Absolute Newbie to Solar Planning. Have a few questions...

[solson223]

I'm new to this forum and I'm doing a lot of reading (plus watching YT videos) because I want to design and plan my own DIY solar system as everyone else here probably does or has aleady.

I live in SoCal and I'm fairly set on what I want to do. Grid-tied for sure, Hybrid system with Sol Ark 15K, 8-9 kW worth of panels, maybe micro inverters (leaning that way) instead of string setup, 30 kWh battery backup.

Before I do any of that I'm going to upgrade my panel to 200A. I've already talked to Edison and they gave me the green light. I'll probably get that going in a few weeks.

First question (and I did ask them this on the phone and he didn't really know what an hybrid inverter was), can I or should I buy the Sol Ark and implement it as a pass through while I'm already going to change the panel. Perhaps save me a step later on, having them pull the meter for upgrades? I don't know enough yet to know whether this is a good or bad idea. I just figured I could mount it on the wall and have it between the meter and panel, as it will be later I believe. I've bought nothing yet, so I'm going to be a sponge on this forum until then.

Second question. Is there a good tutorial that starts from the absolute beginning, permits, planning, net metering agreement (sadly 3.0 in my case), and that itemizes absolutely everything I'd need to buy for this system and the steps I'd need to follow all the way through? Step 1, call the power company, step 2 submit a permit detailing this.... something along those lines. One thing I do know is that I'm not going to pay what installers are asking for to build the system I want. I'm capable and I know some capable people that will help me do it.

Thanks in advance.

 

[jjww]

I'm in the thick of county approval and just started the PG&E interconnect agreement
and here is what I wish I would have done before replacing my main panel several years ago.
My system plan is the first SOL ARK diagram on pg 48 of their manual.
1. separate meter and main breaker from main panel- allows me to run entire main panel off of
load terminal without having to add new meter box and disconnect.
2 the requirement for a separate lockable ac grid disconnect is a PG&E requirement-still exploring
my need for that one

 

[Hedges]

Here's what I bought:

Square D QO 200 Amp 2-Pole Outdoor Circuit Breaker Enclosure with QOM2200VH Breaker QOM2E2200NRB - The Home Depot

The Square D by Schneider Electric QO 200 Amp Outdoor Circuit Breaker Enclosure includes a two-pole QOM2 frame sizes circuit breakers 100-225 amp capacity for use as an exterior disconnect. This breaker

www.homedepot.com

This gives flexibility to fan out to multiple breaker panels, inverters, etc. and not have 120% rule get in the way.

I suggest using a separate 200A (or 225A) panel with 200A main breaker and interlocked 125A breaker. That could be wired as 200A pass-through SolArk/125A bypass straight from grid. (An alternative would be 200A DPDT transfer switch).

SolArk, maybe microinverters, instead of string?
Do you mean microinverters instead of GT PV string inverters? or microinverers on SolArk instead of DC coupled strings?

 

[solson223]

Here's what I bought:

Square D QO 200 Amp 2-Pole Outdoor Circuit Breaker Enclosure with QOM2200VH Breaker QOM2E2200NRB - The Home Depot

The Square D by Schneider Electric QO 200 Amp Outdoor Circuit Breaker Enclosure includes a two-pole QOM2 frame sizes circuit breakers 100-225 amp capacity for use as an exterior disconnect. This breaker

www.homedepot.com

This gives flexibility to fan out to multiple breaker panels, inverters, etc. and not have 120% rule get in the way.

I suggest using a separate 200A (or 225A) panel with 200A main breaker and interlocked 125A breaker. That could be wired as 200A pass-through SolArk/125A bypass straight from grid. (An alternative would be 200A DPDT transfer switch).

SolArk, maybe microinverters, instead of string?
Do you mean microinverters instead of GT PV string inverters? or microinverers on SolArk instead of DC coupled strings?

The latter. I planned on doing micro inverters at the solar panels and have them go into the AC input on the SA15K. I read that it will take either AC or DC. I wanted the SA15K because it essentially manages everything. I also wanted the capability of seeing how each panel is performing or underperforming with the micro inverters. I originally wasn't considering micro inverters. I still may not go that route and just go DC coupled strings to the SA15K input.

I guess I hadn't considered (I probably saw a diagram already and it didn't sink in) putting in a 200A breaker/shut-off after the meter and before my main panel. I guess that's considered the emergency shut-off? And that way I could always kill everything to do upgrades during the installation process.

 

[Hedges]

SolArk does not have OCP on input, only output. You need 200A fuse or breaker after meter and before SolArk.

A visible blade safety switch may be required, otherwise is suggested. So utility can disconnect any possible backfeed, but leave power to property (not remove meter to isolate.)

People often have 200A breaker in main panel, fed by meter. That makes whole-house backup more difficult, and limits backfeed by 120% rule.

My old place had a similar 200A breaker/meter box, so it was easy to shut off and wire the way I wanted. I bought this breaker for my new property. Polaris connectors will let me feed several panels plus inverter.

Last I heard, SolArk may not gracefully ramp down GT PV power with frequency-watts. They recommend DC coupled PV greater than AC coupled. Also, Enphase IQ8 is apparently so aggressive in anti-islanding that inverters have trouble fooling them into thinking the grid is present.

If IQ7 is still available and compliant to latest requirements, it works better. Microinverters will allow greater variety of orientation, vs. string all should be same orientation on a given string.

I like string inverters such as Sunny Boy. I don't have experience with SolArk, only know what I read here.

With PV strings into SolArk, you are probably required to have RSD. You can select RSD, or optimizers which report data.