EG$ 18k vs Sol Ark 15k

[PeteYates]

Hi all, new to forum and to solar. I am about to pull the trigger on hybrid system and battery but wanted to poll the experience on the forum. I am already approved by AHJ and Utility for EG4 18k plus EG battery (30kwh rack) with 14kw array but am second guessing myself. Questions to this forum:
1) Is there a meaningful reliability difference with Sok Ark?
2) My design seeks to offset (but not eliminate) peak usage by discharging batteries over peak hours. Can I control the amount of battery discharge in each hour with utility providing the additional as necessary e.g. battery discharge at 6kwh even though demand is 10kwh (I want to avoid full discharge in the first hours of peak and then getting high peak usage charges for the later hours). Peak usage is up to 10kwh.
3) The EG4 doubles the warranty when batteries are used with the 18k. I would assume this is significant for users?
4) Any other major differences (other than UI etc)

Many thanks

 

[Balrog006]

I have my SA15k set to do exactly what you’re asking-so I know what it’s capable of. If anything I’d say the warranty service ( not the actual terms or length) of the EG brand would be lacking compared with SA as well as customer service support, knowledge and availability. Look around here on users with issues with EG brand stuff, who are working thru it with their CS, wanting replacements, etc vs those working with SA cs and you’ll get lots of information to base your decision on.

 

[zanydroid]

How many of those problems are with Signature Solar and how many are directly with EG4? Because you don't have to buy it through Signature Solar. You could get it from Current Connected and one of the principals there is on the forum and very helpful.

I think there is comparable forum knowledge on SolArk vs 18kpv by now, and there's more forum presence from EG4 and LuxPower than there is from SolArk.

The forum info about SS/EG4 is polluted because it is spread across Voltronic, Luxpower, and Megarevo platforms. Though overall the SS customer support is pretty bad.

SolArk has several years more of operational experience in the US.

 

[Zapper77]

You can set the max DC discharge amperage.

 

[Balrog006]

How many of those problems are with Signature Solar and how many are directly with EG4?

It matters little if there is an issue and you can’t get help to fix it.

Though overall the SS customer support is pretty bad.

We agree, based on reports here.

SolArk has several years more of operational experience in the US.

They certainly do and that experience and maturity of their system and knowledge shows in their products, processes and service. This alone is valuable to me and imho should be seriously considered when comparing the overall cost of a system.

 

[Lt.Dan]

I think there is comparable forum knowledge on SolArk vs 18kpv by now, and there's more forum presence from EG4 and LuxPower than there is from SolArk.

There are plenty of SolArk employees on here, you just dont see them often because people rarely have problems... Forum presence is not something I would go off of.

I don't think I've seen ANY Victron employees on this site...

Signature Solar has had a lot of hiccups with their support, but its obvious they are working on it and trying their best. Sol-Ark has a very good track record with the occasional hiccup, and it happens. Nobody is perfect.

Its entirely up to the customer to decide what they want. Its not something we can tell you that one is (objectively) better than the other. That being said, I will be installing a SolArk 15k and replacing/upgrading from a SolArk 12k, here in the next couple weeks.

 

[zanydroid]

Forum presence is not something I would go off of.

I think you are right in the specific case of SolArk 15K vs EG4/LuxPower 18kpv

However community health and momentum are certainly important factors in choosing a vendor, and I'm talking in general terms, not just for solar at the low stakes tier we're playing at on this forum.

 

[zanydroid]

It matters little if there is an issue and you can’t get help to fix it.

If you pick a different distributor that will go to bat for you harder than SS will then one layer of the risk is mitigated.

 

[SilverbackMP]

There are plenty of SolArk employees on here, you just dont see them often because people rarely have problems... Forum presence is not something I would go off of.

I don't think I've seen ANY Victron employees on this site...

Victron has their own forum and official FB group, so that’s maybe an outlier.

 

[zanydroid]

Victron has their own forum and official FB group, so that’s maybe an outlier.

Yes I count Victron pretty highly for community engagement.

Isn’t there a pretty big difference in UL9540 system cost between SolArk and EG4? Like 30% minimum on the battery side?

I’ll note also that the 6000XP and 18kpv code compliance feature set is a big step up from their previous generation (which further requires old experience described on forum to be discounted) and easily beats Victron at this point.

 

[Dave911]

One more thing:
Signature Solar, often abbreviated as SS, owns the EG4 trademark and they have a lot of EG4 stickers to put on equipment. (Correction, they are closely related and have the same address.) So if you buy EG4 stuff from someplace other than SS, it is still flowing through Signature Solar. There are some horrendous threads on this forum regarding Signature Solar's customer service. I'm new to all of this stuff, but its really bad. Consider yourself warned.

 

[myles]

Been on my sol ark15K for over a year now. Full off-grid. Not a single issue at all. Just does what it should no questions asked. We have a well pump. Septic pump. 4 mini split heat pumps. A garage full of tools. And 4 girls in the house with me. It gets it's exercise ??.

I'd buy another one just to have as backup in case this one ever needed warranty. I'll have to buy a backup inverter maybe the 6000 from eg4. so we aren't dead in the water if it would ever go. But I'm not overly concerned.

 

[Shimmy]

Honestly, the biggest challenges for everybody are getting the system set up and running; long-term there doesn't seem to be any meaningful data yet on quality between the two products. The initial firmware on the 18k was not release quality. It got resolved within a month or so though, and for most people it worked acceptably before then.

If you are new to solar, I'll ask how new you are to electrical power in general? Most of the problems people have are not related to the electrical installation itself, but is something that needs to be done correctly.

In general the manuals for SolArk seem to be better and more complete than EG4 this is a real plus for someone with limited exposure. Both seem to have a few errors though, although it has been some time since I read either and don't have either installed.

If I were buying today I would go for the EG4 personally. For my needs the solar input is more flexible than SolArk, and I like the larger wiring area. Expecting perfection from anything you buy though (including Tier 1 products) is setting yourself up for failure though.

 

[PeteYates]

You can set the max DC discharge amperage.
View attachment 176305

Thanks...Your equipment looks very similar to my design. Solarever panels? Why 60kwh of battery? Anything you would do different? Thanks

 

[Zapper77]

Thanks...Your equipment looks very similar to my design. Solarever panels? Why 60kwh of battery? Anything you would do different? Thanks

Bi-facial Panels
Two 18Kpvs with 4 or 6 powerpro wall batteries
Double Solar

 

[badazin]

Bi-facial Panels
Two 18Kpvs with 4 or 6 powerpro wall batteries
Double Solar

I will definitely need your help setting up my whenever i get them. 2-18kpv 4- power pro and 30kw of pv for a completely off grid setup with a 20kw Gen.

 

[muaddib721]

 

[Lt.Dan]

View attachment 177638

Your Sig Solar doesn't have shipping, and your Solar Sovereign doesn't have tax.

 

[muaddib721]

Your Sig Solar doesn't have shipping, and your Solar Sovereign doesn't have tax.

Sig Solar will ship flat rate to a residence $150 and where I live they haven’t charged me tax. Ordered from sovereign because I wanted to go with the Sol-Ark 15k over the 18Kpv after doing my research. I was just showing that it’s not that much difference in price if you’re trying to decide

 

[SignatureSolarJess]

Sig Solar will ship flat rate to a residence $150 and where I live they haven’t charged me tax. Ordered from sovereign because I wanted to go with the Sol-Ark 15k over the 18Kpv after doing my research. I was just showing that it’s not that much difference in price if you’re trying to decide

We are shipping flat rate for $150 ?