42OhmsPA
Who likes Electrical Gremlins?
If you bought a "cheaper" AIO you could buy a lot more battery. All depends what you need for permits (if you apply for them).
New Sol-Ark True 18K Inverter Coming
- Thread starter robby
- Start date
TexasAmerica777
New Member
Lucky for me there are zero permits required.
SunDave
Solar Wizard
One of the easiest things to add, so that's a good spot to be in.
42OhmsPA
Who likes Electrical Gremlins?
Then you could save lots of $$$ by choosing a different brand.
Search around here for what others are running, some was already mentioned in the thread. I don't want to derail it much further than I already have...
SunDave
Solar Wizard
There sure is a lot of brand snobs on here. And interestingly it's not the Sol-Ark, Victron and high dollar equipment users that are the snobs. It's somehow a small group of gatekeepers insistent that we shouldn't be happy with the choices we make.
I have Sol-Ark, Victron, Renogy, Tracer, and one other absolutely no-name piece of equipment for SCC\inverter category equipment. I can't even imagine going to someone's post and saying "you shouldn't buy what you like because X".
Every single Sol-Ark post too. I hope it's worth it to spend your time in this way. Give it a rest please.
I have Sol-Ark, Victron, Renogy, Tracer, and one other absolutely no-name piece of equipment for SCC\inverter category equipment. I can't even imagine going to someone's post and saying "you shouldn't buy what you like because X".
Every single Sol-Ark post too. I hope it's worth it to spend your time in this way. Give it a rest please.
OgreMustCrush
Only 1 panel shattered so far
I don't think there is anything wrong with Sol-Ark's equipment, Deye inverters are top-notch. In fact, I'd love to be able to buy them in the US at the prices available to the rest of the world -- which is exactly why I don't like Sol-Ark.
I will also give it to Sol-Ark that this new 18K model does fill a niche that there isn't really any other competition in, so they probably have the (temporary) right to charge more for that. At their current prices, it's a no brainer to step up from the 15K to the 18K. But is a valid point that in many cases getting 2 12K (AC output, not PV input) class inverters (of whatever brand) is going to be a better solution than a single 18K. 2 12K inverters equals a 100A continuous service, meaning that can backup quite a few people's entire house, no need for MID or critical loads panel or any complications. 18K is a midpoint between 50A and 100A service, still not hard to exceed running oven, dryer, and EV charger at the same time. Of course, 2 12Ks will have more total idle consumption than a single 18K, but if you are considering either 2 12Ks or an 18K you should be investing in plenty of battery otherwise why bother, you'd need to load shed when on backup anyway.
I will also give it to Sol-Ark that this new 18K model does fill a niche that there isn't really any other competition in, so they probably have the (temporary) right to charge more for that. At their current prices, it's a no brainer to step up from the 15K to the 18K. But is a valid point that in many cases getting 2 12K (AC output, not PV input) class inverters (of whatever brand) is going to be a better solution than a single 18K. 2 12K inverters equals a 100A continuous service, meaning that can backup quite a few people's entire house, no need for MID or critical loads panel or any complications. 18K is a midpoint between 50A and 100A service, still not hard to exceed running oven, dryer, and EV charger at the same time. Of course, 2 12Ks will have more total idle consumption than a single 18K, but if you are considering either 2 12Ks or an 18K you should be investing in plenty of battery otherwise why bother, you'd need to load shed when on backup anyway.
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SunDave
Solar Wizard
Same old stuff. Good job. Still will never understand the mindset. I would never go crap on what other people like while frantically repeating "reasons". It's of no consequence to you what I buy. Get over it.
grovny
New Member
I learned that the new 18K cannot be integrated with the 15K. Is lack of backward compatibility typical of Sol-Ark, or is it something they prevent at first but allow later once kinks are worked out? I need two inverters, decided to go with Sol-Ark. On one hand I love the additional power of the 18K, on the other I like the EMP hardening option on the 15K. Bummed that I can't do one of each.
OgreMustCrush
Only 1 panel shattered so far
That is pretty common across inverters from most brands. SRNE told me that even different capacities of the same series can't be paralleled, IE a 10K HESP series with a 12K HESP series, even though they were otherwise identical hardware. They likely assume perfect current sharing between paralleled units and just don't support cases where that won't happen. I think you can use mixed inverters on EG4 Grid Boss setup though maybe since it's an MID and it probably works more like AC coupling than traditional parallelizing.
Speaking of which, you might not be able to parallelize them, but surely you could run the grid side of the 15K into the Gen input of the 18K to AC couple it? Might have to have separate battery banks though, someone was saying Sol-Ark told them they couldn't connect a dedicated MPPT to the same battery as their Sol-Ark or it would void the warranty, and another Sok-Ark connected to the same battery would be basically the same thing. I have no idea why that would be a problem though, inverters should just care whether they are charging or discharging, what something else is doing with the battery at the same time shouldn't make a difference one way or the other, it's just going to look like a battery that is full, or one that is not full. With BMS communication it would even know what other loads/chargers on the battery are doing at that time since the BMS would report the total current and voltage at the BMS.
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Tulex
Solar Wizard
Can you do that with any brand of different models?
cs1234
Even a doofus can achieve high post counts.
- Joined
- May 9, 2022
- Messages
- 5,212
Assuming you can make it work, there is no harm in having multiple inverters with different load panels. I know people like one giant load panel.. but I kind of like multiple load panels serviced by multiple inverters.
ksmithaz1
Solar / EV Junkie
Okay!
Let's read it again, maybe I'm just failing to understand a point . . .
I have a thick skin, make me look stoopid!
We are rubbing something for sure. We say we are thinking of swapping a $6K$ odd SolArk 15K we've had running "for a few years" working just fine with a measly 10 solar panels which cannot possibly be producing more than 6KW, assuming you could get 600W panels "a few years ago". This would more likely be drastically less with a more standard ~400W panel.
...For an ever so slightly larger 18K because he somehow needs 36A MPPT's "without AC coupling" to add 10 more panels to his setup. When he should have two 26odd amp MPPT's not even in use. Gobbly Gook. What does AC coupling have to do with anything at all, and there is no "amp limitation" anywhere preventing adding more panels. A LOT more panels. Like if your panels are ~ 400W/45VOC/13(+)A you could stuff about Sixty (60) on a 15K in a 3x2x10 arrangement. You could stuff 30 panels without ever hitting an 'amp limitation'
But it gets goofier. . .
- A non-sentence about one and done because of a larger MPPT. One what? Done with what?
- Then, we are probably not going to add 10 panels "knowing my preference" More nonsense
- Then, we start talking about not 'upgrading' a 2023 Tesla? Model Y as if this would somehow be related. If we are talking firmware for a model Y I'm not connecting the dots
- Ahh, because of 'hardware 6' that will come out and solve some problems, either on the car or maybe the AIO?
So I'll wait 2 years, and not add 10 panels to a system running just fine that could handle another 50 panels, because I want to replace it with a more expensive system that will take slightly more input with potentially buggy firmware. Like my 2 year old Tesla which I don't upgrade the firmware on to fix the bugs. What I need to do is wait for "hardware 6".
Sorry, It's either a bot, or someone incapable of composing something coherent.
3 X Deye 12k is about the same market for $7200.-Not the same market.
That's like saying 3 VW beetles are the same speed as an Aston Martin if you put them together. Probably true, but also irrelevant.
1201
Net zero
This is not about you. you already spent your money and have to live with that. you're invested.
this is about the person who watches a solark 18k video or sees the flashy marketing material and comes on this forum to do some level of due diligence. We OWE it to that person to let them know they can get multiples of the same class of inverter for the price of one 18k
OgreMustCrush
Only 1 panel shattered so far
There was a whole conversation with the guy after that post where he put in some more details. But in particular from context I think its easy to implicity assume that he can't add 10 panels because he already has loads of panels connected to all his MPPTs on the 15K, and will be bumping up against Sol-Ark's short circuit current limit if he adds more parallel strings to any of them.
Tulex
Solar Wizard
To be fair, the latter is quite common on here.....
Tulex
Solar Wizard
Just like you owe it to him to tell him that if he was looking at buying multiple inverters, he could get it all in one inverter for the same price?
1201
Net zero
you would agree that its a ridiculously high price to pay for the "benefit" of having only one box.
OgreMustCrush
Only 1 panel shattered so far
Sure, if you could get a 24K inverter for the exact same price as a 12K, there is a strong case to buy the 24K due to the presumably lower idle consumption verses the 2 12Ks. Although that would be partially offset by the fact that 2 12Ks gives you some redundancy in that if one fails you can always take them out of parallel mode and drop down to only 12K of output, so you could honestly make the case for either configuration. The comparison here is between 2 12Ks for much less than the price of the 18K, with little additional benefit to the 18K other than the fact that it is easier to get installed in a permitted situation though.
Tulex
Solar Wizard
I only want one box. I don't even have room for more than one in my utility room. The less things that have to work together, the better for me. Many people have multiple inverters, that's great for them. Just not something I want.
Do I like Sol-Ark's high price? Not at all. Am I happy with my install? Absolutely.
OgreMustCrush
Only 1 panel shattered so far
Fair point. Mind by the time you are talking either of these setups (2x12K or 1x18K) you probably should have multiple full server racks worth of batteries (or a wall full of vertical ones) to really make that much sense so the space the inverters take up is perhaps the smaller concern.
robby
Electronic Engineer
- Joined
- May 1, 2021
- Messages
- 6,327
One box that works perfectly is a whole lot better than having three boxes that give problems.
Do you even know what it is like to go for months on end without once looking at your Inverter or production?
That is what Installers need to sell or else they go broke on the service calls. 99% of people do not want an Electricity supply that that they have to constantly maintain and monitor.
TexasAmerica777
New Member
What is the extra cost to string 2 or 3 inverters together? Yes you have redundancy, but complexity as well. I would gladly pay $1-2K more for a great inverter when my whole system is going to cost $20K +.
1201
Net zero
right. and three boxes that work perfectly is a whole lot better than one box that gives problems. lets not pretend that solark is without problems.
yes, matter of fact I do. my system is hands off, and it includes a growatt inverter
robby
Electronic Engineer
- Joined
- May 1, 2021
- Messages
- 6,327
My whole system cost $35K and I installed it mostly myself.
Spending an extra $2-$3K to get a problem free Inverter with 24/7/365 support was a no brainer.
It's the Heart of the system, if it does not work properly nothing else matters.
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