s experience, Köhrer believes that an outdoor installation should be planned from the outset. Before defining the system, the quantity and type of cables, separation between circuits and the specific routing requirements need to be analysed.
In this context, he considers the Unex Configurator useful for bringing these decisions into the project and gathering the components required for installation. The tool makes it easier to select cable trays, accessories and support systems, as well as generating a complete bill of materials. The installer’s judgement continues to guide each decision: site conditions determine the solution.
This experience is also supported by the close customer service he receives. After discovering our products in Spain and continuing to use them in Germany, Köhrer highlights the support he receives on his projects:
“We also have a first-class local contact here in Stuttgart.”
Planning, materials and support are part of the same way of working. Köhrer sums it up clearly:
“For us, quality is present in everything: in people, materials and planning. It is the most important criterion in our day-to-day work.”
This valuable customer experience was shared by Raphael Köhrer in this Unex webinar (in German) on insulating cable management systems for photovoltaic installations. We thank him for his collaboration.
If you have any questions: