Schneider XW vs Sol-Ark

[robby]

Agreed SolArk isn’t the only inverter with the unbalanced leg issue..
honest question, in which ways does SolArk handle power that sets it apart from a Schneider?
From what Ben has said in his newest videos, the bugs/issues with Schneider seem to have been solved or can be solved with new found good customer support.

In the comments section he says that Schneider says the problems are resolved and that he is setting it up to see if that is the case. I am a bit dubious about their claims of going from 2 customer support people to 20! I know that a lot of companies are offering excellent salaries for competent technical people and they are having almost zero luck finding any people.

As for power handling I am not sure what you are asking, one is a high frequency transformless Inverter and the other uses a massive transformer. Each one has it's benefits and issues. If your going to be running an old 120V Well Pump or Air compressor then yes a low frequency inverter is going to handle high powered inductive loads a lot better. Personally I do not like buying high powered devices that use 120V. I always head towards 240V.

Personally I think Schneiders biggest problem is that they sat back and let the company disintegrate and now they are feeling the pain. They were the very first company I wanted to buy an Inverter from. I actually wanted to buy that exact model and everybody I talked to from Installers to their own distributors told me to stay clear of the Inverter and get either an Outback or Sol-Ark.
Nobody said the Inverter was bad or anything like that. The first time I heard the Inverter had issues was when I watched Bens video! All the other people just seemed to be fed up with the company and it's service and did not want to push the product.

 

[niktak11]

I'm considering getting an XW Pro for the electrical panel that powers our well pump and a (barely used) shop. I highly prefer the sol-ark for my main house system though.

 

[pvdude]

I'm considering getting an XW Pro for the electrical panel that powers our well pump

Works great for starting pumps!
Ours runs the well pump, two pool pumps, heat pump compressor.
(Plus lots of other smaller loads)

 

[Cheap 4-life]

What sets Sol-Ark apart from everything else on the market is it's ability to handle power in so many different ways

I was asking the question about your statement. In which ways does the SolArk handle power that sets it apart from let’s say a Schneider? I’m not asking about low vs high frequency. Is that all you were referring too

 

[Rennit]

I was asking the question about this statement. In which ways does the SolArk handle power that sets it apart from let’s say a Schneider? I’m not asking about low vs high frequency. Is that all you were referring too

That's a good question for Sol-Ark support which you can contact 7 days a week for any questions or help.

 

[Cheap 4-life]

That's a good question for Sol-Ark support which you can contact 7 days a week for any questions or help.

Well obviously, but I’d assume Robby could elaborate on his statement so people reading could understand.

 

[Nobodybusiness]

Since this thread is focused on the higher end inverters would like thoughts on these SolarEver 455w panels. Few places have them now for a reasonable price.

New SolarEver 455W 144-Half Cell Mono Solar Panel

New Solarever 455W are in! They are great for your solar grid application system. Get yours today by clicking on the link!

store.santansolar.com

I initially bought 40 Q.PEAK DUO XL G10 480W which was stupid because I should have bought 48.
I was basing the number of panels upon the Rack And space I had available rather than the solar requirements of the Inverters.

I could have had the rack built to any size but I was just starting in this and didn’t know.
I had a space 80 feet long and needed it to fit in there.

When I did the panel sizing tool I realized that would only fill 3 of the MPPT channels which is what I did.

So I have like 17Kw of panels up and 4 spares.


I needed to populate my last MPPT controller channel.

Problem is I cannot just buy 8 Q cell 480 anymore.
Can’t find them and if you can they want you to buy anywhere from 25-31 panels.

So I bought 15 of the Solarever 455.
I only need 14 7s2p for the last channel.

I have yet to install them because I don’t have the array racking hardware yet.

They seem rugged and I took one in the sun to check voltages and it checked out.

Once I get them in production I will let you know.

Anyone else use these panels and can give this person any insight?

 

[Nobodybusiness]

I'm considering getting an XW Pro for the electrical panel that powers our well pump and a (barely used) shop. I highly prefer the sol-ark for my main house system though.

Is your well pump 120 or 240?

I have a 240vac Grundfos SQE at 240 feet and it runs fine.

Are you having problems running it??

 

[niktak11]

Is your well pump 120 or 240?

I have a 240vac Grundfos SQE at 240 feet and it runs fine.

Are you having problems running it??

240V. The well pump is connected to a different meter so it makes more sense to have two separate systems. Currently it just runs on grid unless I roll out my 200ft of generator extension cords to do some testing running it off the house system.

 

[Nobodybusiness]

240V. The well pump is connected to a different meter so it makes more sense to have two separate systems. Currently it just runs on grid unless I roll out my 200ft of generator extension cords to do some testing running it off the house system.

Ah ok.

 

[robby]

I was asking the question about your statement. In which ways does the SolArk handle power that sets it apart from let’s say a Schneider? I’m not asking about low vs high frequency. Is that all you were referring too

Jeez do you guys think I live on the forum, it was just 3 hours ago you asked.

Sol-Ark Handles power a lot differently from the Schneider and that simpler method delivers much higher efficiency.

Schneider handles PV going to Load going through an inefficient method.
Schneider Power Goes From PV to DC Charger to Battery to Inverter which I am told gives it an efficiency of 89% total efficiency
BTW that 93% efficiency Schneider lists is just for the Battery to Inverter Section.
THAT Is why you must have batteries connected to the Schneider.

Sol-Ark goes from PV - Directly to the Inverter for 96.5% total efficiency
Batteries are optional because of this.

Schneider will handle 6800W of continuous load and the Sol-Ark will handle 9KW of continuous Load.
Transfer time 4ms Sol-Ark and 8ms Schneider. Both should be glitch free.

If you want to start huge 120V Well Pumps or 120V Air Compressors then I recommend you pay the extra $1500 and get the Sol-Ark 15K
You will get that same starting ability and you will have a much more efficient system.

A complete Schneider system for lets say 24 panels is going to cost you about the same as a Sol-Ark 15K and you will have more than double the continous running power and the Same Surge capability.

 

[Jack Rabbit Off Grid]

I wish I would have bought the XW Pro Instead of another magnum. live and learn I guess.

 

[Cheap 4-life]

Schneider handles PV going to Load going through an inefficient method.
Schneider Power Goes From PV to DC Charger to Battery to Inverter which I am told gives it an efficiency of 89% total efficiency
BTW that 93% efficiency Schneider lists is just for the Battery to Inverter Section.
THAT Is why you must have batteries connected to the Schneider.

Are you saying that the way the power is handled because the Schneider doesn’t have a built in charge controller? Doesn’t the pv power always bypass at the batteries terminals if the battery is fully charged or if there’s loads which get their power needed before charging the battery. I mean if the SolArk is operating in grid tie only mode (the 96.5% efficiency) then like any grid tie inverter it might be pv to inverter therefore skipping the charger and battery to get better efficiency. But if the SolArk is in grid tie mode and also using a battery for when there’s clouds or for when there’s simply not enough pv available, then I’d assume the power would be managed as such (same as Schneider) pv to charger to battery to inverter simply because the excess power not needed by the loads goes into the battery. Or am I wrong.
Are you saying with the SolArk the high voltage pv voltage is converted to 120v-240v for loads and if there’s any power not used by loads it is directed to the charger before it’s converted into 120v-240v?

 

[mvonw]

I initially bought 40 Q.PEAK DUO XL G10 480W which was stupid because I should have bought 48.
I was basing the number of panels upon the Rack And space I had available rather than the solar requirements of the Inverters.

I could have had the rack built to any size but I was just starting in this and didn’t know.
I had a space 80 feet long and needed it to fit in there.

When I did the panel sizing tool I realized that would only fill 3 of the MPPT channels which is what I did.

So I have like 17Kw of panels up and 4 spares.


I needed to populate my last MPPT controller channel.

Problem is I cannot just buy 8 Q cell 480 anymore.
Can’t find them and if you can they want you to buy anywhere from 25-31 panels.

So I bought 15 of the Solarever 455.
I only need 14 7s2p for the last channel.

I have yet to install them because I don’t have the array racking hardware yet.

They seem rugged and I took one in the sun to check voltages and it checked out.

Once I get them in production I will let you know.

Anyone else use these panels and can give this person any insight?

I see AltE has 480w Qcell bifacial. Did you try them as an option? I didn’t see any order limits on their site. I had the same issue. I have a mixed mono and bifacial array of 480 watt panels

 

[Nobodybusiness]

I see AltE has 480w Qcell bifacial. Did you try them as an option? I didn’t see any order limits on their site. I had the same issue. I have a mixed mono and bifacial array of 480 watt panels

At the time I got the Solarever panels the bifacial panels weren’t available.

It would have been nice if I had waited but I could have been waiting forever.

Hindsight always 20/20

 

[robby]

Are you saying that the way the power is handled because the Schneider doesn’t have a built in charge controller?

Exactly and that also creates the other limitations

Doesn’t the pv power always bypass at the batteries terminals if the battery is fully charged or if there’s loads which get their power needed before charging the battery.

Does it? Sol-Ark gets around that problem by directly converting PV power to AC grid power.

I mean if the SolArk is operating in grid tie only mode (the 96.5% efficiency) then like any grid tie inverter it might be pv to inverter therefore skipping the charger and battery to get better efficiency. But if the SolArk is in grid tie mode and also using a battery for when there’s clouds or for when there’s simply not enough pv available, then I’d assume the power would be managed as such (same as Schneider) pv to charger to battery to inverter simply because the excess power not needed by the loads goes into the battery. Or am I wrong.

No I think your right, at night we are comparing 93% Schneider efficiency to Sol-Arks 96.5%

Are you saying with the SolArk the high voltage pv voltage is converted to 120v-240v for loads and if there’s any power not used by loads it is directed to the charger before it’s converted into 120v-240v?

Yes I am. It can power the Loads directly from PV first and then any excess PV power will be used to charge the batteries or Vice versa of you want.

Also Schneiders charger is 100A and Sol-Arks is 185A. But for 120V Compressor guys the Sol-Ark 15K would provide 275Amps.
You would be looking at nearly $10K for a Schneider decked out with two 100A SCC and a 60A SCC.

 

[Lt.Dan]

Anybody running a 12k sol-ark with a Victron Autotransformer? Seems like it would solve everything no? The Autotransformer seems pretty cost effective too.

 

[robby]

Anybody running a 12k sol-ark with a Victron Autotransformer? Seems like it would solve everything no? The Autotransformer seems pretty cost effective too.

Yes it would solve most of the high powered Inductive load issues but it will eat into your power and waste it in the form of heat.
It's always a question of is it worth it.

 

[timselectric]

An autotransformer only carries the unbalanced load. Unless you are way out of balance, the efficiency losses are negligible. Mine stays at room temperature. (No heat, no losses) and it helps with start up surges.

PS : I wouldn't run a high frequency inverter without one. (For split-phase configuration)

 

[acdoctor]

I sized, designed and installed my system completely on my own. 5 years ago I think I was the third person in my county with solar but wasn’t aware of them for a year or two. Part of my decision to get Schneider was I wanted a company that had been around and wasn’t going anywhere. They are still selling the same stuff today. I ran the first two years off grid and the last three grid sell so I can get longer life from my batteries.

Schneider does have a lot of required reading but they leave very little unknown. They are much better than the software translations from China. I don’t know how there support is. I have never had a need to call them.

I have never had any issues whatsoever. It just works. I have never had trouble with internet connection. I don’t have one. No problems with software updates. I have never done one. If it isn’t broken don’t fix it. Go find something that needs doing. Clean the panels.

Someone out there may build a better system to get from PV to AC. I do know that the bar is set fairly high. My home hasn’t been out of power for a entire second in 5 years. And a electric bill of eleven dollars a month. After all isn’t that what it’s about?