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Multi-system sol-arks to ATS wiring?

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Jrv8984

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I have a 400A service to my property (small farm, milling machine, lathe, welders, band saw)

I'm trying to work up a wire diagram utilizing a 400a ATS, 2 - 12k sol-ark inverters 26KW array, and a 4kw ac coupled enphase array.

Ideally i want my solar arrays powering both of my 200A main breaker panels regardless of grid connection.

I want to leave the 4kw ac coupled array connected to 1 of the main breaker panels, i do not want to connect it to the sol-ark inverters.

The generator will be hooked up to the standby side of the ATS, but will be controlled by the Sol-Arks to charge the batteries if needed.

So the question then is where do i connect the the sol-arks to the service.
Bring the load out and grid connections from the sol-ark breakers into a bypass transfer switch. Then connect that to either the ATS terminals, or line side tap inside the ATS on the wires going to my main breaker panels?
 
Jrv8984 said:
I have a 400A service to my property (small farm, milling machine, lathe, welders, band saw)

I'm trying to work up a wire diagram utilizing a 400a ATS, 2 - 12k sol-ark inverters 26KW array, and a 4kw ac coupled enphase array.

Ideally i want my solar arrays powering both of my 200A main breaker panels regardless of grid connection.

I want to leave the 4kw ac coupled array connected to 1 of the main breaker panels, i do not want to connect it to the sol-ark inverters.

The generator will be hooked up to the standby side of the ATS, but will be controlled by the Sol-Arks to charge the batteries if needed.

So the question then is where do i connect the the sol-arks to the service.
Bring the load out and grid connections from the sol-ark breakers into a bypass transfer switch. Then connect that to either the ATS terminals, or line side tap inside the ATS on the wires going to my main breaker panels?
Click to expand...
I have 2 Sol-Ark 12kw
Also have a 400 amp service. 2 x 200 amp panels.

I had to capture both panels with a Manual 400 Transfer switch.

If I were you and wanted to use Sol-Arks to do this then I would would do what Niktak11 said.

Get 2 15kws.

Run service entrance straight into those and route power from there.
Using 12ks works but more equipment and headache that way.
 
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Biasjo said:
I have 2 Sol-Ark 12kw
Also have a 400 amp service. 2 x 200 amp panels.

I had to capture both panels with a Manual 400 Transfer switch.

If I were you and wanted to use Sol-Arks to do this then I would would do what Niktak11 said.

Get 2 15kws.

Run service entrance straight into those and route power from there.
Using 12ks works but more equipment and headache that way.
Click to expand...
Are you sure the service is 400a and not 320a. Most meters can only do 320. Anything higher usually needs a CT.
 
Bkord said:
Are you sure the service is 400a and not 320a. Most meters can only do 320. Anything higher usually needs a CT.
Click to expand...
Did I ask the power company ? NO

Are there 2 x 200 amp service panels providing power to the house and shop? YES

Did the county Inspector say it was 400 amp? YES

It has a FlexNet 530x Meter.


It could be anything. I just know what I see and have been told.
We were required by code to put in a 400 amp transfer switch.
 
Isn't a 320A meter typically what you get with a "400A" service? 80% of 400A is 320A continuous.
 
Technically it is a 320 amps, but they call it a 400amp service. I already have the 2 - 12 k sol-arks, so the 15k is out.
 
After my meter base, i feed a 400A manual disconnect, that feeds the 400A ATS.

I was thinking that i could connect the load out breakers from the sol-arks to a line side tap between the ATS and my main breaker panels.

Then i could connect the grid breakers from the sol-arks to a line side tap coming into the grid connection on the ATS.

With the enphase array connected through the main breaker panel, they should keep working when the grid is down because they are seeing power from the sol-arks.
 
Jrv8984 said:
Technically it is a 320 amps, but they call it a 400amp service. I already have the 2 - 12 k sol-arks, so the 15k is out.
Click to expand...
It’s not much different just more transfer switches and Disconnects.

Since I can’t see how far away your feeds, boxes, Ect are I can only tell you what we did.

Service Entry runs into Transfer switch.

Load side of Transfer is 2 x 200 amp panels.

2 feeds of transfer switch are Utility or Solar.

If you want grid assist to the inverters you have to do Line side taps to run power to them with a Fused Disconnect between the taps and Inverter.
I didn’t do this.

We ran the Generator to both inverters that way if batteries low it just kicks on Generator to charge them.

I assume you can put in another service entrance rated transfer switch prior to the second one to be able to feed the second transfer switch with either Generator or Utility.

Your 4k AC already in the panel would be the grid for Sol-Arks to sync too.

That way you can run it all via Any source you want.
 
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This drawing is what i was initially thinking!
Attach0_20220823_093802.jpg
@Biasjo
I'll try to draw up how you installed your system based on your description.
 
Jrv8984 said:
This drawing is what i was initially thinking!

@Biasjo
I'll try to draw up how you installed your system based on your description.
Click to expand...

Does that show grid input to SolArk is hard wired to 400A Knife blade switch (fused or unfused?)?
Output of SolArk goes to two load panels, which can be switched by ATS onto grid?

Minor issue, if output of SolArk goes to input of SolArk, it might confuse that with being fed by grid. I've done that with my SMA inverters, but have a manual disconnect.

Major issue, SolArk will produce 120/240VAC with its own independent frequency/timebase, and trying to stuff power into the utility grid running off a different timebase therefore out of phase. Guess who wins??
 
I wish i had known about the 15k inverters being released, that would have definitely simplified this install. I purchased the 12k's over a year ago, but between life the shutdown, shoulder surgery, and the solar installer who was mentoring me passing away, i havent made any headway, other than mounting the components.

Ok, so

The 400A knife blade disconnect is fused. (I picked up the disconnect and the 400A ATS for a song and a dance, otherwise i would have just bought an ATS with a built in service disconnect)

Yes, it shows a hard wired connection from the inverter grid breakers to the utility connection inside the ATS.

I may have misunderstood, or it may have been explained to me incorrectly that the grid breaker is two way. So, once the inverters sense the loss of the grid, they and the ATS disconnect from the utility. This energizes the inverter load breakers.

As I'm typing this out i realize that with the inverter connected on the utility side of the ATS, the ATS may not disconnect 1st.
 
Not only will ATS not disconnect SolArk from grid, my concern is it will connect grid to SolArk's "Load" side. That is usually a recipe for blown inverters, and possibly electrocuted linemen.


This picture shows a simple system with utility fed to Sol-Ark "Grid" input, and "Load Out" going to a panel with protected loads.
The backup panel shown will never connect "Load Out" to utility grid.
Your setup, while different, should accomplish the same.

Typically a transfer switch would connect either grid or generator to breaker panel. In your case could be grid or SolArk, allowing you to bypass SolArk for repair. Because SolArk has "Gen" input it may make sense to connect generator there.

1661269334650.png
 
With the shown wireing everything in the purple box is powered from the solarks. so 400a of panel pulling from ~67a of output.

My .02, separate about 80 amps worth of critical loads and put those in their own box powered by the solarks. (this is likely going to mean pulling most of the heavy shop equipment off the inverters because they lack the overhead to start such loads under nominal operation)
 

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Jrv8984 said:
I wish i had known about the 15k inverters being released, that would have definitely simplified this install. I purchased the 12k's over a year ago, but between life the shutdown, shoulder surgery, and the solar installer who was mentoring me passing away, i havent made any headway, other than mounting the components.

Ok, so

The 400A knife blade disconnect is fused. (I picked up the disconnect and the 400A ATS for a song and a dance, otherwise i would have just bought an ATS with a built in service disconnect)

Yes, it shows a hard wired connection from the inverter grid breakers to the utility connection inside the ATS.

I may have misunderstood, or it may have been explained to me incorrectly that the grid breaker is two way. So, once the inverters sense the loss of the grid, they and the ATS disconnect from the utility. This energizes the inverter load breakers.

As I'm typing this out i realize that with the inverter connected on the utility side of the ATS, the ATS may not disconnect 1st.
Click to expand...
I guess I should have asked this before.

Are you wanting to use the Sol-Arka as a backup only when grid goes down?

Inverters Primary with grid backup?

Inverters primary with Grid assist.

How much peak power do you draw at any given time?

Me I never draw more than 12kw peak so 2 12 kws is enough.

I’m at work but will try to go over your drawing when I get a chance.
 
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Basically I want to push the power to the grid while its up, and want them as a back up when the grid goes down.
I loose power alot, usually 24hrs for a regular thunderstorm with wind. I haven't been here long enough to experience a larger event.
If i want to run any equipment while the Grid is down, i can start the generator at least to deal with start up loads.
We are pretty frugal with electricity. I couldn't tell you off the top of my head what I draw at peak. But one inverter would have covered the majority of my electric bill.
 
E47BE7F2-020E-4ABC-B9EA-FECC8078945D.jpeg
Ok this is a very rough sketch of how my system is connected.

I run the Generator in the Grid input rather than line side taps from Utility.

It’s very different than what you want.
We will have to come up with a different configuration for you to do what you asked.

From briefly looking at your sketch there are some issues with the ATS.

I’ll try to expound upon that when I get time.
 
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schmism said:
I'm still stuck on less than 80 amps of inverter running 400amps of panel.... But hey, not my system to fail...
Click to expand...
You are not pulling 400 amps.
It’s just rated for 400 amps..

That’s why it’s important to do energy audit first.


Most amps I ever pull peak is 50.

You have 100 amps with 2 12ks.
 
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