Rolls batteries and Solark 12k

[DGSmooth]

Cheers all. New here myself, holy moly a lot of info lol. Was hoping somebody could help me, as I think I don’t have a complicated problem, just I’m not knowledgeable enough yet lol

I don’t have all the exact equipment info, I’ll get it tonight, but I have a Solark 12k, and Rolls flooded batteries. Issue I’m having is my SG is way low, like 1.15. The Solark will show batteries at “100%”, but SG low. From what I’ve been reading, batteries are sulphate and I need to equalize charge them, but no idea how to do that.

We’re in a remote area up in Canada, the guy that sold us this setup we later found out has no idea what he’s doing, the company is gone, we kind of got abandoned. The system is a year old, and until recent bad weather and much less sun, everything seemed to be working. I find the Solark manual almost useless, and we never got given any info for the batteries, I just learned recently I should have been checking SG regularly, and adjusting the Solark accordingly. All things he never told us lol.

Wondering if anybody knows the Solark really well, and how I should adjust it and hopefully minimize any damage that’s been done to batteries. Thanks in advance and cheers.

 

[yodamota]

Have you read the rolls battery manual? Lots of useful info in it. It will give you settings and what voltages to charge your batteries at. along with everything else about the battery

Here is the manual

https://rollsbattery.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Rolls-Battery-User-Manual.pdf

 

[sunshine_eggo]

Not familiar with the Sol-Ark specifically, but very familiar with Rolls. You need to charge to temperature compensated 60V.

The Sol-ark SoC is clearly incorrect. It may be configured incorrectly.

 

[DGSmooth]

Not familiar with the Sol-Ark specifically, but very familiar with Rolls. You need to charge to temperature compensated 60V.

The Sol-ark SoC is clearly incorrect. It may be configured incorrectly.

Yeah I’m almost positive multiple things aren’t configured right. Hoping somebody knows some baseline settings

 

[DGSmooth]

Not familiar with the Sol-Ark specifically, but very familiar with Rolls. You need to charge to temperature compensated 60V.

The Sol-ark SoC is clearly incorrect. It may be configured incorrectly.

Right, I did see 60V in one of the settings, I can’t remember off hand which setting was at 60 though (I’m not there right at the moment), and two others at lower number, 54 or something. Absorption, equalize….. I can’t remember, I’ll look tonight. There is a temp sensor in the battery pack, Solark shows batteries at 21 degC. The Solark is compensating for temp automatically, or I need to program it to do that somehow?

 

[DIYrich]

On the Batt Setup, Charge screen, set
Float: 54.0
Absorption: 60.0
Equalization: 63.0

You will have to manually adjust for temp.

 

[DGSmooth]

On the Batt Setup, Charge screen, set
Float: 54.0
Absorption: 60.0
Equalization: 63.0

You will have to manually adjust for temp.

Oh ok, thanks. And it will do an equalize charge on its own, if it has enough power from the panels or generator? Also, should I have the Solark be operating in percentage mode or voltage mode?

 

[LydMekk]

Voltage.

 

[DGSmooth]

On the Batt Setup, Charge screen, set
Float: 54.0
Absorption: 60.0
Equalization: 63.0

You will have to manually adjust for temp.

Ok, thanks. The rolls manual says 120mV for every degree off of 25 degC. Shop thermostat is 15 degC, so I would raise from 60V to 61.2, or lower to 58.8?

 

[seneysolar]

Did the batteries freeze?

 

[sunshine_eggo]

Ok, thanks. The rolls manual says 120mV for every degree off of 25 degC. Shop thermostat is 15 degC, so I would raise from 60V to 61.2, or lower to 58.8?

No. The sol-ark should be set to apply temp comp automatically if it has a temp sensor.

 

[DGSmooth]

Did the batteries freeze?

Nope, never.

 

[seneysolar]

Nope, never.

Ok, good. Based on your location it was a concern.

See pg 25 of the solark manual. Equalization charge is set by days (how often to equalize) and hours (duration of equalize).

 

[yodamota]

I think this is an important part of equalizing when it comes most FLA. Only equalize charge when the Specific gravity is varied by more than 0.25-0.30

Otherwise proper charge voltages and absorption times should keep them stable. Id get the voltages set properly than run the system for a while to make sure. Than if the specific gravity is out of balance. than once the batteries are at a float voltage, than initiate the equalize charge.

 

[DGSmooth]

Voltage.

Ok, why? Reason I ask, I switched it over from % to V, immedietly it starts the generator. Showing 56V, generator running even though its set to come at 51 and go off at 54. And, the arrows show power 1.6k going towards generator, not coming from like I usuaully see, and .06 going to batteries. What the heck does that mean?

 

[DGSmooth]

This: