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Sol-Ark 15K grid down question

Tulex said:
OK, I understand that with grid down, the Sol-Ark will not send any power to the grid. My trip up is Benzimidazolone's statement in post 8 that with grid down, the Sol-Ark won't send any power to the main panel.

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Click to expand...
It depends on where the main panel is located.
If between the grid and AIO, it will also lose power.
If after the AIO, it will keep going.
 
timselectric said:
It depends on where the main panel is located.
If between the grid and AIO, it will also lose power.
If after the AIO, it will keep going.
Click to expand...
And that makes sense to me. After talking with Sol-Ark, they basically said that if wired like the example of the main panel coming off the inverter, with grid down, it essentially becomes an off grid system. Everything still runs as normal, it just disconnects internally from the grid.
 
Tulex said:
And that makes sense to me. After talking with Sol-Ark, they basically said that if wired like the example of the main panel coming off the inverter, with grid down, it essentially becomes an off grid system. Everything still runs as normal, it just disconnects internally from the grid.
Click to expand...
Exactly
 
ruralsolar said:
I went the backwards route with my design with the 15K. I moved my high loads to a separate panel that is upstream of the Sol-Ark, grid goes down, they go down, but my main panel on the house once I get batteries will remain powered.
Click to expand...
If you put the high loads on the Gen Input, then it can engergize the high loads when there is excess power.
 
DIYrich said:
If you put the high loads on the Gen Input, then it can engergize the high loads when there is excess power.
Click to expand...
I have my Micro inverters on the gen port. My high loads are on a sub panel fed before the SolArk. They get fed from excess solar which is exported. That excess covers the loads on that panel before exporting the balance to the grid. This assumes that the grid is up. When the grid is down I have no need for those high loads.
 
DIYrich said:
No. In grid down it can disconnect Gen input so high power loads do not sap the battery.
Click to expand...
That sounds like the same result whether the gen port does it or the ATS. The subtle difference may be that one disconnection may be programmable, and using the gen port method you have an option to power those loads of you choose.
 
Benzimidazolone said:
Yes, there is a way.

You need to connect a battery and a critial loads panel. A standard 48v server rack battery will work. You can hook them up in parallel to get as much storage as you want (I have 8, so have 40 kwh of storage). The critial loads panel is typically a smaller panel that is connected to the 'load' output of the Sol Ark. All of your important loads can be moved from your main panel to this small panel. I connected everything in my house to my critical loads panel except for stove, dryer, hot water heater and 4 of 5 AC units. The system works amazingly well. I can turn off my main panel now and everything stays on. The lights dont flicker and even the internet router doesnt notice.

Note that the whole reason Sol Ark (and every grid tied inverter works this way is for safety. You dont want to feed power back through the grid when it is down and electrocute some poor worker is out there working on the lines.
Click to expand...
Augh ! Having the same issue with an 8k+Evault max.
Recent power outage,batt 100% but no power.Forgot ALL about NOT feeding power to main for the safety issue... Augh...dum me!
No CLP.
OK,so the CLP is basically a sub panel with breakers from main but power to CLP comes from Inverter...
Correct ?
 
cj5orion said:
Augh ! Having the same issue with an 8k+Evault max.
Recent power outage,batt 100% but no power.Forgot ALL about NOT feeding power to main for the safety issue... Augh...dum me!
No CLP.
OK,so the CLP is basically a sub panel with breakers from main but power to CLP comes from Inverter...
Correct ?
Click to expand...
correct...the part about about the CLP, not you being dumb (I dont know you well enough to comment on that)
 
It's amazing how sometimes...

You can't see the trees in the forest !

Or is that forest from the trees ?

See what I mean !
 
First of all, I apologize for this long entry, but I want you to clearly understand my whole system situation, and therefore my questions. And I want to THANK YOU so very much for any help you can give me about how this system can work!

I have 2 12K’s in tandem. I have 30 kWh battery bank from Signature Solar feeding both 12K’s. At the moment the grid feeds through a main disconnect to the main electrical panel then to the 12K’s grid connections. Then the 12K’s load connections feed directly to the main panel. That way Solar can serve the total home needs, and feed excess back to the grid to completely eliminate our electrical bill through net metering.

However, when we had a power outage, the 12K’s disconnected the solar, and the battery bank did not serve as a backup for us. So I have some questions.

If I connect the grid first to the grid connections on the 12K’s, and then, connect their load connections directly to the main panel, if we have another power outage, will the 12K’s automatically disconnect from the grid so I don’t electrocute those working on the grid, but will the also 1. Allow the solar to continue working, and 2. Allow the battery bank to back up to supply our electrical needs through our main panel?

When I look at the wiring diagram for 2 - 12K’s, it shows the grid feeding to both 12K’s, and at the same time, to a 200A Bypass Manual Transfer Switch to the main electrical panel. The 12K’s load connections also feed through the 200A Bypass Manual Transfer Switch to the main electrical panel. However, it appears to be an “either/or“ situation. The grid can feed through the 12K’s AND the 200A Bypass Manual Transfer Switch to the main electrical panel, OR, through the 12K’s load connections through the 200A Bypass Manual Transfer Switch to the main electrical panel. If the 200A Bypass Manual Transfer Switch is switched to go directly from the grid to the main electrical panel, I’m not understanding how the solar system can feed our excess solar production back to the grid for credit through our net metering arrangement. Or, if the 200A Bypass Manual Transfer Switch is switched to go from the 12K’s load connections to the main electrical panel then we can feed our excess solar production back to the grid for credit through our net metering arrangement. But if that’s the case, why do we need the 200A Bypass Manual Transfer Switch?

When I look at the wiring diagram for the 15K, it shows wiring without the 200A Bypass Manual Transfer Switch, with the 15K load connection feeding directly to the main electrical panel. No 200A Bypass Manual Transfer Switch needed. However, it also shows another wiring diagram for the 15K, and it shows wiring WITH the 200A Bypass Manual Transfer Switch feeding directly to the main electrical panel, like the 2 - 12K wiring diagram.

So I’m confused. Since it appears that the 15K can work with or without the 200A Bypass Manual Transfer Switch, Is the 200A Bypass Manual Transfer Switch necessary with my 2 - 12K setup? Or, with my 2 - 12K’s, can I use the same wiring arrangement that the 15K uses without the 200A Bypass Manual Transfer Switch? And if I do wire it like the 15K diagram without the 200A Bypass Manual Transfer Switch, Will I then be able to have the credit for our excess solar production through our net metering arrangement? And just as important, if we have a power outage, Will our solar production work, and Will our battery backup work?

THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH for any help you can give me!
 
ronaldsauve said:
I have 2 12K’s in tandem. I have 30 kWh battery bank from Signature Solar feeding both 12K’s. At the moment the grid feeds through a main disconnect to the main electrical panel then to the 12K’s grid connections. Then the 12K’s load connections feed directly to the main panel. That way Solar can serve the total home needs, and feed excess back to the grid to completely eliminate our electrical bill through net metering.
Click to expand...
Only one connection from your main panel to the Sol-Ark. Probably easier to keep the Grid Conneciton. Disconnect the Load connection. Put CT's between the Disconnect switch and the Main Panel.


ronaldsauve said:
If I connect the grid first to the grid connections on the 12K’s, and then, connect their load connections directly to the main panel, if we have another power outage, will the 12K’s automatically disconnect from the grid so I don’t electrocute those working on the grid, but will the also 1. Allow the solar to continue working, and 2. Allow the battery bank to back up to supply our electrical needs through our main panel?
Click to expand...
That is the preferred way. But, you need to disconnect the Grid to the Main Panel. Sol-Ark will then automatically disconnect from Grid and keep supplying Load.

ronaldsauve said:
When I look at the wiring diagram for 2 - 12K’s, it shows the grid feeding to both 12K’s, and at the same time, to a 200A Bypass Manual Transfer Switch to the main electrical panel. The 12K’s load connections also feed through the 200A Bypass Manual Transfer Switch to the main electrical panel. However, it appears to be an “either/or“ situation. The grid can feed through the 12K’s AND the 200A Bypass Manual Transfer Switch to the main electrical panel, OR, through the 12K’s load connections through the 200A Bypass Manual Transfer Switch to the main electrical panel. If the 200A Bypass Manual Transfer Switch is switched to go directly from the grid to the main electrical panel, I’m not understanding how the solar system can feed our excess solar production back to the grid for credit through our net metering arrangement. Or, if the 200A Bypass Manual Transfer Switch is switched to go from the 12K’s load connections to the main electrical panel then we can feed our excess solar production back to the grid for credit through our net metering arrangement. But if that’s the case, why do we need the 200A Bypass Manual Transfer Switch?
Click to expand...
The manual transfer switch is good for when you need to take the Sol-Ark off-line, and want a direct connection to the Grid for the Main Panel. In normal operation, the main panel is supplied by the Sol-Ark. Excess solar will be supplied directly to the Grid by the Sol-Ark.

ronaldsauve said:
When I look at the wiring diagram for the 15K, it shows wiring without the 200A Bypass Manual Transfer Switch, with the 15K load connection feeding directly to the main electrical panel. No 200A Bypass Manual Transfer Switch needed. However, it also shows another wiring diagram for the 15K, and it shows wiring WITH the 200A Bypass Manual Transfer Switch feeding directly to the main electrical panel, like the 2 - 12K wiring diagram.
Click to expand...
You can do that too. You just loose the ability to take the sol-ark off-line and keep the grid connection to the main panel.

ronaldsauve said:
So I’m confused. Since it appears that the 15K can work with or without the 200A Bypass Manual Transfer Switch, Is the 200A Bypass Manual Transfer Switch necessary with my 2 - 12K setup? Or, with my 2 - 12K’s, can I use the same wiring arrangement that the 15K uses without the 200A Bypass Manual Transfer Switch?
Click to expand...
yes, you don't need the manual transfer switch with the 12k's in the "whole home backup" configuration.
ronaldsauve said:
And if I do wire it like the 15K diagram without the 200A Bypass Manual Transfer Switch, Will I then be able to have the credit for our excess solar production through our net metering arrangement? And just as important, if we have a power outage, Will our solar production work, and Will our battery backup work?

THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH for any help you can give me!
Click to expand...
Yes, the sol-ark will send the excess power directly to the grid through the grid connection.
 
DIYrich said:
Only one connection from your main panel to the Sol-Ark. Probably easier to keep the Grid Conneciton. Disconnect the Load connection. Put CT's between the Disconnect switch and the Main Panel.



That is the preferred way. But, you need to disconnect the Grid to the Main Panel. Sol-Ark will then automatically disconnect from Grid and keep supplying Load.


The manual transfer switch is good for when you need to take the Sol-Ark off-line, and want a direct connection to the Grid for the Main Panel. In normal operation, the main panel is supplied by the Sol-Ark. Excess solar will be supplied directly to the Grid by the Sol-Ark.


You can do that too. You just loose the ability to take the sol-ark off-line and keep the grid connection to the main panel.


yes, you don't need the manual transfer switch with the 12k's in the "whole home backup" configuration.

Yes, the sol-ark will send the excess power directly to the grid through the grid connection.
Click to expand...
DIYrich, solar addict, THANKS! ?
 
ronaldsauve said:
At the moment the grid feeds through a main disconnect to the main electrical panel then to the 12K’s grid connections. Then the 12K’s load connections feed directly to the main panel.
Click to expand...
You should not have the Sol-Ark AC inputs and AC outputs connected to the same panel. I wouldn't even expect it to function. It should shut itself down. Unless it's defective.
 
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