10K PV and Solark Install

[solardad]

I got the Cadweld kit and did it today. I have an inspection tomorrow.
It's ugly but the original wasn't anything to look at either.
I'll put a plastic pipe over it. And I have broken pavers to arrange around it.
The orange wire is cable and it's not connected to the ground rod. The cable ground is connected to the ground wire.
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Here's the new ground rod. I'm burying the orange cable too.

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This is my AC disconnect and rapid shut down. I have a sign to attach above the RSD

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My stuff isn't very exciting but it functions well so far.

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@ArthurEld looks good. For the rapid shutdown switch (yellow) what type of wire did you use to connect to the inverter?

 

[ArthurEld]

@ArthurEld looks good. For the rapid shutdown switch (yellow) what type of wire did you use to connect to the inverter?

I used doorbell wire. It's about 20 AWG solid

 

[ArthurEld]

I passed! ?

On to the interconnection agreement and bidirectional meter.

 

[Sanwizard]

I finally got my system delivered from AltE.
The main items I am installing are 30 Q Cells 330W solar panels and a Solark 12K hybrid inverter.

I am going to start by mounting the Solark and a 10 circuit Reliance Switchbox.
The new switchbox will go in place of the 6 circuit box there now.

The Solark will go between the new switchbox and the light switch. There will only be 3" between each box and 3" between the Solark and the light switch.
In order to have the Solark display at close to eye level, the bottom of the Solark will be even with the bottom of the light switch.

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I bought the same cells from the same place! They look great. Saved $400 in shipping by picking them up at their Massachusetts location. Nice folks at ALT-E, great prices too. I could not afford the solark, so went with MPP LV6548.

 

[ArthurEld]

My bi directional meter was installed today. The electric company didn't do an inspection.
The permit inspection was good enough for them.

I am fairly sure I can turn on grid sell remotely but I want my wife to be home when I do it.

 

[Sanwizard]

My bi directional meter was installed today. The electric company didn't do an inspection.
The permit inspection was good enough for them.

I am fairly sure I can turn on grid sell remotely but I want my wife to be home when I do it.

Congrats! Big day.

 

[DerpsyDoodler]

Awesome! congrats!

 

[ArthurEld]

I finally got around to turning on grid sell.
The display showed over 5000W going out to the grid.

It will be interesting to find out if all of our loads will be covered.

I think I should be pretty close. Extra would be better since we plan to add an electric car or 2.

 

[GXMnow]

Do you have a battery bank on the Sol-Ark?

 

[ArthurEld]

I currently have a 48V 100Ah AGM battery connected.

And it is not being cycled.

 

[ArthurEld]

I think the 5000W actually isn't all going out to the grid. The Solark doesn't see my A/C taking part of that.

 

[GXMnow]

100 amp hours is a bit small, not worth cycling that. My Chevy Bolt based battery is rated at 360 Amp Hours, I cycle about 80 - 120 amp hours in and out every day to use only solar power during the 4 pm to 9 pm peak time of use rate. Lately, I have also been having the battery just keep powering my backup loads until it runs the battery down to 51 volts. Last night that ran past 2 am. Pushing 5,000 watts out to grid is a lot. Your NEM agreements is for 9.9 KW so you are all good. As I dial mine in, I was checking the So Cal Edison usage to see how much I am really pushing to grid or using to set my charge and invert current. Any load in my main panel is not being metered by either my Enphase solar or the Schneider insight. So I have the same issue. I could be pushing 2,000 watts to my main panel, but still be buying power from SCE if my A/C is running. I am very torn about moving the AC into my backup loads panel. I would still shut it down during a power failure, but having it there, the XW inverter would know to increase it's current from the batteries to run the A/C, and back up as soon as it stopped again. The problem is my pass through current coming from the main panel for the starting surge. Right now it is only on a 20 amp breaker, but I did run #8 awg wire. The A/C needs a 40 amp breaker for starting, but once running, the steady current is just 14 amps.

 

[ArthurEld]

I would like to have my A/C on the Solark but it isn't recommended.
The problem is that if I overload the Solark it turns off and all of my critical loads lose power.

We plan to run a window A/C in one room if needed.

 

[GXMnow]

I hope to add a mini split to my upstairs room. The cool air should fall down the stairs for the rest of the house. A 12K or 18K BTU unit should run fine off of the Schneider XW.

 

[Rossall]

Congrats on the system up and running!!!
Are you using the "CT's" on you main lines from the Grid. My sol-ark has been in the "Limited to Home Mode" for the last 2 1/2 months. I have been running my whole house including Central Air and Swimming Pool pump without any problems. I use the "limited to home mode" to "Off Set" my grid use, I do not sell back to the grid. My average daily grid use is only 4-6kw a day. I could reduce that amount but there appears to be a bit of what I will call "Buffereing" when my heavy loads turn off. By using the limited to home mode I use the grid to off set the inrush current of my 5 1/2 ton Central AC unit. Once the central AC is running the Sol Ark has no problems providing all the power necessary. The unit has been an amazing piece of technology. As a side note the Clothes Dryer has a bigger spike then the Central AC.

 

[Hedges]

Are you using the "CT's" on you main lines from the Grid. My sol-ark has been in the "Limited to Home Mode" for the last 2 1/2 months. I have been running my whole house including Central Air and Swimming Pool pump without any problems. I use the "limited to home mode" to "Off Set" my grid use, I do not sell back to the grid. My average daily grid use is only 4-6kw a day. I could reduce that amount but there appears to be a bit of what I will call "Buffereing" when my heavy loads turn off.

What fraction of your available PV production is curtailed to avoid export to grid?
For both this "zero-export" operation and for off-grid, controlling loads to make use of power when produced would reduce the need for battery storage to accomplish the same.

Because I have a variable-speed pool pump, one of my ideas was to adjust that to match production. Dimmers for resistive loads would be another, but difficult to find heavy enough for heating elements.

 

[ArthurEld]

Congrats on the system up and running!!!
Are you using the "CT's" on you main lines from the Grid.

Yes

My sol-ark has been in the "Limited to Home Mode" for the last 2 1/2 months. I have been running my whole house including Central Air and Swimming Pool pump without any problems. I use the "limited to home mode" to "Off Set" my grid use, I do not sell back to the grid. My average daily grid use is only 4-6kw a day. I could reduce that amount but there appears to be a bit of what I will call "Buffereing" when my heavy loads turn off. By using the limited to home mode I use the grid to off set the inrush current of my 5 1/2 ton Central AC unit. Once the central AC is running the Sol Ark has no problems providing all the power necessary. The unit has been an amazing piece of technology. As a side note the Clothes Dryer has a bigger spike then the Central AC.

Your Solark will shut off if the grid goes down. I realize your use is different than mine and if that works for you then that is great.
I want uninterruptable power in all cases for my critical loads.

My A/C is 3.5 ton and my solar can more than cover the electricity. I might put a soft start on it and try to connect it to the Solark some day.

I have an interconnection agreement so I have no problem with selling to the grid. The electric company knows I could export as much as 9000W to the grid. And I have net metering so everything I export I can take back for free aside from the $15/ month connection charge.

It wouldn't make sense for me to use "Limit to Home" because the interconnection agreement in FL is a good deal. The grid is very convenient and reliable 99% of the time.

 

[Rossall]

The Sol Ark is flexible. I spilt up my main electrical panel, a "sub panel" that has all my 110/120 loads. (aka my critical loads panel) and the main panels is all my 220 loads. We have a less friendly "Net Metering" set up. The base fee is $35.00 (almost double our base fee) and we only get about a 1/3 of the cost credited for sell back. So, I would have to produce 3x more power to break even. They also have some odd Max usage fee if you use more then X kw's. (They can charge several $dollars per KW used). Our Grid is very stable, so not really worried about it.
There is only a couple months a year that we run the A/C. The Sol Ark from what I have experienced is more than capable of running a significant number of electrical loads simultaneously. This year my plan will be to either set up dual 3.5 tone A/C units, or Multi-Zone Back up Mini-Split...... OR.... Add a Second Sol Ark.... Kinda depends on the out come of our Local "Lottery"....

The great thing is, once the system is set up and fine tuned for your individual application.... It Just Works !!!!

I am just a beginner, only been involved in solo for 6 months...... so I look forward to your updates.

 

[GXMnow]

If the utility will give you back anything for export, why not take it rather than curtail power? I am putting what I can into my battery, and then running on that as the sun goes down, but what I can't take from the solar still exports. I get about 20 cents per KWH out, vs 23 cents to buy off peak, and the battery run everything in my house when the price is 43 cents.

 

[ArthurEld]

The Sol Ark is flexible. I spilt up my main electrical panel, a "sub panel" that has all my 110/120 loads. (aka my critical loads panel) and the main panels is all my 220 loads. We have a less friendly "Net Metering" set up. The base fee is $35.00 (almost double our base fee) and we only get about a 1/3 of the cost credited for sell back. So, I would have to produce 3x more power to break even. They also have some odd Max usage fee if you use more then X kw's. (They can charge several $dollars per KW used). Our Grid is very stable, so not really worried about it.
There is only a couple months a year that we run the A/C. The Sol Ark from what I have experienced is more than capable of running a significant number of electrical loads simultaneously. This year my plan will be to either set up dual 3.5 tone A/C units, or Multi-Zone Back up Mini-Split...... OR.... Add a Second Sol Ark.... Kinda depends on the out come of our Local "Lottery"....

I have been thinking about the possibility of adding another inverter too. But I am fairly sure @Hedges and others around here would recommend something other than the Solark for handling loads like A/C. From what I gather, inverters with transformers are better at handling surges. I will be constantly thinking of ways to improve my system. DIY is forever.

But, like you, I am thrilled to death with what I have already.

The great thing is, once the system is set up and fine tuned for your individual application.... It Just Works !!!!

That was my reasoning for buying the Solark. Though I haven't fine tuned anything yet. I have seen production as high as 7000W so far and I have only looked at it a few times in the 2 days it has been up.

I am just a beginner, only been involved in solo for 6 months...... so I look forward to your updates.

Stick with it. Learning this stuff is probably one of the smartest things a person could do.