Sol-Ark 15K All in One Inverter Released.

[niktak11]

Real time monitoring would be a massive improvement over the 5 minute updates

 

[niktak11]

Does the battery SoC reset to 0% every time you turn it off for you guys too?

Also, is everyone else having issues with the app and online portal? I've been having problems for 3-4 hours now.

 

[robby]

I had my First Look at a 15K today. I happened to be calling the Solar store not far from my house about an eFlex battery when the Secretary said to me oh by the way my Boss is bringing in a few 15K units this evening, would you like to see one.

I gave him a call and he said he would be bringing them in just after the store closed.
I got there a few hours later and they had unpacked three of them from the truck. Like a little kid I was buzzing around asking him if he is not planning on opening one of the boxes and taking a look. He actually seemed a bit disinterested, I think he had done very little research as he said it was probably just going to be the same as the 12K.
Anyway we open up the Box and he is a bit intrigued, he screws down the top mounting bracket to a beam on a section of wall that has hosted at least 50 inverters in the past and then we lift it out and put it on the wall.

His first reaction is a bit Meh but when he opens the lower cabinet and see's the wiring he lights up like a kid and starts getting pretty excited. After 5 minutes he declares that he is taking one home to replace his 12K. He starts going on about using the smart load to charge his Tesla and is really excited about the 200A breaker and all the heavy duty wiring inside plus the extra MPPT which he declares will provide the power for his Tesla while the rest powers his home.

I had a great time and we talked for a good 90 minutes about Solar Equipment while his crew unloaded about 100 Canadian Solar panels into the warehouse.

OK so here is my question and his one concern. Where are the Fans? There is no vents on the sides and we could not see them from the top vents nor the bottom vents so they must be between the heatsinks. His concern was servicing them in the future! He said he likes the 12K design because he can just remove a dead fan without messing with the Inverters installation but with this one he will have to pull the unit completely out to get to the Fan. Anyone actually seen the Fans and how they are mounted?

 

[Balthazar-B]

Where are the Fans?

Someone at Sol-Ark will probably tell you if you call them. Or Engineer775, who may have taken one apart by now.

 

[Lt.Dan]

I vaguely remember something about them moving the fans to blow air vertically instead of out of the side, so that they can stack more 15k's closer side by side without blowing hot air at each other. I think it was on Engineer775's video is where I actually saw that.

 

[Danke]

I vaguely remember something about them moving the fans to blow air vertically instead of out of the side, so that they can stack more 15k's closer side by side without blowing hot air at each other. I think it was on Engineer775's video is where I actually saw that.

Yep, only need 2” spacing now instead of the 6” for the 12k.

 

[SolarHead]

How easy (or hard) is it to get to and replace a dead fan in the 15K ?

 

[Wet1]

I'm guessing nobody on the forum has had one apart to see what's required to replace the fans... I'd think a call to SA might be in order to get the answer.

 

[Balthazar-B]

I'm guessing nobody on the forum has had one apart to see what's required to replace the fans... I'd think a call to SA might be in order to get the answer.

It would be helpful to have the specs on the fans as well. They may not be identical to what's in the 12K, and there could be an opportunity to upgrade them either before initial installation or if any need to be replaced in the future.

Speaking of Engineer775, he was installing a couple of 15Ks at customer sites this week, so he may be posting some interesting videos on YouTube before not much longer.

 

[robby]

From what I could see with a flashlight the Fan is buried down near the center of the unit.
Unlike the 12K your going to have to take all the wiring off of the unit and remove it from the wall and hopefully when you remove the back plate it is accessible.

 

[Lt.Dan]

From what I could see with a flashlight the Fan is buried down near the center of the unit.
Unlike the 12K your going to have to take all the wiring off of the unit and remove it from the wall and hopefully when you remove the back plate it is accessible.

Ouch. I hope not.

 

[robby]

Really nice and clean design in the lower half. The wiring is so beefy.

 

[Balthazar-B]

From what I could see with a flashlight the Fan is buried down near the center of the unit.
Unlike the 12K your going to have to take all the wiring off of the unit and remove it from the wall and hopefully when you remove the back plate it is accessible.

How's the track record with Sol-Ark fans? Given the origin of the hardware, I have to think the fans are of a standard size and spec, and if they're not already the most sturdy/quiet/effective, that it would not require an engineering degree or more than a few dollars to swap them out for the best ones available. That is, if Sol-Ark has not done so already before delivery to US destinations.

 

[Lt.Dan]

I wonder if its advantageous to get in there and put in a high quality 60,000 hour fan before the unit gets installed? As I type that, I realize you are probably going to void the warranty though...

 

[robby]

I wonder if its advantageous to get in there and put in a high quality 60,000 hour fan before the unit gets installed? As I type that, I realize you are probably going to void the warranty though...

I would not do it. I suspect that Sol-Ark already put a high quality fans in the unit that will last for at least 10 years.
At the same time it would be nice to know that when the time comes to replace them it will be easy to do.
On the other hand in ten years these Inverters might be so primitive that a Fan replacement might not even be worth while. We might all be looking to upgrade to the Version 5 model that has some wiz bang new features.

 

[Balthazar-B]

I would not do it. I suspect that Sol-Ark already put a high quality fans in the unit that will last for at least 10 years.
At the same time it would be nice to know that when the time comes to replace them it will be easy to do.
On the other hand in ten years these Inverters might be so primitive that a Fan replacement might not even be worth while. We might all be looking to upgrade to the Version 5 model that has some wiz bang new features.

True dat.

 

[chess-equality]

*EMP Option expected Q4 or later*

Very nice deterrent to The Matrix sentinels (or to the everyday neighbor's noisy boombox ?)

 

[Lt.Dan]

I would not do it. I suspect that Sol-Ark already put a high quality fans in the unit that will last for at least 10 years.
At the same time it would be nice to know that when the time comes to replace them it will be easy to do.
On the other hand in ten years these Inverters might be so primitive that a Fan replacement might not even be worth while. We might all be looking to upgrade to the Version 5 model that has some wiz bang new features.

If I have to update in 10 years I'm gonna be pissed lol. Hopefully our technology just gets more efficient and my system will be overkill and last for atleast 20 years, preferably 30. I want it to be my children's problem haha

 

[Hedges]

"! 0V shown on solar: + and - may be backwards."

They know their customers!

 

[robby]

"! 0V shown on solar: + and - may be backwards."

They know their customers!

You can just imagine how many times people must have done this if they actually went to the trouble of printing it on the connection board. ?